I fly a modern two pilot ME IFR helicopter mainly.
Not infrequently, I’ll receive traffic information from ATC. They will inform me of the type (Often a red/white AW139, with it’s landing lights on), altitude, outbound track and it’s relative bearing and distance to me. EG “Company AW139 traffic, outbound on the 353 radial, just past 1500 on climb initially 3000. Should be in your 2 o’clock low at 8 miles. Report sighting”. This information is backed up on the TCAS display. With two of us looking, it can be difficult to impossible to spot the traffic. And trust me, this is with lots of head movement and diligent “scanning”.
”If a Pilot needs to be tapped on the shoulder by a passenger, the Pilot shouldt be flying.”
Is a phrase that can only be trotted out by someone without sin. (Or perhaps without experience, especially on how much traffic that person might have unknowingly missed.)