I am suprised that nobody has mentioned the fact that the pilot is ALWAYS responsible for terrian clearance be it under radar control, RAS, RIS or FIS or nothing. And after discussing this with a Leuchars based pilot I believe this is also the case with mil trained pilots.
It was hammered into me time and time again before accepting a decent /vector below sector MSA, check your MSA and terrian. And our decent checks always include a MSA check. If the controller is checking your MSA as well as the pilot/s great more the better. Terneriff is the case study which is always brought up on a CRM and SA note of why you must always be aware of where you are and what the MSA is.
Having to work with jack-oh's mil unit most of my aviation working life I am just about coming to terms between the differences in ATC rules mil and civi.
And to a civi pilot who doesn't know the whole set up it is garanteed to get their backs up.
This is what i think they are..
IFR is seperated from IFR
VFR is seperated from IFR
IFR is seperated from VFR
this is all in class G and the seperation is always a radar seperation.
The VFR traffic feels its being over controlled all the time.
The Civi IFR traffic is wondering why the hell they are getting moved round the sky in IMC to avoid traffic which is declared VFR (this only happens when the local flying instructor gets pissed off and refuses to play, err guilty as charged m'lord
).
If its CAVOK the VFR traffic can't declare contact with the IFR traffic and avoid. Normal radar seperation needs to be maintained.
And there seems to be no understanding what VFR rules actually are. "You are responsable for terrian seperation" It usually creates more confusion than help due to the pilot thinking o hell this controller thinks I am flying IFR not VFR.
Jack-oh I am not having a go at your unit its taken me a year or 2 to suss out what i think are the rules which you have to stick to. And I really appriciate your crew giving a me RAS in the open FIR.
I am actually quite suprised there isn't a approach note on the plates explaining the differences between the civi and mil rules. And it doesn't help that the rules all change at the weekend. Which maybe makes matters worse because situations at the weekend would be a none event with IFR and VFR being seperated under civi rules. Then during the week being what feels like being harrassed for no reason for the same traffic situation under mil rules.
MJ