UK Manual of Air Traffic Services Part 1
Classification of Airspace:L
Class D
Aircraft Requirements:
ATC Clearance before entry
Comply with ATC instructions
MINIMUM service by ATC Unit:
Separate IFR flights from other IFR flights
Pass Traffic Information to IFR flights in VFR flights and give Avoidance IF REQUESTED
Pass Traffic Information to VFR flights on IFR flights and other VFR flights.
We don't give avoiding action to VFR flights in clas D airspace.
I work at an airfield within Class D airspace and also have responsibility for a fairly busy section of Class E airspace.
Quite ofted the IFR flights make visual approaches, the paths conflict with VFR flights, I pass traffic information to the IFR on the VFR and likewise to the VFR on the IFR, neither has the other in sight, the VFR is operating up to 2000ft, the IFR is descending throught 3000ft on the visual approach conflicting traffic in his 12 o clock 3 miles at 2000ft - still neither has the other in sight.
What do I do??
I build in a form of separation until the IFR has the VFR in sight or vice versa so I'll restrict the IFR to not below 2500ft until such time as one has the other in sight.
I'm not legally required to do this but we as controllers have a moral duty (and you can discuss this till the cows come home) not to let the bits of metal bang into each other.
The see and be seen principle of separation is not ideal, look at the number of airprox encounters outside CAS because of poor lookout or late sighting - add to that the number of collisions because of poor lookout or late sighting.
I treat every PPL holder the same (unless I know them from experience) as a low hours flyer, that way I'm not surprised when they behave erratically.
Only yesterday one PPL holder took 2 minutes to blurt out his initial mesage and request for zone transit, he then reported overhead a reporting point that was 5 miles west of his position. Unfortunately this is not uncommon and whilst I will contine to provide the best service I can to ALL traffic that talks to me, you'll forgive me for being cautious and making sure that I don't have to appear at the coroners court because I applied the rules to the letter and something went wrong.
As for the incident that started this topic the controller was wrong, but berating him on this forum was not the best thing to do, perhaps a simple question as to what the separation standards we apply would have been better.
At least it's started a hot debate and it's something we can ALL learn from