Highwingdrifter,
"I think this would create more problems. I agree that technology solves IFR problems, but remain suspicious that for plain old vannilla VFR, technology seems to add complexity and procedures for dubious returns. As has been said, most mid airs are in the circuit and any half decent TCAS system would be going absolutely banannas as it approaches the ATZ! Yes you can switch it off, but that is another line to the checklist, something else to miss and something to distract. TCAS is a good idea for an airliner where seperation is ATC maintained 99.73% of the time and any Resolution Advisory is a rare eye-widening event. For the VFR bimbler in the open FIR you can fly pretty close once viz is established without feeling in danger and Resolution Advisories would be common place and needless in most cases. I'll wager that it would become next to friggin useless once you have tired of the number of alerts vs the number to real potential VFR conflicts."
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Sorry - but have you ever flown an aircraft equipped with TCAS or received instruction in its use? Because you are 100% WRONG! I fly a commercial helicopter thus equipped. We are required to fly in Class G most of the time, often IFR or changing between IFR/VFR or vice versa. We do NOT, repeat NOT use RA mode but TA mode only. To be honest, I don't EVER want to go back to flying without it because I know how good it really is.
I don't understand your point about TCAS distraction - if you are possibly about to have a mid-air collision - what else is more important than knowing about it and acting to avoid it? NOTHING!
Judging by the number of times that we encounter other aircraft and hold right of way i.a.w. the Rules of the Air, but have to take serious avoiding action because nothing is done by the other pilot, TCAS very certainly helps us spot conflicting aircraft MANY times more often than other pilots spot US. We carry extra white strobes and HISLs and switch on the forward facing searchlight when appropriate, but it IS most often US taking the avoiding action.
Once you have used TCAS for some time you begin to realise just how many aircraft there REALLY are out in class G and how often you potentially get very close to other aircraft. There must be a lot of pilots flying around UK in blissful ignorance - because they don't SEE all the other aircraft they asssume they just aren't there!
