A question for AFAP
There was a thread here on Pprune the other day concerning AFAP Union ?/ membership drive ?/ It has gone.
So I ask is the following that was posted on another forum, is this AFAP policy or is it a "wind up"? (I add that the words "sterile environment" were used). May I quote your answer?
"A thread was running that was debating the pros and cons of Australia employing a system of 'see and be seen', to provide separation between airline, RPT and all other traffic, at certain airports.
My opinion ( the poster, not me), is that for the SAFETY of all, aircraft making leisure, and non-scheduled flights should be excluded from airspace within 10nm and below 5,000' for a period of 15 minutes prior to scheduled time of arrival (STA), and for 20 minutes after scheduled time of departure (STD) when an airline or RPT aircraft is scheduled for arrival and departure.
The concept of 'see and be seen' is less than 50% effective, at best, and more realistically has a 15% - 25% success rate.
This is totally unacceptable in my point of view, and amounts to Russian Roulette, using aircraft.
At work today, with visibility of around 30nm, TCAS and ATC advice, we were given 2 aircraft (and vice versa) as traffic.
The first was 1,000' below, 11 o'clock and ranged from 8 nm until passing directly below.
The second was initially 3,000' below, 1 o'clock, 15nm and climbing through our level as it crossed our track at approximately 30 degrees, coming within 5nm.
Good vis, TCAS readouts, and ATC advice.
In both cases, no crew members of the 3 aircraft made sightings.
'See and be seen' is not a SAFE method to use for aircraft separation involving 2 and more aircraft using a common airport, and those aircraft having mutual radio contact