I am advised that when I fly it is a waste of time looking out of the window to make sure I don't bump into things.
Yep, I knew I was right about my earlier comments about PPRuNe.
That is just about as daft and pointless as it gets, becasue if you really thought I said that, then you must be reading it in a different language.
I spend a lot of time doing aeros - 'cse I love it - guess where I am looking.
I spend a lot of time flying a G1000 - with the autopilot on - guess where I am looking.
I spend a lot of time flying other aircraft - yes if they havent got a GPS with my own hand held - guess where it is - "screwed" on to the glare shield - right in the line of view.
I missed another aircraft recently - another twin, came form over the right shoulder and neither of us saw each other - and yet I reckon my look out is as good as anyones. Closest I ever want to get. Trouble is if you fly a bit you may never have a near miss. However, statistically for me every 750 hours has produced one a bit too close for comfort. Of course if you fly in poor conditions your ability to see other aircraft is even worse.
I can think of occasions even in reasonable viz, finding some haze routing towards a setting sun and you might as well be in IMC. If you think by looking out you will see another aircraft then you just have not flown enough to have experienced these type of conditions.
Guess where my PCAS sits - yep, on the glareshield. Guess the only time I look at it - when it beeps to tell me there is another aircraft within my 3 mile bubble - and if it is at the same height - which it also tells me and thats why I have a quick glance at it, I do something about it.
The one thing I am not going to be stupid enough to do any more is ignore all the evidence. I know the big sky theory is what keeps me safe most of the time. I know (because the experts tell me in consequence of some proper scientific studies) that see and avoid is far from guaranteed to save me. For that reason I am happy to get all the help I can - and will continue to do so.
What else do I do:
I am careful to avoid choke points if I can,
In restricted corridors, I will fly as close to the base of CAS as I can, nothing is hopefully going to be above me,
I get a RIS or LARS whenever I can,
I use FIS if I can,
I use the autopilot as much as I can, and I keep my eyes outside.
From my point of view something that costs me a few hours flying at most that gives me an extra element of protection is a superb investment.
Moreover, I know you will be grateful if it enables me to avoid you the next time you dont seem me, but I shall be less grateful that you thought you would see me, but when it came to the crunch your head was down in the cockpit staring at your map and slide rule because you thought that was the proper way to do things.
I fly a Tiger a bit as well. I love pottering around in it - no GPS, Im not going far, instruments as basic as you can get, I have a much better chance of seeing you becasue I am going so slowly, but I still recognise that with all those sticky out bits my vision is not great and I probably will not see you in your nice shiny twin zooming along at 170 knots - so guess what, I am still going to stick my PCAS on the glareshield, just like the scarf round my neck 'cse it keeps my neck warm.