Many, many years ago when I was doing a first solo 3 point X-country from Barton in a C152, I was heading towards Barton having turned at Salmesbury when another high wing Cessna suddenly appeared in my 12 O'clock head on from nowhere and shot over me with scant feet to spare.
As I was getting an FIS from Warton I was surprised not to have got any warning but a couple of seconds later the controller said somethinhg about, "assume you noticed the traffic passing the other way" and I remarked something about it was "almost conflicting".
I heard no more - the other guy wasn't on frequency - and when I mentioned it to my instructor on landing it seemed to be taken very lightly. I was probably too elated at having been allowed out of the ATZ on my own and anyway it was only an FIS. It has made me think a few times over the years and I certainly wouldn't let it pass now without at least a call to the ATC unit in question.
I note that LowNSlow was getting a radar service from Luton (and was presumeably identified) so I would be petty pi**ed if they hadn't alerted me about something that big when I would have expected to be to some extent under their safety net.
Perhaps Vintage ATCO (Ret.d) can comment ???
Last edited by Dave Gittins; 26th Sep 2007 at 12:55.