Dog One, you have made 256 posts on PPRuNe, yet you do not know the benefits of Class E airspace. Could it be that the situation which existed in Bundaberg could be avoided? This was a situation where an airline aircraft and another IFR aircraft with a professional pilot were performing the same instrument approach at the same time in IMC. Unfortunately one aircraft was on the wrong radio frequency - a pretty simple mistake.
Or could it be that the incident at Orange could have been avoided? This was the incident where a Rex aircraft was approaching from the east and an IFR Baron with a professional pilot was approaching from the west – both in cloud at the same time. When the Baron needed to do a missed approach it was heading straight into the IFR airline aircraft. The only way it could save the day was by illegally turning off the missed approach. Luckily there were no mountains there.
Class E means that when you are in cloud, you get a proper radar or procedural separation from air traffic control. Surely that is better than a do it yourself “no standard” system.
More importantly, when in radar Class E, the air traffic controller will not let you go below the legal minimum altitude until you have reported that you are in VMC or the controller can see that you are on the correct approach. Both of these would add to safety. Just look at what happened with the professional pilot at Benalla – six people died.
Atlas Shrugged, you say that anything capable of “aerodynamic or aerostatic flight” should have a transponder – but this thread is about the fact that at the present time we don’t even have TCAS in 10 to 30 passenger aircraft. Why are you asking for something that doesn’t exist anywhere in the world, yet not supporting a standard requirement which does exist in every other modern aviation country?
I look forward to your advice.
Last edited by Dick Smith; 17th Oct 2007 at 06:35.