Yesterday was the closest I've come to a mid-air without a visual fix on the other aircraft.
While cruising in IMC at 8000' from KAT to CWR, MB Centre gave me traffic advisories on an unknown aircraft at VFR quadrantal heading ESE. Calls to it from Centre were unheeded, and as we closed, the aircraft began descending and passed through my level, and in IMC there was no possibility of a visual fix.
Fortunately the onboard TCAD system painted the target at about 9nm, and it's descent was closely monitored, although I got a surprise when it left 8500 at 3nm, because I wasn't expecting it to enter cloud. I began evasive action (in IMC) just as the TCAD announced:
"TRAFFIC, SAME ALTITUDE, LESS THAN ONE MILE"
So if was you just past Oberon at 1107 Sun 09 Nov tracking ESE and had left 9500' (near Bathurst) and was at 8000' still descending just past Oberon, you are extremely lucky to have made it home.
