No Further Requirements, you state:
sometime procedural is better than radar, especially in low to medium density environments.
Minimum radar standard: 3NM
Minimum procedural standard: 1NM
Can you explain this a bit further? I’m sure there are some limitations, however I would like to know if this is helpful in relation to Launceston – i.e. not using radar rated controllers there.
Splinter11, once again you are bringing up the old furphy. When I ask if our existing radar can be used in a more effective way, someone jumps in and starts talking about how we don’t have as much radar as the USA has – i.e. over the Simpson Desert and the Kimberley.
This is completely irrelevant. Australia’s radar coverage is as good as the USA between Launceston and Cairns. Why can’t we at least use our existing radar effectively to assist in preventing CFIT accidents?
By bringing up this furphy all the time, it just delays any rational decision making.
Dog One, I love your statement:
In relation to Flight Safety recommendations, a well trained pilot equates to higher points than ATC/Radar.
Even if you believe that, why not also use air traffic control and radar when it is available?
People often ask me why so many of the older pilots are against maximising the use of radar in Australia to help prevent CFIT accidents. My answer is always simple. “Many pilots believe they won’t make an error, so they don’t need the added assistance of air traffic control and radar.”
In fact, in relation to the Benalla crash, it is amazing the number of professional pilots who have told me that the error was totally that of the pilot, and that there is no need to use the radar more effectively in the Benalla area.
I do know many professional pilots who say to themselves (as I do) when any accident occurs, “When will I do that?” That seems pretty sensible to me.
By the way, I have always said that we should have adequate staff. When I was instrumental in removing flight service officers from the responsibility of low level airspace and giving it to air traffic controllers, the plan was to adequately staff the airspace so a control service could be given where it was a cost effective way of improving safety.