Are You A Flasher?

[HeavyWrenchFlyer]

I don't know about flashing, but turning your landing lights on when you know you've been called out as traffic to report for another aircraft by ATC is smart to do, and is done often in US airspace, especially if the traffic is approaching from the opposite direction. You make life easier for him/her not having to keep staring into the pitch dark for you out there, you'd appreciate it if he did that for you. And please don't tell me you're under the illusion that you don't have to or need to establish visual contact with traffic which is called out for you by ATC because you're warm and fuzzy with the TCAS. Or that you're the tool type that utters "we have him on tcas" which doesn't mean a damn thing to anyone whatsoever!!

On the other hand if you just flash for no apparant reason, then I'd think you're lonely and need to get out more often! Or perhaps I'd make sure my 121.5 or 123.45 are turned up just in case you're trying to get me on radio for some reason, such as ask for conditions over the route we just flew over and you're headed for!!! But then again you're probably just trying to establish visual contact with tcas indicated traffic which is a good airmanship thing to do. Those who are stupid enough to rely 100% on the tcas have another thing coming to them and I don't want to be riding in the back when it catches up with them. I did mx for 12 years and you're an idiot if you bet your life on tcas with the dome lights on and head down into the crossword puzzle for too long at a time! Those things fail just as often as any other system on your aircraft, except that there's usually no indication of fault other than a pilot report saying it's giving false traffic info... and that's never from the tool who relies on that thing 100% with the dome light on doing crossword puzzle.

If you're they type who has an absolute need to turn on the dome lights at night destroying yours and your crewmember's night vision which can take as much as 30 minutes for some to gain so you're sure not to see sh!t out there for more than just a few minutes even if you have superman eyes... you're a f'ing tool for sure. It's usually the crossword puzzle doing type that fits that category with the dome light thing.