I'll forgive the 3 Herks who wandered through the circuit of an active and marked airstrip at less than 500ft MSD while I was turning finals one day
Active and marked it may have been, but was it afforded any airspace? There are a myriad of active and marked airstrips on the low flying chart which are only afforded see-and-avoid status. One might argue that the Herks in question saw and avoided? Of course, if they entered an ATZ without speaking to anyone then that is a different matter, but on the whole, the see and avoid principle works, and is adequate for normal deconfliction.
TSR22, to throw in my 2 pence worth, TCAS is a good system but there is a danger on developing an over reliance on it to the detriment of lookout (the same can be said of an RHWR to an extent). Since we don't exepect any aerial aversary to be squawking, its unlikely that a TCAS would have an operational value. Leaving aside the fact that most fast jets were deisgned and built before TCAS came into widespread use, there is one school of thought which says that it would be better for aircrew to develop robust lookout scans than to become reliant on a gizmo. Consider that the majority of FJ traffic operates in the less densely populated parts of the UK and the actual risk of colliding with a light aircraft is reduced to a level of risk which the MOD is happy to accept. It is also worth considering that one of the reasons Tucano was chosen as the trial platform for TCAS in the RAF is that it tends to operate mainly in the busier Vale of York airspace.
To sumarise, the RAF operates at a level of risk which it feels is appropriate and acceptable. There is an acknowledged risk of meeting other users in the low flying system and a set of procedures in place to mitigate that risk - chief amongst which is identifying likely choke points (CANP, Notams, PINS, information on the Low Flying Chart and from the central low flying booking cell) and briefing the need for extra vigilence in these areas. The potential benefit of a TCAS system is recognised and work is in progress to determine the likely effectiveness of such a system. However, the resource is not availaible to retro-fit the system to all aircraft at the moment.
I would echo some of the sentiments above, namely that we all have an equal right to use the air, better understanding of the constraints of others is valuable, and most of all I would advocate the value of the CANP system. Further, I am sure that a opportunity for your flying club to visit an RAF base to better see how we aim to stay safe could be arranged with a little thought.
Best regards.
Blunty.
Phew. Time for bed!