767-300ER,
I take your post as a clear example of the level of negative training that has come along with the invention of TCAS.
Your basic contention is that your primary means of avoiding a collision is "Sit, wait, and follow the RA"
TCAS is a last ditch, emergency system that escalates to RA mode after giving you several cues that things are not as they should be.
Aquisition of potential collision traffic during proximat phase or, as a final chance, TA phase and maneuvering to avoid an RA is surley much preferable to putting you and your passengers lives in the hands of a last ditch maneuvre that will provide 1-200ft seperation IF both pilots respond to the RA correctly.
If we miss a staionary mountain by 200ft, we call it a very close call, yet you seem content to allow an automated system to guide you to a very small seperation from an object with which you have 900kts closure. Should we "Wait and prepare ourselves for the Terrain Avoidence maneuvre once we get an EGPWS warning", or keep clear of terrain without ever setting it off?
Try this next time you are in the Sim- While your partner is flying, flick your TCAS to TA only (which is the only alert you recieve if the target aircraft is only squawking mode A), and watch as he patiently waits for the RA that never comes to save him.
Don't get me wrong- if it get's down to an RA, the RA guidence should be followed by SOP, but there is NOTHING in TCAS procedure that stops you visually aquiring and avoiding a possible collision before it ever gets as close as an RA.
You have no idea what the other pilot might do
Capt Bloggs,
It is still enshrined in international air law that two aircraft on a collision course shall both alter heading to the right.