Now, I do think ATC should have advised the 777: traffic , a GEN AV, along departure path, he has you in sight...prior to takeoff clearance.
But what do you do with a clearance like that? Our SOPs are to follow any clearance until it is unsafe to do so ie TCAS, WX or Terrain avoidance. In this case we would have been cleared for a SFO8 departure. We cant just plan to level the aircraft below the other traffic at 1500' - our performance calculations dont allow that. We cant just deviate from the SID - performance calculations dont allow that, and we may just exacerbate the situation with a WOOP WOOP pull up. Therefore we either have to wait on the ground, or wait for the TCAS RA (we shouldn't really act on the TA as the aircraft we see may not be the aircraft the TCAS is protecting us from).
We have different standards in the UK and Europe. Standard seperation is 3NM or approximately 18000 feet. This aircraft was within 1500' or 1/10th of the standard seperation if it had happened in the UK. This sort of VFR seperation issue doesnt happen at the big airfields in the UK. We do have heli's operating in the vicinity of the airfields but they are also seperated, but are much closer. They also dont hang around in the vicinity of the departure end of the runway.
So the problem I have is that aircraft are put in danger needlessly. Is it safer to have a Cessna at 1500' visually remaining clear, or no cessna in the take-off cone of a 777? Equally, is it safer to stagger the arrivals onto 28L/R or have them coming in wingtip to wingtip?
I understand your
"Come on, wake up and fly the damn thing." sentiment, but passengers are paying for, and surely deserve their safety be put first. Surely we should all be striving for a safer system? We can all go and be gash, but a modern jetliner is not the place to practice chicken. (just eat it
)
In this situation I believe neither aircraft did anything wrong within the clearances they we given; Again it is the system that allows this to happen, so lets change the system so the aircraft dont get so close.
No personal digs meant.