see and avoid?
A few years back, returning from a NOTAM'd gliding regional competition at Booker, I had turned the penultimate turning point down at Henley, and was heading for the last little turning point that would keep gliders clear of the Wycombe Air Park traffic......when I saw ahead of me a black and yellow Pitts special doing a falling leaf.
How does a glider give way to somebody doing aerobatics? I had no way of deciding the best way to dodge the display, suffice it to say I flapped about and managed to avoid the self-absorbed pillock, and finished having slipped even further down the list of competitors than usual.....
I was, to put it mildly, seriously annoyed. Marched into the Booker office, spoke to the CFI who said Oh yes, that's probably the Pitts Special from White Waltham.
So still steaming, I rang the tower at White Waltham. Conversation went as follows: "I would like to speak to the pilot of a black and yellow Pitts Special that was flying north of Henley twenty minutes ago"......
WW Tower "I am sorry, we are not allowed to give out that information"
"O well," I replied "In that case I will have to file an airmiss......"
WW Tower "I'll just see if he's in the bar!....."
Fifteen minutes later I had the satisfaction of a discussion with the Pitts Pilot, who swore he had seen my glider and had never come anywhere near me, and yes, he read the notams, and no he would never do it again......."
I felt much better. It is wonderful how the other party in an airprox (as we term it these days) will stick to his story regardless of how many witnesses I have to his/or hers idiotic behavior! Always pays to get in touch with the offending pilot and discuss.