TCAS was for many years not considered for the SE Section's A/c due cost & the fact that being presented with multiple targets in & around a busy CTAF actually can work against you in a SP environment. The eyes & good training/airmanship by ALL is yr best defense
Sorry, but have to respectfully disagree
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I used to think it might be too much of a distration SP, but now that I have it, I completely disagree. It is just as relevant to single pilot as multi-crew ops - if you know how to use it EFFECTIVELY.
Eyes/training/airmanship won't completely prevent a mid-air, it's as simple as that. You might be the best PC12 pilot in the world, it will make f*ck all difference if some 70 year old PPL descends on top of you on base, after having accidentally selected the wrong CTAF frequency. You can't see in all directions from the cockpit of a plane. Your abilities/eyes/training/airmanship are but 50% of the collision equation - two pilots are involved.
I completely agree that transponders need to be mandated. I also think on GA aircraft, it should be required to be left in ALT permanently with a WoW inhibiting transmission on the ground or similar.
Airservices have indicated with mandatory transponders their ground equipment and maintenance costs would save millions and millions of dollars per year - and that part of the money saved could be used as grants so those without tranponders can be subsidised the purchase/installation costs.
What is this, the 1930s? We have had the technology to completely fix this problem for thirty odd years, and yet still 4 people can come so close to death in a TCAS equipped aircraft.