our MAYDAY should have ensured that other traffic has been 'tidied away'
This brings the whole debate full circle. I'm still having non-conclusive discussions with other trainers: and I don't want to take this topic back to the beginning, again. Other traffic might have been tided away if you are in a radar environment, they act promptly and you wait for an ATC clearance before you leave your cleared level. (this brought about the whole debate about TA only). If you hurtle out of the sky and cause ATC's collision avoidance bells & whistles to activate then the other traffic will not have been tided away and a further mess will be ensuing.
I agree that later on liaison with ATC can sort out the hp issue, but my main point is that I've been told it is wrong to take the initiative and level at FL. The QRH says 10,000' = regional QNH. That is what I question and I hate having to teach such an SOP which seems questionable on airmanship & safety grounds.
Last edited by RAT 5; 24th Jul 2013 at 11:26.