In answer to
Hersham Boy's question. CHIRP stands for Confidential Human factors Incident Reporting Programme.
It is an anonymous mechanism for bringing to a wider audience an "I Learnt About Flying From That"-style incident. Typically they are incidents in which an offence has been committed or a company procedure broken, where the reporter wants the protection of anonymity, but feels that publicising the event might help others to avoid a similar problem
You can read all about CHIRP at:
http://www.chirp.co.uk
follow the links to GA CHIRP.
An Airprox is an event in which the commander of an aircraft feels that his aircraft has been placed in danger by the close proximity of another. Airproxes are filed on a form designed for the purpose, and then reviewed by the "Airprox Board", who categorise them in terms of risk, and cause.
If two VFR aircraft get close in class G airspace, the airprox board are frankly not very interested, since both pilots are meant to be seeing and avoiding". It only perhaps raises an eyebrow if the reporting aircraft had right of way, and yet was forced to deviate because of the inattention of the other aircraft.
Whenever incidents like
vancouv's are recounted on Pprune, there tend to be voices suggesting the filing of a CHIRP and/or an airprox.
CHIRP really doesn't seem appropriate in this case...
It may well have been an airprox but based on the facts given, the "other" aircraft spotted you, and turned to avoid you, noting perhaps that you had right of way. It is worthy of note that you didn't spot the other aircraft until it was turning away, but this reflects on you rather than the other pilot, and perhaps does not need an Airprox filing.
In haze, the eyes focus at a point only just outside the aircraft. It is this factor which can make traffic spotting difficult. Being aware of this physical limitation and consciously making an effort to focus on distant ground features and cloud edges can make a difference. Getting the passengers to keep a look out, as Vancouv did, is also a smart move.
One to learn from perhaps, but not a natural paperwork job, I would think.