Thanks for the reminder Dick,
Re the 'Traffic Advice' given by FS;
You are correct in that the statement given was
"ABC, Traffic is 'XYZ, a Beech Baron...position...level etc etc'
It didn't matter if the traffic was IFR or VFR....If you hit it, bad things were going to happen. The fact that it was IFR or VFR was irrelevant, it was still 'traffic' according to the criteria of the time, and was 'of concern' to you.
(So to speak...)
Then after 12/12/91 when we stopped giving any services to VFR, the traffic was only then between IFR to IFR.
And there was even a 'push' by AsA to promote 'IFR Category' vs 'IFR Procedures'. In that an IFR Category acft, cruising in VMC conditions was to be considered 'VFR Conditions',
and the traffic would not apply. It was proposed that having attained flight in VMC, the pilot would advise us, and we would then consider him as VFR!
Truly, this was presented to us, but if I recall, it was the industry that got this 'reversed'.
Various phrases were promulgated to be used in this transition period of the next year or two....
'Known traffic is.....
IFR Traffic is.....
Then simply 'Traffic is.....(Again)
I will admit that this took quite 'some time' to get out of our system, as we may have knowledge about a VFR acft in proximity to an IFR, but were NOT to pass such traffic.
AsA kept telling us that that was the 'new' system.
FSOs generally were more than a little 'concerned' at the time about 'duty of care' and how that might 'play out' in a Court of Law in the unhappy event that....and the 'support' we may have got.....
NIL satisfactory answers were forthcoming, so the new system 'stumbled along' for a while....Even RPT pilots did not have a full 'grasp' of the new rules.
Re the VFR 'at or above 5,000ft', yes we all flew at the same quadrantal levels. I cannot recall flights above 5,000 having to go 'full reporting'.
I was engaged in VFR Charter at the time, and as such, went 'Full SAR' at all times, as required. On the odd occasion I did private flying, I don't recall having to remain B050 because I might have been on a SARTIME due to not having HF on a 'long flight'.....Perhaps others have better recall - Its been a while.... and apart from the 'interest' I really don't care any more.
When I am aviating, I use the radio to keep ME safe...and that seems to have worked for the last 50 odd years....
Goodnight.
Cheers
