Originally Posted by
Shoestring Flyer
You have got no situational awareness at all if everyone is using a listening sqawk. As I said previously all they do is help controller workload but for me as a pilot they do very little.
Yes and No. Why?
Firstly, in reality a Basic Service is no better than a listening squawk because, at least under the old rules, controllers were under no obligation to provide traffic information to aircraft on a Basic Service
even if a collision between 2 VFR aircraft appeared imminent. I believe that last point has changed (or at least I recall reading something about it) but maybe not.
Having said that, yes, aircraft contacting the controller gives you an instantaneous reference as to where they are - or at least, where they
claim they are. However are they where they say they are? Could they claim to be 2 miles north of VRP X when in fact they are 3 miles north? Could they be 3 miles North North West, not 3 miles North West? The situational awareness you are alluding to is like an MOT on a motor bought from Boycie....