The Misinformant
26th Nov 2003, 10:30
In reading and noting the comments from AsA and the NAS group you constantly hear that TCAS will be the IFR drivers primary tool for traffic avoidance in ALL types of airspace. Here in lies one of the greatest failings in the proposal, a very,very,very small percentage of the IFR aircraft in this country are fitted with TCAS.
Apart from QF and Virgin many operators including regionals only have a small proportion of thier fleets with TCAS fitted, let alone GA operators. I suspect that only about 1% of the GA fleet is equiped.
The next point is that will everyone really turn on a transponder as is required and how acurate will it really be. Those PVT owners (AND some commercial operatora) who already barely keep thier aircraft airworthy, really going to repair or inspect transponders between RAD 43/47 requirements.
Will CASA mandate and enforce the transponder requirements as the whole NAS airspace system is relying on TCAS and other technology reliant on transponders to ensure an adaquate level of safety.
It seems that TCAS is going to be the primary means of traffic seperation wereas up to this point it has been used as and designed as a last means of defense.
My next main point is to deal with the current LOOK OUT issue for the see and avoid principle. How many pilots of high performance turbine aircraft can actually see out the front windows. Lets face it the field of view from most turbine aircraft in level flight and descent is pretty poor, let alone in the climb or after take off at high deck angles you are completely blind. What about the the field of view when turning, it as bad as a C172 (and how many of them have come to grief involving a mid air whilst turning). For the single pilot operation with out TCAS if you do not visually acquire traffic proir to the T/O roll you are now operating on a level of blind trust as to whether you will be involved in an accident untill passing into A airspace.
Is there any sane pilot out there in high performance aircraft who will not be experienceing an unacceptable level of pucker factor after tonight.
"OOPs ive soiled myself Again."
Apart from QF and Virgin many operators including regionals only have a small proportion of thier fleets with TCAS fitted, let alone GA operators. I suspect that only about 1% of the GA fleet is equiped.
The next point is that will everyone really turn on a transponder as is required and how acurate will it really be. Those PVT owners (AND some commercial operatora) who already barely keep thier aircraft airworthy, really going to repair or inspect transponders between RAD 43/47 requirements.
Will CASA mandate and enforce the transponder requirements as the whole NAS airspace system is relying on TCAS and other technology reliant on transponders to ensure an adaquate level of safety.
It seems that TCAS is going to be the primary means of traffic seperation wereas up to this point it has been used as and designed as a last means of defense.
My next main point is to deal with the current LOOK OUT issue for the see and avoid principle. How many pilots of high performance turbine aircraft can actually see out the front windows. Lets face it the field of view from most turbine aircraft in level flight and descent is pretty poor, let alone in the climb or after take off at high deck angles you are completely blind. What about the the field of view when turning, it as bad as a C172 (and how many of them have come to grief involving a mid air whilst turning). For the single pilot operation with out TCAS if you do not visually acquire traffic proir to the T/O roll you are now operating on a level of blind trust as to whether you will be involved in an accident untill passing into A airspace.
Is there any sane pilot out there in high performance aircraft who will not be experienceing an unacceptable level of pucker factor after tonight.
"OOPs ive soiled myself Again."