Mid-Air risk. I am just paranoid?

[G SXTY]

I have recently started solo x-country training, and while I enjoy the peace and quiet (and the now rocket-like performance of a C152 ;) ) I find I am really missing the second pair of eyes. Not so much for monitoring me, as I’m fairly confident in my basic ability, but for looking out for traffic.

I’m fortunate in having Southend’s LARS near my training area, so an RIS is almost always available. This is very reassuring (although I’m well aware that separation is still my responsibility) but when I get back to the circuit, I become obsessed with looking out for traffic, to the point where I feel I’m letting it take priority over my own flying.

Its extremely busy airspace, with the LTMA at 2500’, so any overflying traffic is sandwiched into a 400’ band above my overhead join, which makes me very uncomfortable, and on previous flights my instructor has calmly asked me if I had noticed ‘that one that was a bit close’ (I hadn’t). :eek:

I only have 25 hours, so its very early days, and I appreciate that the AAIB’s pages are full of C152s with bent nose-wheels rather than mid-airs. I also realise that there’s little point in having the world’s best traffic scan if I let the carb ice up, but I’m still not sure as to what extent the danger is real or imagined.

Does everyone else go through this stage? And if so, what techniques do you use to improve your scan – is it just something that comes with experience?

[Bluebeard]

You are right to be concerned about avoiding other traffic, but you are also right to be concerned about being overly concerned, as it were.

I also went through the same phase, there were quite a few occasions where my instructor tapped me on the shoulder to point out traffic which I hadn't seen. There were times when I must admit I felt a bit of a numpty for having missed something which was so obvious, to the point that I was wondering what would happen when I was solo - how was I going to fare then, and who else would I miss?

In the event things have turned out fine. There have been occasions where I have spotted aircraft rather too close to me, but things never got to the point of panic stations and I was fine. There were even occasions where I spotted aircraft which my instructor missed (but there weren't many of these.. :D ).

Some tips spring to mind:

You don't need to complete stuff like cruise checks and pre-landing checks all in one go, its OK to do them in stages to ensure that you don't lose track of what the plane is doing
I was taught to scan the sky; focus for a couple of seconds on a patch of sky then move on to another patch, moving from one side to the other.
You're flying a C-152, don't forget to have a peek under the wing when entering a turn (you'll need to lift the wing to do this)
Use radio calls to identify the position of other aircraft and where they are going, there is a real knack to doing this. This is a very good reason to listen in on local frequencies when in the cruise, but always try to play the game as well by letting people know where you are so they can avoid you too (interestingly this is a good reason why I don't use London Information as the service is basically a waste of time, have a listen in one day for exciting information about aircraft 70 miles away! ;) )
Oh yes, don't become fixated on one 'target', you'd feel pretty stupid if you gave aircraft X a wide berth as you collided with aircraft Y...

Good luck!

[ 16 November 2001: Message edited by: Bluebeard ]

[Speedbird252]

Cant really improve on what Bluebeard has said. Having a standard lookout procedure that you are happy with is the name of the game, up to you which way you do it - As Bb said, fixing briefly on one area and then moving to the next and repeating across your field of view works for me. Ive had plenty of times when while with my instructor ive not seen something which with hindsight i feel i should have. But, there have been times that ive picked up traffic that may or may not have turned out to be a problem ahead of my instructor. I guess its all relative, while solo your responsibility level goes balistic and I found myself overworking. Ive now fly with my visual checks part of a natural action, rather than a procedure. Another major point is, if its busy in and around the airfield, to get used to getting a picture of the local traffic from listening to the r/t. Who is joining where, who is descending deadside and how many already in the circuit. Do you want to go for an overhead join, or is the current traffic layout more suitable for a straight in or downwind join?

Ive not said anything new, just really agreeing!! All this said, if you are doing solo x-country at 25 hours then I reckon you are probably above average anyway.

Good luck with the rest of it!

Regards,

Inbound somewhere ;)

[A and C]

it,s so good to see that lookout is some thing that matters to you unlike most of the new breed of pilots who seem to spend most of the flight looking at the GPS stuck on the yoke.

[Who has control?]

G-SXTY
I'm assuming you aren't based at Southend, otherwise you will know all this.

The local training area for Southend tends to be south of the A12, so anywhere around there is busy. VRPs and VORs attract light aircraft like bees to a honeypot, so Maldon and Stapleford are always busy. Obvious landmarks need attention too, Hanningfield and Abberton Reservoirs, Bradwell Point are also well-used.

Apart from that, develop a mental picture of who is where and know where to look out for them, especially in the circuit. (I remember being no. 5 to land, and never seeing another aircraft!) Tell them where you are too. When you see another aircraft, take avoiding action early and make it a positive move, a 45deg. turn is better than 5 deg. - it gets you clear quicker.

So, keep a good lookout - and keep a listening watch too.

A and C - my instructor told me that he had problems with 'young pupils' getting them to look outside as most of them had spent hours on flight-sims.

[Stacksey]

Agree with all above, I fly in Scotland around Stirling and as that's between Glasgow & Edinburgh airspace you have to keep an eye out for light aircraft traffic.

Couple of other points to note: Definately keep to the right side of roads etc, I know you don't use them at you're stage as you tend to do straight legs, but I've found once I had my PPL I quite often follow roads and things when flying in the local area as it's easier than having to fully plan routes and constantly look at the map. I've also sometimes found myself at fairly low level under low cloud, joy's of flying during a Scotish winter I suppose!! - and everyone else is following the roads as well.

Also I like to pick a random altitude, rather than flying at 2,000' I use 1,700 or something as other people seem to follow 500' increments, it obviously isn't foolproof but it may give you vertical separation uif you visually missed another aircraft.

Telling people where you are is a good plan too, I use Scotish information normally on route but if you hear another aircraft on frequency and you believe he may be near transmit and tell the controllers where you are and your altitude,hopefully he's listening in.

I'm sure we all go through this stage, I certainly did!! - but the 'big sky' theory works pretty well, and with a good scan I doubt you'll get really near anyone else, you certainly don't very often hear people talking about mid-airs and I'm sure you know how much people like to pass on disaster stories!!

[Odi]

Just a quick point of view from the other side of the fence: once, whilst I was an ATC assistant at Shawbury the local flying club flew a number of us around the local area as a liasion exercise. I remember it vividly because it is the only time I have been worried whilst flying. Having got airborne I suddenly realised that I couldn't see any other aircraft. Why did this worry me? Because not 15 minutes earlier I had been standing looking over the Shawbury Zone Controller's shoulder and could see how busy the airspace was. However, the "big sky theory" soon took over and the feeling went away - it just proves that a little knowledge can be dangerous.

Conversely, don't get to fixated on listening for conflictions on the R/T. I have had (professional) pilots query me giving them descent (in Class G under RAS) because they had also heard me give descent to another aircraft to the same level when the aircraft were over 60 miles apart going to destinations (oil rigs) 40 miles apart. However, having said that, if you have the slightest doubt about what ATC is asking you to do then please ask the question. It saves a lot of paperwork!

[adriannorris]

It's a big sky, but I find the following techniques help make things a bit more relaxing:

1. (As already mentioned) choose slightly odd cruising altitudes. Most people use thousands or thousands + 500 ft.
2. If you use a VOR as a turning point, "cut the corner" a bit - don't fly right over the beacon.
3. In summer, if you can fly above the cloudbase you will avoid the gliders. If you can't then try to avoid flying under growing or developed cumulus clouds.
4. There will be more gliders upwind from a gliding site than downwind. (Same goes for parachutists!)
5. In the circuit fly at the correct altitude, fly the circuit pattern that people expect you to use and try to make radio calls in the right place. (At the field where I trained, there was a collision in the circuit between a Rallye which was flying a normal circuit, and a C172 which flew a tight circuit without making any radio calls. The Rallye descended onto the Cessna on finals. )
6. Descend into airspace that you can see. I scared myself badly one time by doing a long straight descent on a reciprocal heading to a flexwing microlight who was doint a long straight climb....
7. Don't rely on the other guy to obey the rules of the air!
8. If you're flying a C150, fit a rear-view mirror! :D

[G SXTY]

Sincere thanks for all the advice – much appreciated.

Who Has Control
You’re right, I fly from Stapleford, and Hanningfield reservoir is teeming with Cessnas. Its always useful listening out on Southend Approach (although their controllers do tell of the odd Tornado zooming past unannounced on its way to the danger areas . . .) :eek:

Its the circuit that I find really daunting. I’d love to make (and hear) nice timely overhead & downwind calls, but its a real challenge trying to get one in between half a dozen fellow studes all asking for the QNH one after the other . . . Perhaps we need an ATIS frequency. :)

I like the idea of a rear view mirror though. And a big sticker saying 'Slow vehicle - please pass' :D

[blended winglet]

main thing is to keep a good look out,

words drummed into me during training,
but, post qualifying I did have one BIG
scare returing to E/Colne from the
Chelmsford area,
I was in a 172 & doing all the right things, but, the one that very nearly got me was a 152 bearing in on my port wingtip & just out of sight, at a constant relative bearing.
for some reason I lifted that wing very slightly & there it was, around 200' feet
away, fortuanately he was already taking avoiding action !!
Dont worry excessively about collisions,
but do keep a good lookout & just lift those
wing tips every now & then to be sure,
(I do actually prefer low wing types now.)

Its a big sky & an awful lot of the time you won't see anyone, but keep aware & you'll be ok,
enjoy your flying,

[Final 3 Greens]

G-SXTY

You have received some excellent practical advice that I do not need to add to.

Just remember that you are a student pilot and have not spent much time in the air: it is natural (and safe) that you should be aware of your limitations and lack of experience.

If you maintain this awareness after you get your PPL, your learning will consolidate and you will become more comfortable as your experience grows.