Seeing as qantas pilots are the centre of the universe, a good start would be to stare at the sun. Or if it's dark - triangulation by the other heavenly bodies. Failing that there's tea leaves. I hope that helps.

FTDK,
Not ex-Navy by any chance, are you ??
Perhaps we should adopt Navy "points" as SOP??
Tootle pip!!

Naval: "I'm in your 8 bells."

Can't see it working too well, myself.

pohm, I ask you a few questions about the previous communications on this event and you don't respond. Instead you deflect and ask whether it's 'best practise'.

I agree that it's probably not but offer the possibility that the crew realised their error- as Claret points out we've all been there. If they did it may have rated a quick discussion on the ground between the crew. Despite assertions to the contrary, QF drivers are known to just every now and then dissect their own performance.

However, I note here that there is no acknowledgement on your part that perhaps you could have utilised the information provided to ascertain the position of the QF aircraft- not that you've provided any information as to that side of the story anyway. That perhaps it's your own SA that could do with some work here as well as the comm skills of the QF aircraft. I guess that log in your own eye doesn't stop you from pointing out the log in eye of every QF driver.

Have a nice day. :}

PS: 'You're in my 11 o'clock' is a valid call if you're doing 100 knots and I'm doing 200 and I know which way you're going and you know which way I'm going. Of course, that requires your SA to be pretty good. Was it?

I think using the clock face is a more then acceptable practice. But, in this particular case with the QF pilots having been visual with the chopper, it may have been better for the QF crew to say something more along the line of "we are in your xx o'clock".

Thank God the Tower is going in there ... to sort out you blokes and your funny clocks!

have to be a space cadet who's probably never been octa before to say something so stupid

Like a story I heard once (can't remember where I read it/heard it).....

TWR: ABC what exaclty is your position
ABC: We are in your 12 o'clock
TWR: You are all in my 12 o'clock, depending on which window I am looking through.

Or something along those lines. :E