Probably a really stupid question

[piperboy84]

I'm a private pilot(VFR) flying my Maule out off a farm strip here in the glens of Angus. I lived for many years and learned to fly in the US and am now flying here in Scotland, I have this nagging question about which way to turn if in the unfortunate (and extremely unlikely)event I am in a mid-air head on situation. I was trained to fly to the right in this situation. Is this a universal "rule" or is this just in the US where I assume it is the natural reaction based on the side of the road they drive on there. Whereas here in the UK I assume instinct would probably be to turn to the left? Or is there no hard and fast rule?

Any ideas

[Pilot DAR]

Well I'm going to presume that there are "right of way" regulations in the UK, as we have in Canada, and the US. Obvioulsy, they should be adhered to as best as possible. Generally, in Canada "right" is the right answer in terms of who has the right of way, and which way to go in case of head on conflict.

I concede that in a nation where the cars are driven in the other direction on the road, it could bring about this question for a North American trained pilot. I'm sure someone will be along to remind me that it is us in North America and continental Europe who drive on the wrong side, and what is to be done in the UK.

I think that right of way rules are based to some degree on the seat normally occupied by the pilot, and surprise surprise, it seems to be left seat by convention for planes just about the world over - a lot like the cars which are build the right way across. I would think therefore that the logic of right of way as it related to visibiliy, would be the same in the UK as the US, but know the rules locally.

If you maintain good awareness of what's going on around you, the risk of mid air is happily low. This can be managed with good airmanship.

Fly with good awareness, and worry less....

[India Four Two]

pb84,

This is what you are looking for:

10 When two aircraft are approaching head-on, or approximately so, in the air and there is a danger of collision, each shall alter its course to the right.

CAP 393 Air Navigation: The Order and the Regulations
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP393.pdf
It's not intuitive when you are learning to fly in a country where driving is on the left.

Just to add to the confusion, the same turn-right rule applies on the ground if you are in a "flying machine", but you turn left to pass another "flying machine" on the ground, whereas in the air you turn right!

PS Not a stupid question. Having learnt to fly in the UK, I thought I knew the rules, but I had a big surprise reading the "on the ground" rules. Who makes up this stuff? Vehicles are supposed to turn left in a head-on situation, flying machines turn right. What happens when a vehicle meets a flying machine head-on?

[Pilot DAR]

What happens when a vehicle meets a flying machine head-on?

A head on!

[India Four Two]

Pilot DAR,

Yes, a rules-assisted collision!

[frontlefthamster]

No, the vehicle must give way (in the UK, Rule 43). The flying machine does not alter its course.

The thing I worry about when I read a post like the OP's is that people come here with their questions, rather than knowing where to go for the authoritative answers...

[WorkingHard]

frontlefthamster - I think most here will know where to go for the answers BUT knowing where to look and finding is a very different scenario. Firstly the "rule book" as it is written by civil servants is so vast that searching in any logical manner is useless. Secondly when you find the required publication then using the search facility will bring such a myriad of possibilities that it is oft necessary to read the damned publication in full. So the sensible pilot will ask for guidance here because, as with most things in life, someone has been there before and can offer a little help as is the way with PPRUNE.

[foxmoth]

but I had a big surprise reading the "on the ground" rules. Who makes up this stuff?

Not really that daft, if you imagine on a taxiway you are essentially taxiing on the RH side, so to overtake OR pass opposite you go onto the "dead" side of the taxiway. In practice most people taxi in the middle and there is very little overtaking, but if, for example, someone had a problem and needed to stop they should pull to the right, thus allowing both opposite direction and following traffic to pass correctly.

[Talkdownman]

Originally Posted by piperboy84

Whereas here in the UK I assume instinct would probably be to turn to the left?

An interesting observation. On a couple of occasions as an FI but passenger touring with experienced PPLs I noticed that, in head-on situations, they turned the wrong way. Therefore, on biennial training flights, I incorporated a simulated (hopefully!) situation where, on the way out to the 'local flying area', the (experienced) trainee is faced with 'an opposite direction aircraft less than 10 seconds away'. I was staggered to find that a disturbingly large proportion turned the wrong way. The realisation on their faces was priceless! These British PPLs included some private owners with many hundreds of hours. They were all very experienced drivers and I put it down to the fact that here in the UK we drive on the left and that that 'instinct' influences survival.

[peterh337]

There is ambiguity in practice, if the two aircraft are well separated but apparently head-on, if their tracks are such that a turn to the left is more appropriate.

Obviously this won't be very good if they both do it, but in practice, invariably, one of them spots the other long before the other one spots the first one.

In an imminent head-on you should turn to the right.

[welkyboy]

The Rules of the Air were derived from the Rules of Shipping, which were dreamt up well before cars were invented......

[TheiC]

I think most here will know where to go for the answers BUT knowing where to look and finding is a very different scenario. Firstly the "rule book" as it is written by civil servants is so vast that searching in any logical manner is useless.

It took me one minute and ten seconds to google 'air navigation order', download the document, and do a text search for 'right of way'. The sixth mouse click found 'Right of way on the ground', Rule 42, which is immediately followed by Rule 43...

[Heston]

More than a minute! Six mouse clicks! The T W I T T E R generation has an attention span of 15 seconds - there's no chance of anyone under the age of 25 finding that stuff

I seem to recall reading that most pilots turn right instinctively and this knowledge was used by fighter pilots to anticipate the break turn that the target would make when it realised it was under fire.

Anyway, weren't the rules of the air mostly from the French?

H

ps Interesting that I couldn't type the name of the social network without it appearing as twitter (hence the spaces). So I guess birds must twitter?

[frontlefthamster]

I'm clearly expecting far too much from someone who is, after all, only licensed to be pilot in command of an aeroplane - hardly any responsibility at all...

Peter... (oh dear, here we go again)...

When would it be 'more appropriate' to act against the rules of the air? Are you aware that if you did so, you would be assuming responsibility for any consequences?

I must comment, though, that the maritime world is much better not only at teaching the rules but standardising knowledge of their application. Carrying that knowledge across, I would say that the way to view the rules of the air concerning collision avoidance is always to assume that a risk of collision will be believed to exist by the pilot of the other aircraft, and act accordingly. Thus Peter's dubious advice is, once again, found wanting...

[24Carrot]

I seem to recall reading that most pilots turn right instinctively and this knowledge was used by fighter pilots to anticipate the break turn that the target would make when it realised it was under fire.

Derek Robinson describes it in "Piece of Cake", but if I remember correctly it was the other way round - the "natural" break was to the left, so if you were doing the shooting you should anticipate that, and if you were doing the breaking, a break to the right might be a good idea.

[24Carrot]

Re: acting against the rules, surely as PIC your over-riding responsibility is to avoid collision? If the rules help (as they usually will), well that's fine. I can also imagine circumstances (involving cloud, terrain, other aircraft etc) where not following the rules might be a better solution.

Edited to add: unless the collision really is imminent, of course, because then the immediate aircraft-aircraft separation is all you care about.

[Heston]

24Carrot - your memory almost certainly better than mine!

Does the direction of the rotation of the prop come into this? I mean early aircraft turned much more easily one way or the other, depending on the rotation direction.

H

[ShyTorque]

As a pilot you are responsible for the safe conduct of your flight. If you don't know the rules, you shouldn't be flying until you do know. A rumour network is hardly the place to find the answers on something so fundamental as the right of way rules.

Here is a link to the relevant publication. I suggest you read the lot!

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP393.pdf

[foxmoth]

If you don't know the rules, you shouldn't be flying until you do know

Whilst I agree pilots should know the rules, IMHO this was a bit harsh, most pilots on this forum are not full time professionals and as such are often not as up speed with the rules and regs as maybe they should be, I would much rather someone who is in this position feel that he can ask rather than being driven away by responses such as this and remaining in ignorance.

[riverrock83]

I'm still doing PPL training, but one of the exercises that my instructor had me doing was practising "emergency avoidance" - ie - a quick entry, maximum rate turn of 90deg to the right (we practised this as 3 seconds). When I changed to a different aircraft we did it again and it felt considerably different.
Is this something that is regularly practised to make sure we are in the habit of turning right, and something that is practised each time we are getting familiar on a new type?