Lookout during cruise in upper airspace
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Lookout during cruise in upper airspace
Notwithstanding the legal requirement for the commander to ensure that a lookout is maintained at all times I am looking for reasons for a lookout to be maintained in the cruise in upper airspace assuming aircraft are equipped with TCAS. (I do appreciate that the "see and be seen" concept cannot be guaranteed when flying at high levels at typical cruise speeds).
As a retired experienced airline pilot who teaches flying locally I was asked this question by a PPL holder and I was scraping round for an an answer other than the possibility of TCAS failure or an aircraft flying non transponder.
As a retired experienced airline pilot who teaches flying locally I was asked this question by a PPL holder and I was scraping round for an an answer other than the possibility of TCAS failure or an aircraft flying non transponder.
Bob, as an experienced pilot (which I'm not) you probably know the eye can deceive you up there.
I was on a controller familiarisation flight returning to Heathrow from Istanbul occupying the jumpseat of a '737 somewhere over what used to be Yugoslavia. We heard an opposite direction '747 check in on frequency at FL330; we were at FL350. Shortly after, we sighted it, but it appeared to the naked eye to be above us, not below us. Anyway we kept watching and its aspect slowly changed as it got closer until it passed underneath us, (the F/O naturally flashed our landing lights and he flashed back) helpfully tripping the radalt which was crabbed at 5,000ft; the 'low altitude' warning went off too!
You've probably experienced this yourself, but it does illustrate the usefulness of keeping a lookout at high level. This was also in the days before TCAS was invented.
I was on a controller familiarisation flight returning to Heathrow from Istanbul occupying the jumpseat of a '737 somewhere over what used to be Yugoslavia. We heard an opposite direction '747 check in on frequency at FL330; we were at FL350. Shortly after, we sighted it, but it appeared to the naked eye to be above us, not below us. Anyway we kept watching and its aspect slowly changed as it got closer until it passed underneath us, (the F/O naturally flashed our landing lights and he flashed back) helpfully tripping the radalt which was crabbed at 5,000ft; the 'low altitude' warning went off too!
You've probably experienced this yourself, but it does illustrate the usefulness of keeping a lookout at high level. This was also in the days before TCAS was invented.
Not a pilot here but I was impressed by a thread on adopting solidly good habits and finesse. So looking out it might be one of those habits
Thread here: http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/59360...g-finesse.html
Thread here: http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/59360...g-finesse.html
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You are all suggesting that 'lookout' is only a safety issue. If you don't look out where do you look? Surely one of the reasons of being a pilot is to have the best view in the office and you're supposed to enjoy it. I always wonder why so many people walk along the street looking at their feet as the world passes them by; even on the golf course. Astonishing. 
It's not only traffic you're looking for.
Also weather phenomena.
Thunderstorms, rotor clouds or anything embedded that only reveals itself by the top sticking out of an overcast.
One day I spotted a Walmart Happy birthday balloon that made it to 41,000.
It will give you quite a scare if you're zipping along at 500mph and you miss it by 10 feet.
Also weather phenomena.
Thunderstorms, rotor clouds or anything embedded that only reveals itself by the top sticking out of an overcast.
One day I spotted a Walmart Happy birthday balloon that made it to 41,000.
It will give you quite a scare if you're zipping along at 500mph and you miss it by 10 feet.
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Unless your eyes are naturally focused on something outside the flight deck then they naturally focus about nine inches on the other side of the glass, particularly relevant at night.
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Er...what rules apply flying airways?
IFR
The clue is in the name. Instrument.
There is no requirement to keep a lookout in IMC, indeed in many cases it cannot be done - of in instrument conditions.
Not saying it shouldn't be done if it can be, just that there is no need or requirement to.
IFR
The clue is in the name. Instrument.
There is no requirement to keep a lookout in IMC, indeed in many cases it cannot be done - of in instrument conditions.
Not saying it shouldn't be done if it can be, just that there is no need or requirement to.
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Er, no. Flying IFR does not relieve the crew of the responsibility to maintain a lookout. IFR and IMC are two different things. The vast majority of IFR is done in VMC. When flying IFR it is required to maintain a lookout anytime you are VMC, which is most of the time in the cruise. It is common to make a visual approach under IFR, maybe you wouldn't lookout but professionals know they are required to.
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under IFR, maybe you wouldn't lookout but professionals know they are required to.
Indeed: there was occasion for a CP to issue a 'notice to crews' that placing enroute charts in the front windows to shade the piercing sun during crz was not allowable. The SOP was no curtains.
Indeed: there was occasion for a CP to issue a 'notice to crews' that placing enroute charts in the front windows to shade the piercing sun during crz was not allowable. The SOP was no curtains.
You might ask the DL crew, charts for shades, about lookout over the ocean. Late 80s they passed within 200' of a Continental 747; having combined shades with a GNE.
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The guys at Air India were caught out doing the newspapers for sunblinds trick about 6 years ago.........
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