Airspace Congestion
 

With controller workload seeming to make it more and more difficult for them to warn of conflicting traffic under an FIS (particularly in the south of England), I'm wondering what other tactics pilots employ for traffic avoidance.

I try to fly at odd heights, but are there any other suggestions for consideration when flying in increasingly congested airspace?

Firstly, I try to keep a very good lookout. I use the TCAS to help me do so. I transit through controlled airspace rather than around, in circumstances where I think it is best to avoid Class G choke points. Then I look out some more. :8

estepo,

There was a thread recently on the Private forum about Collision Avoidance. Although it concentrates on 'mini-TCAS' systems (which are recommended), it also has a few other suggestions (alongside 'keeping a good lookout' and use mode C/S.)

One of them is to fit high intensity strobe lights (ie more than just the standard red anti-col.) They might not improve your lookout but they might well help someone who's looking out for you.

Edited to add: Am I right in thinking that you own and fly a Gazelle, estepo? Another trick is to paint one of the blades in a contrast colour to the other blades (with approved paint on all 3 blades, obviously!) This makes for a very visually distinctive rotor disc from above.


PS I'm guessing that you're already aware that under an FIS, the controller is actually under no obligation to pass you traffic information. ;) The fact that we in the UK often receive a sort of RIS service whilst under FIS is convenient for us, but often frustrating for some of the controllers.


HTH

I plan the route - memorise - note nav detail on my pad and try to achieve a minimum of 90+ time eyes outside the cockpit.


Best wishes

Hi all,
the landing light on - is also an eyecatcher for the guy looking out for you.
Birds also tend see you earlier and have a chance to avoid you ;-)
High intensity strobes and TAS/TCAS are very very useful!
Greetings Flying Bull

Hi Bravo 73

Doh! I didn't spot that thread on Collision Avoidance - sorry.

Yes, I do have a Gazelle, and fortunately, it's fitted with high intensity strobes. I've always appreciated that an FIS is my responsibility, but as often as not, certainly in the south anyway, it's all that's available due to height restrictions. In the last few years, and on a few too many occasions under an FIS, I've become increasingly aware that controllers don't have the time to warn you of traffic which is clearly a little too close for comfort.

I'll go for TCAS, try the landing light, and will run the blade idea past the engineers.

I'll also try not to blink!

Worth remembering that a controller giving a FIS is under no obligation to give any traffic information. They often will, but it's a bonus.

Just a note on congestion it helps if you talk to the right person. It makes me laugh when people call luton for a fis when you can hear how busy they are, the other day the controller told some bloke to call london info if he wanted a fis.

Yes, with Luton, it's always best to listen (and with other units too) but sometimes they sound so busy it's best just not to ask and make other arrangements instead!

No slur on the Luton controllers, they do a very fine job when they can and do their best to accommodate a FIS request. They will sometimes volunteer a RIS when asked for a FIS only. :ok:

When Luton is to busy why not talk to Farnborough Lars North they will keep you clear of anything. I think that is why they got launched last month.

I would suggest when flying north of the Heathrow CTR, if your flight does not involve penetration of controlled airspace, use the Farnborough North Sector LARS (132.8). This is provided using the radar from Stansted, so low cover is fairly good all round the Luton and Stansted CTRs; yesterday a guy went to Cheddington (just south of Leighton Buzzard)and I lost him from radar at an altitude of 800ft. The new LARS sectors (the other new one being east/south of City and Gatwick CTAs/CTRs on 123.225) were established to take workload off the approach units at the various airports in controlled airspace, and at the same time help prevent inadvertant penetrations of controlled airspace, and they're now open (staff availability permitting) from 0800 to 2000 local time - 0700 - 1900 UTC from Sun 30th March.
Traditionally Farnborough always tries to identify all traffic (many units providing FIS will not even attempt to identify FIS traffic), subsequently providing information (workload permitting) on obvious conflictions to FIS traffic, as well as providing RIS on request.
Farnborough has been provided with extra radar 'feeds' for these services; as well as Stansted 10cm, the Debden 23 cm is available as an alternative, and for LARS East, Pease Pottage (just south of Gatwick) 23cm and Heathrow 10 and 23cm radars are available, the Pease is especially good off the south coast and in the vicinity of Mayfield VOR.

Chevvron - thank you, very useful information.

Best Wishes

Since flying with skywatch which shows other traffic which is transponding it has certainly given me an appreciation of how hard other aircraft are to see.

It gives you quite an accurate view of exactly where they are and can still take a while to locate.

I also ask passengers to let me know if they see any other aircraft and also fly at odd numbers and pay particular attention with turning points which everyone else is likely to use and with the accuracy of GPS increase the chance of a collision so I will often cut corners at turning points such as VOR's

Must also add that if you use London Info, although they do a grand job, don't forget it's manned by FISO's who don't have ready access to radar, (just a monitor to show where '1177s' are) thus if there's no self evident confliction, they won't be able to warn you.

TCAS is great, but you need to understand its limitations, like any system. Heading indications are not accurate + or - 60 deg (for the one I use), but at least it gets you looking in the right quadrant.

Its achilles heel is those not wearing a squawk. Those guys come in various shapes and sizes - those who don't have a transponder (like old puddle jumpers) and those who choose to leave them off - like some military operations in my experience anyway. I have heard of a system that flashes the landing lights - does anyone have any experience of such a system?

"Pulselite" is one such system. Can flash landing lamps alternately or together, and works very well. Flashing landing lamps are mandatory for contract helicopters on fire operations, generally they can be seen significantly greater distances than standard landing lights.

One tip: if the landing lamps are close together, programme them to flash together, not alternately, since at a distance they will merge into one continuous light, and not appear to flash.

Because the lamps don't heat up to normal temperatures in the flashing configuration, they last a lot longer than if they were put on continuously.

The United Kingdom Lower Airspace Radar Service (UK LARS) is a very good facility compared with many other parts of the world, where no radar service is available at all.

Why not make Transponders, Mode C, High Intensity Strobes and TCAS mandatory for all aircraft? Meanwhile, the Mark One eyeball (as used by Bleriot and the Wright brothers) does work extremely well.

99% of pilots like to fly with the "big" needle on the altimeter pointed to the top or bottom of the gauge.......hence I fly with it to the sides---either 250' or 750', (add the 1,000' too). When out in remote areas I fly at 250' AGL---firstly, that's where I am comfortable, and secondly, not too many other people fly that low..I also normally have three firefighters on-board looking for traffic too.

Would be nice to legally fly that low again but not much good in the south of England. Also, most birds live below 500' agl so to some extent one risk is being traded for another.

I aim not to fly directly over radio beacons (except on IR check flights, no excuses then :p )

Notwithstanding the legality issue, 250' is positively dangerous in the UK. That is where the FJ traffic is, if you are in a little white Cessna at 100kts, and he comes up behind at 400kts, he simply will not see you.