Trust me. You can look as hard as you want, sometimes you won't see it. I had just scanned the area in front of my 180 probably 15 seconds before we hit the 210. No intersection, no VOR, closest airport 14 miles away, non level flight (I was descending, he was climbing). The point is, my eyes were outside and I still managed to find an airplane to run into that was straight in front of me. It happens. I feel for the families of the deceased. I am very happy for Bev, glad she kept it under enough control to get to the ground under control. Never give up, fly that damned airplane until it won't!

What do folks on here think about PCAS systems? Probably the wrong forum to be asking that question....

Even today - I had a very close run-in with a twin - that I'm sure never saw me - barrelling southwest at exactly my altitude - 5 miles nw of GXY - at 9500 ft. I turned to avoid - but they must've been approaching head on at 180kts - and at my 120 in the opposite direction - I wasn't sure if I could get out of his way - and if he chose to turn into me - to head to Greely - I dunno at 300kts - we'd have both vaporized.

And at BDU - I'm on short final - a glider turned in on short final at the exact same time - within 300ft (grass glider strip is 60 feet and parallel to the preferred rwy). He made radio call when he was crosswind, but I never saw him until we were both short. He had right of way - I went around - but I was nervous about going up - there are gliders coming in crossing mid-field xwind and multiple tow planes. And then there are the skydivers and jump planes. Ops at BDU 3 miles from the field and LMO jumping in the middle of the pattern.

Busy, busy days today and yesterday. I think it might be less hectic at DEN. Everybody seems to be squeezing a winter's worth of flying in 2 weeks.

'Greg

.......we all tend to get complacent.......

That is the point I apparently was ineffectively making........

...And true, looking isn't always seeing.
But NOT looking is ALWAYS 'not seeing'.

lc

flynbeekeeper wrote:Trust me. You can look as hard as you want, sometimes you won't see it.

I don't need to trust ya...I *KNOW*. I've always stayed away from that particular patch of airspace (I-25 corridor between FNL and BJC) except when trying to do approaches. Every part of the sky there is sometimes stuffed full of aluminum on nicer weekend days at lunch time. My vision is fine...I just don't delude myself into thinking I'll be able to see even half of them in busy areas, and I try pretty hard. I've had much faster planes come up from above and below and behind on more than one occasion near Erie- and felt prop wash once. No chance at all of see and avoid on my part.

Sure sorry this happened. Someone asked about PCAS. I don't have fancy avionics in either plane.
But I do have a 406 ELT so I can be located pretty fast... and a Spot to keep the family informed.
The other two investments I made after shoulder harnesses in the old planes have been Zaon PCAS.
The Luscombe has the little box, the C182A, the larger four antenna box. The bigger box data cable goes over to the Garmin 496. It provides a rough bearing to the target.
I too, scan the sky. I fly primarily in Arizona. That means two things. GOOD VIS.... MANY STUDENTS.
Even when I scan, I don't catch even close to all of them. When the Zaon beeps... and shows the distance to any transponder that is in reply mode.... I go on full alert. It has informed me dozens of times, of targets that I had not been aware of. The altitude of the threat is computed in relation to your own aircraft. It is based on the mode C output data from the target. I don't sell these units, so I have no other motive other than to let some others know.... you might take a close look at investing. A full blown traffic system is great, but very pricey and complicated.
Hope the families of those who lost loved ones... find some peace in knowing the aviators loved what they were involved in and took the risks nevertheless. God rest their souls.

I don't comment much about these mid airs and other tragedies, I kinda keep it to myself. I do feel for all involved even though I don't comment and wish well for the recovery of those involved.

We've all got the stories of the close calls and the shoulda, coulda, it almost happened to me I too use a Xoan PCAS and have had it work and not work. Last year in the Utah back country while flying the poker run it worked, very surprised. And I have watched it not work as a V tailed Beech passed 75' below me (I saw him about 2 seconds out) on a course that would have been sure death had either one of us been higher or lower in a strong radar environment.

When it's your time no mater how vigilant we are it will happen (if it's your time), our job when flying is to do our best to not let it happen. I've flown with people and got some nice compliments about my abilities and come back with a thank you, but I tell them I may be good but I don't assume that bad things sometimes happen and there have been much better men before me that have met a tragic end not because they were not a better pilot but because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So my heart goes out to all those in the past and future that have met an untimely end doing what we all love so dearly, fly safe my friends, may your families have you for many more years.

Well said Russ.

That's terrible, my prayers and condolences for the survivor and the families involved. I flew a 207 (typical Alaskan beater, no Xponder) into Merrill Field last weekend, on initial call the tower cleared me to Ship Creek for downwind to runway 25, with a Navajo heading towards me. The guy in the Navajo was watching for me, I was watching for him, but we met mid-channel at the same altitude and I spotted him with just enough time to shove into about a -1G dive as he passed close overhead in a nose-high attitude, and I felt he never saw me go by. It was REAL close, and an eye opener. I took off for home hours later, staying low and craning my neck in all directions until I got WELL out of the 30-mile Anchorage beehive area, only climbing to make it through Rainy pass...

Update on my friend Bev, from an email last night, "I want everyone to know I'm home and doing pretty well. Have aches and pains and BRUISES, but it will all heal." Tough gal!

Cary