Spotting Traffic behind you.

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

May the force be with you
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"Traffic on your 6, and gaining on you"

I got that on Sunday. "Sexy ass Grumman, you have traffic at your 6 o'clock, 2 miles, same altitude and he has about 6 knots on you. We're not talkin to him"

I tried to emphasize the eye roll over the mic as I grumbled "Negative contact".

I tried to rock the plane with my body to see if I could nudge it to go faster.
Turns out that only works in 80's sitcoms when a robber ties Jack, Chrissy, and Janet up to old wooden chairs only to be suddenly surprised when Mr. Furley comes barging in, accidentally knocking the weapon out of the burglar's hand and inadvertently saving the day. Great work Ralph!

Anyway, I examined my options.
I actually had a can of silly string in the plane with me (That's a story for another day) and I thought about spraying it out the canopy so I would be more visible.

I chose not to because the silly string was magenta and if it happened to be a Cirrus behind me, he would likely fly right into me.

I sat quietly waiting for my demise but then keyed the mic and said the only thing I could think of. "Um... Center... What would ya have me do? I can turn this thing all sorts of ways."

Center reminded me again he was about 6 knots faster and added that he doesn't appear to be a factor. "appear?" I have an idea. lets make it guaranteed to not be a factor. Traffic at your 6 is a little scary. I'd of much rather gotten "You have traffic on your 6 and gaining, Why don't, you head 90 degrees to the right and try an Immelman?" or "Just falling leaf it down a bit right there and he'll go over ya" I could probably have taken off my seat belt, opened the canopy, stood up, stuck my head out and looked back for him but That would not be a good idea. My headset could blow off and I wouldn't be able to listen to that sweet ass 90's channel on XM radio.

Anyway, I survived. Does traffic behind you give you the heebee jeebees?
 
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At least you’re not flying a Citation...in those, you have to wear your oxygen mask on eastbound flights, since the prevailing westerly winds bow exhaust fumes into the cockpit.
 
Well, I'm out of chaff, flares and the afterburners don't get installed until next week.

Seriousness, create some motion. Rock the wings, dutch rolls, something to create motion. The human eye detects movement much better than things sitting relatively still.
 
So what did the FiveFlight display show?
 
What would the closing speed be? They might just give you a gentle nudge, spinner to tail-light contact, lol.

Worse is if they are a few feet above in a low wing or below in a high wing and climb or descend into you.

90 degrees then offset flight path.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
I chose not to because the silly string was magenta and if it happened to be a Cirrus behind me, he would likely fly right into me.

I sat quietly waiting for my demise but then keyed the mic and said the only thing I could think of. "Um... Center... What would ya have me do? I can turn this thing all sorts of ways."

Center reminded me again he was about 6 knots faster and ...
Click to expand...

If the traffic was only 6 knots faster than your Grumman it wasn't a Cirrus. ;)

Unless it was about to land. Were you low and over a runway? :p
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
you have traffic at your 6 o'clock, 2 miles, same altitude and he has about 6 knots on you. We're not talkin to him
Click to expand...
If this is VFR Flight following, then practically, I'll monitor the target on the iPad for a bit. 6 knots at 2 miles, he isn't closing too fast.

Once I see if he is continuing to hold the same heading and altitude, I'll make a decision to deviate left slightly, getting out of his way and allowing him to pass off my right wing. Once he's past, adjust my course back to the waypoint I was headed to in the first place.

I know you're working on your IFR rating. Situations like this points out the benefit to flying IFR. The controllers will take a bit more active role in keep that aircraft separated from you. So while both of you will get a traffic advisory about one another, the controller will also get one of you to do something to keep the divergence under control.
 
Do a quick Chandelle and then he will be at your 12 O'clock
 
AggieMike88 said:
If this is VFR Flight following, then practically, I'll monitor the target on the iPad for a bit. 6 knots at 2 miles, he isn't closing too fast.

Once I see if he is continuing to hold the same heading and altitude, I'll make a decision to deviate left slightly, getting out of his way and allowing him to pass off my right wing. Once he's past, adjust my course back to the waypoint I was headed to in the first place.

I know you're working on your IFR rating. Situations like this points out the benefit to flying IFR. The controllers will take a bit more active role in keep that aircraft separated from you. So while both of you will get a traffic advisory about one another, the controller will also get one of you to do something to keep the divergence under control.
Click to expand...
I’d go right so he’s easier to see to my left.
 
I passed a Cessna Monday on our way home in the Dakota. Not gonna lie... it felt good lol. I was 1000' below him though.

Traffic from behind doesn't scare me too much, it's the ones coming head-on that I can't see. We had one Wednesday that showed up on adsb, but Atlanta center never said a word about. I altered course to the right, they passed pretty close to where we would've been. Never saw them visually until they were nearly abeam us... it was a blue turboprop of some kind.
 
Dump your fuel and watch him catch fire and plummet to the ground. Only sane thing to do. Thats how they learn.
 
AggieMike88 said:
II know you're working on your IFR rating. Situations like this points out the benefit to flying IFR. The controllers will take a bit more active role in keep that aircraft separated from you. So while both of you will get a traffic advisory about one another, the controller will also get one of you to do something to keep the divergence under control.
Click to expand...

Did you read what you quoted?

SixPapaCharlie said: ↑
you have traffic at your 6 o'clock, 2 miles, same altitude and he has about 6 knots on you. We're not talkin to him

How will both of them get advisories when one is not in communication with ATC?
 
If you put uuddlrlrba into ForeFlight, you can turn around and shoot at the other traffic, like in asteroids.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
"Traffic on your 6, and gaining on you"

I got that on Sunday. "Sexy ass Grumman, you have traffic at your 6 o'clock, 2 miles, same altitude and he has about 6 knots on you. We're not talkin to him"

I tried to emphasize the eye roll over the mic as I grumbled "Negative contact".

I tried to rock the plane with my body to see if I could nudge it to go faster.
Turns out that only works in 80's sitcoms when a robber ties Jack, Chrissy, and Janet up to old wooden chairs only to be suddenly surprised when Mr. Furley comes barging in, accidentally knocking the weapon out of the burglar's hand and inadvertently saving the day. Great work Ralph!

Anyway, I examined my options.
I actually had a can of silly string in the plane with me (That's a story for another day) and I thought about spraying it out the canopy so I would be more visible.

I chose not to because the silly string was magenta and if it happened to be a Cirrus behind me, he would likely fly right into me.

I sat quietly waiting for my demise but then keyed the mic and said the only thing I could think of. "Um... Center... What would ya have me do? I can turn this thing all sorts of ways."

Center reminded me again he was about 6 knots faster and added that he doesn't appear to be a factor. "appear?" I have an idea. lets make it guaranteed to not be a factor. Traffic at your 6 is a little scary. I'd of much rather gotten "You have traffic on your 6 and gaining, Why don't, you head 90 degrees to the right and try an Immelman?" or "Just falling leaf it down a bit right there and he'll go over ya" I could probably have taken off my seat belt, opened the canopy, stood up, stuck my head out and looked back for him but That would not be a good idea. My headset could blow off and I wouldn't be able to listen to that sweet ass 90's channel on XM radio.

Anyway, I survived. Does traffic behind you give you the heebee jeebees?
Click to expand...
Ha. My Cessna had a rear-view mirror.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
"Traffic on your 6, and gaining on you"

I got that on Sunday. "Sexy ass Grumman, you have traffic at your 6 o'clock, 2 miles, same altitude and he has about 6 knots on you. We're not talkin to him"
Click to expand...


In a Rod Machado voice,...

Well, then, I won't talk to him either!​
 
Ravioli said:
How will both of them get advisories when one is not in communication with ATC?
Click to expand...
You're misinterpreting what I was saying.... I was referring to future activity when he is flying on an IFR flight plan.
 
That definitely is spooky to have someone in your blind spot. I was once on short final at a flight breakfast and no sooner made a call to that effect, when another aircraft also called short final to the same runway, but did not seem to acknowledge my existence or if they had me in sight. In the Comanche, you are fairly blind above, behind, and below, so I figured my best option was to escape the situation by going the one direction I could see clearly, ahead. Sucked up the gear, firewalled everything, and accelerated out of the situation. I didn't figure whatever Cessna, Piper, etc. on short final would out run me on the go around.

Come to think of it, I used to do the same thing on my super bike.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
My understanding is that ATC will provide separation from other IFR aircraft, but not VFR traffic.
Click to expand...
I’ve had atc vector me away from VFR aircraft not talking to them while I was on FF. I can’t imagine they don’t do the same for ifr
 
GeorgeC said:
If you put uuddlrlrba into ForeFlight, you can turn around and shoot at the other traffic, like in asteroids.
Click to expand...

I laughed...but then noticed you had it wrong. It's up, down, up, down, left, right, left, right, b, a.
 
"Switching to guns..."

Tail_Gunner_in_Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress%2C_1943.jpg
 
I didn’t see where the controller gave any altitude info. If VFR I usually just ask if it looks like they’re the same altitude and if a climb or descent would help the controller out. Make us both feel better with vertical separation.
 
On my private cross country into Charlottesville, the tower told me I was number two following a jet of some sort that was at my 10 0'clock. I responded I was looking and he said it was OK, I had just gotten the Linda Ronstadt treatment. I said say again and he said the jet "Blew by you".
 
Yes, I do get nervous when there is a plane behind. I actually called ATC when I only had ADS-B in and told them I thought someone was following me close by and he said it was latent-me.
 
I'm not even sure why ATC called that traffic... 2 miles behind and "no factor?" seems like wasted radio chatter...

Check SIX!
 
cgrab said:
Yes, I do get nervous when there is a plane behind. I actually called ATC when I only had ADS-B in and told them I thought someone was following me close by and he said it was latent-me.
Click to expand...
You have latent homo-transportational tendencies.
 
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