Mid-Air Collisions: The Myth And The Math

Few chapters in the great book of safe flying are as incomplete and misleading as guidance for avoiding mid-air collisions. In over 50 years of active flying, I have not yet seen any information accurately describing a workable method ensuring awareness and avoidance of mid-air collisions for the general aviation pilot. In fact, the FAAs well-meaning rules and guidance may be dysfunctional seeds of disaster, sown early in a pilots flying career, later leading to a mid-air collision. Its actually a familiar story: Concepts based on intuitive assumptions-instead of empirical knowledge-so often become concrete and immutable. The pilots ability to see and be seen is one of the most profound of all safety myths, and understanding why pilots are not always able to meet this obligation will help avoid complacency, motivating us all to compensate for deficiencies in the system. Lets get started.

Key Takeaways:

• Current mid-air collision avoidance guidance, particularly the "see and avoid" concept, is incomplete and potentially dangerous due to inherent pilot visual limitations and blind spots.
• Flying at similar speeds (co-speed traffic) is the most hazardous scenario, as it maximizes blind spots and requires scanning a larger visual area, increasing collision potential.
• A significant speed differential is safer; a faster aircraft can more easily detect and avoid slower traffic within a narrower visual cone, minimizing blind spots.
• FAA regulations like the 250 KIAS speed limit and hemispheric altitude rules are counterproductive, creating dangerous co-speed/co-altitude situations; instead, pilots should actively maneuver (e.g., "clearing-weave") to eliminate blind spots and increase visibility.

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