Leaving a busy Class B, I checked-in with Departure leveling 4000 feet and received, “climb and maintain 8000. VFR traffic, a helicopter, twelve o-clock at 5500, has you in sight.” I thought, “Whiskey, tango, foxtrot: hello midair.”
Regulations prevent collisions through right-of-way rules. These codified decencies apply to the road, sea and air. For aviation, 14 CFR 91.113 warns that “regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft.” Sage advice, that, especially with our butts in the hot seat.
