Question for any pilots out there.
Discussion
This might sound like a really stupid question but it's something that has bugged me for some time.
When flying, are you visually aware of other aircraft within the area? I mean do you see other aircraft in the distance coming towards you (1 mile apart ofcourse) or flying beside you? Just fascinated to know really especially from the jumbo jet pilots.
When flying, are you visually aware of other aircraft within the area? I mean do you see other aircraft in the distance coming towards you (1 mile apart ofcourse) or flying beside you? Just fascinated to know really especially from the jumbo jet pilots.
Yes, we are aware of other aircraft and can see them out of the window. Stuff on the same level is usually about 5 miles away but there is only 1000ft of vertical separation, so stuff going over the top looks very close, and the closing speeds can be in excess of 1000mph. 
I took this last year from the flight deck. This one is 2000ft above us and just going over the top.
I took this last year from the flight deck. This one is 2000ft above us and just going over the top.jonnyb said:
Yes, we are aware of other aircraft and can see them out of the window. Stuff on the same level is usually about 5 miles away but there is only 1000ft of vertical separation, so stuff going over the top looks very close, and the closing speeds can be in excess of 1000mph. I took this last year from the flight deck. This one is 2000ft above us and just going over the top.
Thank you for that. I took this last year from the flight deck. This one is 2000ft above us and just going over the top.
The general rule is that distances and speeds are given in nautical miles and knots - largely due to American dominance.
Heights are given in feet.
However, in some countries (Russia and France in particular) metric measurements are sometimes used when controllers are talking to native pilots - which can be problematic.
Heights are given in feet.
However, in some countries (Russia and France in particular) metric measurements are sometimes used when controllers are talking to native pilots - which can be problematic.
Simpo Two said:
Nice to see nautical miles and feet still being used. Do they use metric overseas, with possible risk of confusion when entering UK airspace?
I believe the Russian Federation still use metres and Kms. I don't know about China, but everywhere else uses feet and NMs.The reason Nautical Miles and feet are used (by sensible people) in Aviation is because:
a. 1 Nautical Mile subtends 1 minute of arc at the centre of the earth when on a Great Circle (it is thus a measurement tied to the Earth and very useful for Navigation purposes).
b. 1 Nautical Mile = 6000ft. It thus ties nicely into the '1 in 60' Rule (1 degree error in Track at 60 miles = 1 mile off Track).
c. Since it fits into the 1 in 60 Rule, and since time is based on units of 60, it makes calculations of things like Drift, Headwind/Crosswind Component (as well as Navigational techniques such as 'Standard Closing Angle') extremely easy to do in one's head. It also makes calculations of the ideal Glideslope angle of 3 degrees (300ft per Nautical Mile) easy, as well as calculation of required rate of descent to maintain the Glideslope (Groundspeed in Kts x5 = Rate of descent in Feet per minute).
During my time on Albert we were involved in the 'Open Skies' flights (Conventional Forces Europe Treaty) to the former Soviet States. Upon crossing into their airspace you had to fly 'Cruise Levels' which are in metres based upon an altimeter setting of 1013mb (in the West we fly in 'Flight Levels' which are in feet based upon 1013mb). This meant having to calculate the equivalent reading in feet on our altimeters - the difference would be about 300 odd feet from the Flight Level datum. This always looked a tad 'odd' on the altimeter. Factor in 'Altimeter Temperature Error' corrections when operating into places like Minsk/Kiev/Moscow in the winter and you can see the problems!
I chatted to a British Airways Captain friend of mine who told me that they (unlike the RAF) had 'bug-able' altimeters which made life far easier for them.
Another 'gotcha' was things like reported 'Met' - they would give the windspeed in M/S whereas we used NMph so you had to do a calculation to get the required answer (eg for things like cross-wind limits). Roughly speed in NMph = (speed in M/S) /2.
Interestingly, however, even in the West we report horizontal visibility (and 'Runway Visual Range') in metres!
With regards to the OP's question, for Military Pilots 'Lookout' is absolutely paramount. However, when flying something like a Dominie or a Jetstream it was a bit like looking out from inside a letter box.
Edited by Ginetta G15 Girl on Thursday 19th June 13:27
AER said:
That is really impressive. Can't say that I have seen many other aircraft in all the times I have flown.I've seen loads - even though I don't fly all that often. What always amazes me is the sheer speed of approaching aircraft as they pass by - they don't even have to be approaching head on. An aircraft flying towards your plane at 90 degrees seems to be belting along at a dramatic rate of knots.
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Simpo Two said:
Nice to see nautical miles and feet still being used. Do they use metric overseas, with possible risk of confusion when entering UK airspace?
In HKG we use feet and transition to metres when in Chinese airspace, on average it's only 100 feet difference between flight levels and as everyone's flying it the separations the same 
As mentioned, yes. Commercial airliners have devices which talk to each other, and relay their position on our navigation displays, as a shape, with a relative altitude next to it.
As far as visually sighting them; as you'd imagine, in busy terminal airspace around airports, you see a great number of them. Also, there are many airways which converge to the same point, so you'll often see aircraft from some distance away creep towards you.
At cruise altitudes, our separation is only 1000ft, which means that if a jet goes over or under you, it is pretty large in your window!
I find that in the cruise, you're biggest visual cue are the contrails (by day), which can often be seen hundreds of miles out. At night, the strobe lights are extremely vivid.
As far as visually sighting them; as you'd imagine, in busy terminal airspace around airports, you see a great number of them. Also, there are many airways which converge to the same point, so you'll often see aircraft from some distance away creep towards you.
At cruise altitudes, our separation is only 1000ft, which means that if a jet goes over or under you, it is pretty large in your window!
I find that in the cruise, you're biggest visual cue are the contrails (by day), which can often be seen hundreds of miles out. At night, the strobe lights are extremely vivid.
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