ATC doesn't know all the time if you're IMC or VMC. Even if the traffic
in your area is also IFR and therefore under their control they still
may point it out to you so it doesn't come as a surprise when you get
within visual distance of each other. I was flying IFR in the northeast
a few years back at 5000' ATC called out "a string of sixes 4 miles 12
O'clock". As it turned out we were between layers of clouds between
4500 and 6000' or so. In a minute or so I saw 3 Dash-8's going the
opposite direction a couple of thousand feet above me. There was no
collision hazard of course but it was good that the controller told me
because I might have been surprised to see them otherwise.

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
I thought the purpose was to maintain visual separation from the other
traffic. If both traffic are under IFR, then separation is automatically
provided, so I still don't see what the purpose of pointing out the other
traffic is.


"Peter Duniho" wrote in
:


"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
.61...

If the other traffic were IFR, then what is the purpose of ATC
pointing out
that traffic?

Huh?

The purpose is the same reason they would point out VFR traffic: so
that you are aware of other traffic in your vicinity.

Pete