On Aug 27, 12:22*pm, Frank Olson
wrote:
a wrote:
A recent thread reminded me it might be worth discussing an personal
flying practice. * When en route, as a way of reducing the likelihood
of a midair by about a binary order of magnitude (that's a factor of
two for the non mathematically inclined) I *fly the nominal altitude
less 100 feet VFR, or the assigned altitude less 50 feet IFR. The idea
of course is if the unseen/unreported *converging traffic is at the
correct altitude or on the high side of it, we'd miss. I chose lower
because I fly a low winged airplane, and of course I would agree this
makes a very unlikely event only slightly less likely. On the other
hand, I don't see that I've significantly increased other in-flight
risks much by doing this, What (if anything) might I have overlooked?
To the wiseguys, yes I in fact do hold altitude pretty closely when
flying.

Do any of you have similar odd real life habits you think enhance
safety?

I fly at the assigned altitude, period. *I put my trust in the
controllers and would hope that the PIC's sharing the airways with me
are just as trustworthy (and professional). *Someone that thinks
deviating from an assigned altitude by as much as 100 feet (plus or
minus) is "OK" should spend a few hours with an instructor that's going
to rap your knuckles with a ruler when you try pulling something like
that in the name of "safety".

As a matter of fact this altitude offset was something a CFII with
whom I was flying with did routinely. If a guy is on the gauges and
can't hold +/- 50 feet en route I would not fly with him. I'll
continue that practice, and I like the idea of missing VORs by a
quarter mile or so. Not quite sure I can do that with the same
precision I can fly altitude, though.

So in spite of all of the off topic stuff I've come away with a couple
of useful things the past few weeks -- that gentle clearing turns when
entering a pattern is a good idea, as is not directly overflying a
VOR.

RAP is working!!!