ATC clears takeoff aircraft for midair

On Fri, 14 May 2004 09:59:38 -0400, "Marco Leon"
mleon(at)optonline.net wrote:

I gotta disagree with you Jay. I fly out of a busier airport than HPN--FRG
also in NY. It's class D as well and I shudder when I think about that
airport not having a control tower. It's far from perfect but the
controllers do their best to try and warn pilots of nearby aircraft even
though it's not their responsibility. What would your solution be? Make
Class C the first airspace designation with towers? Make all Class D's Class
C's? Give Class D ATC separation responsibilities? The last solution would
require prohibitively expensive radar upgrades.

Marco

I agree with Jay about Class D being the most dangerous airspace to
fly in. That doesn't mean that you're wrong, though. Even though I
believe that they are dangerous areas, I do not advocate eliminating
the towers and I do understand the problems associated with upgrading
to Class C or even D with radar. I think that we simply need to
recognize that the ingredients for problems are all there and we need
to be extra diligent while flying there. It's just the nature of the
beast. I don't have a better solution for the problem.

Rich Russell

Jay Honeck wrote:

The designation of "Class D" provides the veneer of controlled airspace
without any real substance, and lulls the unwary into a false sense of
security.

The key word here is "unwary". That should never be applicable to a pilot.
That is, no pilot flying should be capable of assuming separation in D
airspace.

So there is no "veneer". We all know from our training: class D is
"unseparated" (a reasonable term, I think {8^) airspace.

- Andrew

"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
gonline.com...

So there is no "veneer". We all know from our training: class D is
"unseparated" (a reasonable term, I think {8^) airspace.


As long as you're talking about VFR/VFR or VFR/IFR separation.

On Fri, 14 May 2004 13:44:35 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

The tower at a class D airport does not provide much in the way of traffic
separation. They schedule takeoffs and landings and that is about it.

Which is why, IMHO, Class D airspace is the single most dangerous airspace
around.

The designation of "Class D" provides the veneer of controlled airspace
without any real substance, and lulls the unwary into a false sense of
security.


You hit that nail right on the head. The combination of pilots'
unrealistic expectations and poor position reporting is a recipe for
disaster. Add an inattentive controller in and you have an exciting
invironment. "D" for danger.

Rich Russell

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:734pc.91269$Ik.6994445@attbi_s53...
The tower at a class D airport does not provide much in the way of traffic
separation. They schedule takeoffs and landings and that is about it.

Which is why, IMHO, Class D airspace is the single most dangerous airspace
around.


Class "A" - Above
Class "B" - Busy
Class "C" - Crowded
Class "D" - Dangerous
Class "E" - Enjoyable
Class "G" - Greatest of all