Avoiding mid air collisions

What are the facts on mid air collisions? (other than with Andrew)

It always worries me especially being up with the guys flying very expensive stuff. I never want to be the reason another member loses an aircraft. Are their any rules to follow that help avoid mid air collisions?

I know anyone that is flying should watch out for someone being instructed and give them a bit more room.
I know the rules regarding landing, takeoff, and dead stick and their relevance to a potential mid air.
I know the common sense stuff, but is there anything specific like when boating - if two boats are approaching each other they both turn a specific direction to avoid the collision etc, etc....

Maybe it's not rules, but flight etiquette, or specific safe flying practices that would help avoid them?

If a mid air happens how do you determine fault or is it no-fault?.... just bad luck and you both live with it?

Lastly, it's hard to judge depth at times, and staying focused on your aircraft only leaves the random peripheral sighting of other planes, so to me, that makes this all a bit challenging.

Here's my 2 cents worth.
The chances of a midair collision are very slim, it is said...
Yet I have had fourteen midairs during my eighteen years or so in the hobby! Seven were random collisions that "just happened". A couple of those involved students I was instructing. The other seven were brought on by doing combat, chasing others (always by mutual consent), or by pylon racing.

Of course the less you fly, the lower your chances are of hitting anyone. And years ago, I flew a lot more than I do now, instructed more people, was involved with every one of our club's pylon races, enjoyed chasing others around a lot more.

Some people avoid midair collisions with expensive planes by not flying while the big boys are in the air. When instructing, I usually tell the student to make a quick detour to get away from the big planes or helicopters if they stray too close. No need to fly "in formation" with them. Plus I usually know the other club members' flying habits. More experienced pilots normally will and should look out for and avoid the lesser experienced pilots.

Our models move way too fast to do what boaters do to avoid collisions. Best to stay out of the same air space! Which is hard to do with different size airplanes. Perspective alters your ability to judge distances with different size objects.

Random midair collisions carry no blame. As long as you took every measure to avoid one... No rules. Just do your best to PREVENT!

And if you like to chase around with others, do combat, or race your models, you increase your chances of a midair tremendously! BTW - NEVER just start chasing others. It HAS to be by mutual consent, or you will have to replace that plane, should you knock it out of the sky! And be aware that many pilots do not like that sort of thing. Chasing or impromptu racing should be done when all parties say it's okay. It's not a good time when the North Enders are having their NoDozzz Cub Fly-in...

Just remember when chasing others in close formation (I LOVE to do that!) that you should ALWAYS see sky between your plane and others. NEVER let the images merge, even though you THINK the other one is closer or farther away. If the images never merge, they'll never touch! Use that same thought when you pass or overtake another plane, and you'll never hit them! Don't let the fear of a collision slow you down or keep you from learning or doing certain things.

Think about this — if you eliminate all those collisions that have happened in combat over the the last six months (or a year even), how many other midair collisions at our field can you think about?
Any at all?...

I think Tommy Shields had a minor mid-air. It helps avoid mid-airs if everyone is flying the same "pattern" (left turns or right turns). My

We have done the "flying pattern" thing during fly-ins at the request of out-of-town pilots who are used to restrictive flying rules at their fields...

I think it's great that our club, in all the years I've been in it, has never made that rule.
And fortunately we have never had any major problems with it.

"Flying in the pattern" is great for those who only know and like to fly ovals or "Nascar style"...

Not fine for those who fly IMAC sequences, 3D planes, gliders or helicopters. Or for those of us who are capable of and who like to show off different maneuvers...

This post has been edited by Flying Dutchman on Aug 10 2008, 11:18 AM

Different Maneuvers????? would that be like..... a Fritz Special???

This post has been edited by BenHere on Aug 10 2008, 09:12 PM

That's a new one on me...

The best way to avoid a midair is to have a spotter. The spotter is responsible for telling the pilot where other planes are.

About the best way to avoid a midair is to aim for the other person!!! If you watch combat you'll see how hard they try to hit one another and how seldom it happens!!!

It seems that it's much more likely to be in a midair when you're not trying....

This post has been edited by jonkoppisch on Aug 12 2008, 12:45 PM

I agree!

Our club rule No. 11 SUGGESTS that we SHOULD use an "observer"...

My observer said

DARN!!! I wish that I would have seen it

IT SOUNDED GREAT

You got that Right.

I just read up on this thread. Jon, you are right except for one person...... L.T. He has no porblems with mid-airs during combat!!!