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near miss ?

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  • 29-10-2008 2:10pm
    #1
    localhothead
    Closed Accounts Posts: 55 ✭✭


    few weeks ago in county limerick I noticed a large 4 engine jet high up with contrail coming from the east meet in the exact same spot at the same time as a twin engine jet with contrail coming from south west , so much so that I was certain they would hit.
    seem to be only 1000 feet or so between them ? is this normal I would have thought they would need to be aleast a few miles apart horizontally


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    #2
    *Kol*
    Registered Users Posts: 2,549 ✭✭✭*Kol*


    It just looked close from where you were looking at them on the ground. They would have been vertically separated by at least 1000 feet.


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    #3
    Tenger
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 9,884 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tenger


    localhothead wrote: »
    is this normal? I would have thought they would need to be aleast a few miles apart horizontally

    Seems normal to me. Aircraft are often only separated by 1000ft. Only last week I took shots from the cockpit of a stream (well 5-6!) of Evergreen International B747s heading Eastwards as we were going West (returning to DUB), they were every 3-4 mins at 1000ft to our left and 1000ft below us.....think that makes approx 1500ft?

    From the ground aircraft can appear a lot closer than you think,relative sixe of the aircraft involved may also have been a factor.


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    #4
    diverdriver
    Closed Accounts Posts: 987 ✭✭✭diverdriver


    One of the thing I enjoy as a passenger looking out the airliner window is seeing opposing traffic passing. The relative speed is amazing. Just as good is seeing traffic crossing by underneath.

    They are one of the few times you get a sense of just how fast we are travelling.


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    #5
    highlydebased
    Registered Users Posts: 7,469 ✭✭✭highlydebased


    RVSM states that eastbound must be odd levels, westbound even levels, to achieve 1000foot seperation.


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    #6
    Davidth88
    Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭Davidth88


    Bramble

    The photo of those evergreen 747's would be interesting , another few hundred GI's heading for the ' axis of evil ' eh !

    I too love seeing other aircraft , I have spent more than my share of time in the ' North London stack ' watching the same aircraft below me..... always know when it's our turn because I have seen the sircraft below peel off the stack ( assuming no cloud of course )

    On a different thread I always marvel at flying on instruments , I only did a few hours when doing my PPL , one hour was genuine instrument flying as opposed to having a hood on, the total trust you have to have in the ATC is amazing . I rememeber being bathed in sweat when we landed !


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    #7
    peter1892
    Registered Users Posts: 1,144 ✭✭✭peter1892


    You do get a weird sense of perspective when sitting in your seat at altitude staring out the window - quite a few times I've seen nearby traffic & thought to myself that they're 'kind of close'! Of course, I know that isn't the case...well I hope not :)

    There was a news item a few years ago where a photographer at a football game in London (I think it was at Upton Park) saw what he believed to be 2 a/c on a collision course overhead, so he too a photo of it (using a very long lens!)

    http://ccn1.net/POTD6/near-miss-2.jpg

    Admittedly those two a/c do look pretty close in that image! But that's probably due to the effect of a telephoto lens in this case (and at the time the claims were dismissed by the CAA).


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    #8
    Tenger
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 9,884 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tenger


    Davidth88 wrote: »
    The photo of those evergreen 747's would be interesting , another few hundred GI's heading for the ' axis of evil ' eh!

    Couldn't get a photo of them all. As one was beside us you could see the contrail heading our way in the distance. But heres the best shot of one approx 1000ft away and below us. Taken over the captains shoulder

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/tearbringer/2989730400/in/photostream
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/tearbringer/2989728776/


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    #9
    GeturGun
    Registered Users Posts: 289 ✭✭GeturGun


    diverdriver wrote: »
    They are one of the few times you get a sense of just how fast we are travelling.

    Absolutely! Only one experience of this - last yr en route to Hahn on FR when an EI went past below us. Zip - and it was gone!! Couldn't get over the speed of it!!!! (Spent the rest of the flight with my camera pointing out the window LOL!!)
    peter1892 wrote: »

    http://ccn1.net/POTD6/near-miss-2.jpg

    :eek:
    Great pic tho!


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    #10
    diverdriver
    Closed Accounts Posts: 987 ✭✭✭diverdriver


    The picture Peter1892 posted is interesting. I remember seeing something similar. Two aircraft apparently in formation heading westbound. Thought they were military at first. Under binos I could see they were civil and different airlines. Apparently it's quite common. They are seperated in height and positioning. But from the ground it looks like a formation. Apparently at times you can get quite a gaggle of aircraft all heading in the same direction.


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