"I've got him on TCAS"

derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
Staff member
Actually kind of a pet peeve of mine when another pilot says it, but without visually spotting the traffic, what in the world does "I've got him on TCAS" do for the controller, if anything?
 
To add to the topic I've been wondering what the purpose of calling out traffic 20 miles away in the enroute environment is really good for. I'll go days with barely a single aircraft called out (while having other aircraft 1000' up or down flying by), then occasionally you'll get on with a controller that calls out every single aircraft. If its hit and miss, or optional, why not just not do it unless there is a conflict?

As far as saying "I've got him on tcas" I've said it once for a 172 underflying the approach path into DCA (he was so low I couldn't see him), but actually said "I've got him on tcas but we're looking".
 
Actually kind of a pet peeve of mine when another pilot says it, but without visually spotting the traffic, what in the world does "I've got him on TCAS" do for the controller, if anything?

Absolutely nothing. But I'm waiting for the day I have the guts to say, "roger, maintain TCAS separation from that traffic, descend and maintain...". Seriously, we are still required to maintain applicable separation so it doesn't do us much good.

Side note, another favorite of mine is when somebody taxiing up to the hold short will call local and say, "N123 is holding short, ready to go, we have the acft short final in sight". "Roger maintain visual spearation, cleraed for takeoff."

HD
 
I've gotten it in the tower world before and it doesn't do anything for us. We give the traffic so we don't have someone get an RA alert from an 'unknown' piece of traffic and go around or something. I guess that means paperwork should it happen. Especially nearby the airport where there's targets all over.
 
The couple of controllers I know actually HATE that call. Especially when referred to as the "fishfinder".
 
Funny you mention that. In my last trip to "southeast Asia" and the one I'm currently on, the majority of non-American pilot will use that phrase in response to a traffic advisory. I'm not sure what they're trying to accomplish, but like others have already said, it does nothing for me.
 
I thought you gray "headed airline" guys:) would have already mentioned this but aren't the times you are allowed to deviate from an ATC clearance when it will compromise saftey, during an emergency, or when you recieve a traffic solution form the TCAS, or something like that? It would make sense then that the TCAS is used to confirm the pilot's traffic, right? I'm not sure if I worded that properly....
 
Even better are the F15 pilots at my base that report the traffic on their air to air radar and want to follow it to the airport with it :banghead: so frustrating trying to get them to call visual since radar contact from the pilot means nothing.
 
I thought you gray "headed airline" guys:) would have already mentioned this but aren't the times you are allowed to deviate from an ATC clearance when it will compromise saftey, during an emergency, or when you recieve a traffic solution form the TCAS, or something like that? It would make sense then that the TCAS is used to confirm the pilot's traffic, right? I'm not sure if I worded that properly....

That's the RA I was talking about, resolution advisory. The way I understood it was that if they get one with traffic that they don't know about, they have to follow the RA whereas if we tell them about traffic around them...they don't...in a nutshell. I'm sure there's more to it but from an ATC side...it doesn't help. You gotta see them out the window.

It's like ATC providing visual separation and only seeing the airplanes on the radar. We gotta see them out the window.
 
Even better are the F15 pilots at my base that report the traffic on their air to air radar and want to follow it to the airport with it :banghead: so frustrating trying to get them to call visual since radar contact from the pilot means nothing.

That's because we do an immense amount of air-air work with the radar and are very comfortable using it as a primary means of situational awareness on aircraft that are out of our visual range.

We also follow each other around through the weather ("ducks in a row") using only the radar as our means of separation.

So, while I understand your frustration, it's a very natural request from someone who is very comfortable with and used to using a radar for traffic separation.
 
That's the RA I was talking about, resolution advisory. The way I understood it was that if they get one with traffic that they don't know about, they have to follow the RA whereas if we tell them about traffic around them...they don't...in a nutshell.

If I get an RA, I'm following the RA guidance whether I think I see the traffic or not. I might be looking at the wrong traffic without realizing it, for all I know. The ALPA safety department makes a very big deal out of this. Never ignore RA guidance!
 
If I get an RA, I'm following the RA guidance whether I think I see the traffic or not. I might be looking at the wrong traffic without realizing it, for all I know. The ALPA safety department makes a very big deal out of this. Never ignore RA guidance!

What if ALPA told you to ignore it, would you listen to that too?
 
You have anything of substance to add, or just mindless union hatred as usual?

Not hating at all. Just wondering why you have you bring ALPA into the convo when there are many things published that a pilot should read before listening to the holy union. I suppose you could say " I follow what the FOM or OpSpecs says" or "the TCAS is there for a reason, I shouldn't ignore it." Pretty sure the FARs talk about it too.

Who cares what the ALPA safety department says. You don't have to bring that particular union into every post. Sometimes I think you're trying to mention ALPA at least 3 times per 100 words typed.
 
What if ALPA told you to ignore it, would you listen to that too?

Of course you can always ignore ALPAs advice like these guys did:

sriimg20050521_5805394_0.jpg
germany-crash.jpg


For sure ALPA not a perfect organization

But this is one thing that those who know about the history of TCAS are thankful for ALPAs involvement.

And as for the ALPA advice, it actually benefits every pilot even you.
I'm guessing you don't have TCAS II though....

Cheers
George
 
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