Airline Separation Minimums

idahoflier

idahoflier

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idahoflier
Do Part 121 carriers have separation minimums in their procedures? For example, if you're on a visual approach and ATC calls out traffic, do your company procedures specify how close you can get to that traffic?
 
No. At least mine doesn't.
 
How would that even be implemented? It would have to be greater than the ATC separation requirement, and how would the aircrew know anyway?

And what would they do about it? "I'm sorry Tower, I can't accept that turn because it would put me too close to company traffic per our SOPS".

Why do you ask?
 
idahoflier said:
Do Part 121 carriers have separation minimums in their procedures? For example, if you're on a visual approach and ATC calls out traffic, do your company procedures specify how close you can get to that traffic?
Click to expand...
There's probably something that says don't get so close you have to go around. I'm wondering now if they have 'numbers' for it. Iim guessing not. I'll probably know in sec. scrollin down
 
RussR said:
How would that even be implemented? It would have to be greater than the ATC separation requirement, and how would the aircrew know anyway?

And what would they do about it? "I'm sorry Tower, I can't accept that turn because it would put me too close to company traffic per our SOPS".

Why do you ask?
Click to expand...


I figured they would use their Mark I Eyeballs. If ATC most likely instructs them to "maintain visual separation" then they would maneuver to do just that...
 
Just the tip...

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Story time. LAX many many moons ago. It was ILS's, not visuals, but it goes to pilots knowing how far they are from another plane. Pilot asks how far behind that other plane are we. Controller says 3 miles. Pilot says it looks closer than that to me. Controller says well push the seat back a little captain. Controller got a nice 2 week vacation. Unpaid of course.
 
One aspect of this discussion that surprises people once in a while is the fact that accepting visual separation can put you close enough to generate a TCAS RA.
 
MauleSkinner said:
One aspect of this discussion that surprises people once in a while is the fact that accepting visual separation can put you close enough to generate a TCAS RA.
Click to expand...
Yup. I see him. I'm maintaining visual separation. I ain't gonna hit him. Oh by the way, tell him his fly is open:goofy:
 
I remembered something from the 1980s. The Lufthansa training school in Phoenix (yellow Bonanzas), training students for Lufthansa.

They had a policy that a go-around must be initiated if the runway wasn't clear, and landing clearance received, by 500' above touchdown. My understanding was that the airline flights had the same requirements.
 
There is a new system being rolled out for testing that allows atc to instruct an aircraft to designate traffic and then maintain separation based on data displayed in the cockpit. It uses adsb data. Once a target is designated it shows spacing and relative speed to allow pilots to maintain spacing. Essentially can be the equivalent of visual separation in IMC.
But still no company sop on separation. ATC does that for us.
 
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