This was a first

[Capt Binkley]

So I'm on my way back home to MLI on Thursday night from a meeting at STL.

About 30 miles south of Galesburg, IL; Peoria tells me there are two aircraft at my altitude, opposite direction, one at 1:00 - 5 miles, one at 12:00 - 8 miles. We're all converging on the same point.

The Mooney from 1:00 and I met first. That was fairly close outside a traffic pattern. The other plane turned west and took the long way around but was only about 30 seconds behind the Mooney.

How often have you been out in the middle of no where, and had three aircraft converging all at the same time? Seemed like kind of a strange fluke to me.

And yes, next time I'm dropping down. Had everyone in sight the whole time, but that was just a little too close for comfort.

By the way, I just passed 400 hours. Got any suggestions to celebrate?

 

[AdamZ]

Were the other two talking to ATC as well?

 

[ScottM]

Usually I never see another aircraft and that includes flying around O'Hare. Even though we are all squeezed into a small corridor it is not uncommon to get traffic calls but not see the planes.

 

[Steve]

Happens around VORs all the time.

 

[ScottM]

Happens around VORs all the time.

There are so many people that tell me when they are flying VFR that they like to stay at +/- 200 feet from their legal altitude that I just fly at the X500 level and figure most everyone else is +/-200 feet from me.

 

[Capt Binkley]

Were the other two talking to ATC as well?

The Mooney was. The other mystery flyer wasn't.

 

[Skip Miller]

In the Navy, we were frequently on a mission that put is in the middle of nowhere. We could go for days without seeing another ship of any type. When we did, that ship was not crawling along the horizon, it was on a collision course. It was truly amazing how frequently that happened. The maritime equivalent of the "big sky" theory doesn't work!

-Skip

 

[sheldon957]

I was practicing a localizer approach the other night, and ATC vectored a helicopter in right on top of me at an intersection.
I was not talking to ATC, I was on the local CTAF announcing I was inbound for the approach.

I was flying straight and level for a while, so ATC could see my intentions.
I just saw my avoidance light up, I saw him on me at my altitude and dove and turned away. Did a 360 and followed him in.

Still, kinda made me PO'd.