What are the odds?

gkainz

gkainz

Final Approach
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
Messages
8,401
Location
Arvada, CO
Display Name
Greg Kainz
Home Airfield
KBJC
What are the odds of an northeast bound airplane and a southwest bound airplane arriving at an IFR airway intersection at exactly the same time? Not the same airway, tho as the traffic was on our 2 o'clock. A Delta plane crossed under us about 50 minutes out of Denver. 750 knots closure rate means one blink it's clear and one blink it's there. I believe I saw that the Captain had cream in his coffee and a ketchup stain on his tie. Thank you Cardinal altitude rules!
 
gkainz said:
What are the odds of an northeast bound airplane and a southwest bound airplane arriving at an IFR airway intersection at exactly the same time? A Delta plane crossed under us about 50 minutes out of Denver. 750 knots closure rate means one blink it's clear and one blink it's there. I believe I saw that the Captain had cream in his coffee and a ketchup stain on his tie. Thank you Cardinal altitude rules!
Click to expand...
Happens all the time. That's why aviation is a three dimensional world.

ETA... That's an odd scenario. 750 FT closure means greater than 10k feet altitude. That would likely mean, with a 1000 foot seperation and greater than 3000 AGL, that you were at an IFR altitude. If you were IFR cardinal altitudes are basically irrelevant in the terminal area.
 
Last edited:
If an airplane leaves Dallas at 3pm traveling 470 knots and another leaves Seattle at...
 
so....what's the problem? It all worked out...cept you didn't get any coffee.
 
not a problem, because yeah, I had my own coffee. Just haven't seen that before. I've seen a few further off, but never had an airliner cross directly under or over me before. Explanation if the 1st post wasn't clear - self-loading cargo on the aluminum mailing tube. Cruising speed (guessing 350-ish knots?) and altitude (guessing mid-30's? - unlike Nate, I didn't have my iPad running nav programs), nearly an hour out of Denver so out of the terminal area. Departed RWY 8 DEN heading to EWK and didn't make too many abrupt turns so assuming an easterly direction. So yeah, my assumption was 1000' altitude difference but close and fast gets your attention when you're just tracking the ground and daydreaming.
 
Last edited:
I crossed under a G IV on an IFR flight plan once. He was descending and leveled at 7K feet.....I was cruising at 6. I saw him on the iPad and got no warning from ATC. I didn't know he was going to level ....so I asked for a deviation. The response I got was "not needed...traffic not a factor". Eeeee...gads.

I agree 1,000 ft separation at those closing speeds is a little attention gathering....
 
Climbing in a CRJ 200 once to FL280, sloooowly. :)
Center started bugging us about when we'd be level at 280. Finally asked if we'd be level at 280 in something like 5 minutes. We'd said sure. Started issuing us traffic at 11 o'clock 747 at 260. Had it in sight and kept climbing, finally leveling off. As the 747 crossed ahead and below us, it was Air Force One. No wonder the controller was anxious.
 
Crossed a Southwest 737 Jet at about 5000' close enough that we were able to wave at each other from the cockpits...but we were both squawking and talking and had each other in sight.
 
I was going through Charlie space once, don't recall if on a Direct clearance or VFR/FF. Either way, a Saab RJ departed and was vectored towards me. Departure had him level off 500' below me; he disappeared under the cowl briefly despite pressing my head against the window. I called traffic clear then he was told to resume his climb.

Close, and closely watched by me and my wife, but no issues. Interesting red & silver paint job though.
 
I was surprised my first few 1000' crossing in the flight levels. I'm use to a traffic point out when I'm bumping along in a Cessna.

I had an elderly woman ask me if we "saw that plane who was very close to us". Well please specify which one of the dozen or so you mean?
 
I notice this happens more often than I expected too when I first started flying in the flight levels, but I guess that's cause we all use some of the same major intersections, for instance I see this most commonly over ATL
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top