Since 1978, there has been an average of 30 midair collisions in the United States each year. These collisions resulted in an average of 75 deaths per year. There are also over 450 Near Midair Collisions (NMACs) reported each year; no one can calculate the number that have gone unreported!
Recent studies of mid-air collisions involving aircraft by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that:
Most of the aircraft involved in collisions are engaged in recreational flying, not on any type of flight plan. Most mid-air collisions occur in VFR weather conditions during weekend daylight hours. The vast majority of accidents occurred at or near uncontrolled airports and at altitudes below 1000 feet. Pilots of all experience levels were involved in mid-air collisions, from pilots on their first solo ride, to 20,000-hour veterans. Flight instructors were on board the aircraft in 37% of the accidents in the study. Most collisions occur in daylight with visibility greater than 3 miles.
"See and Avoid Subject to Serious Limitations"
Research by the Australian Bureau of Air Safety Investigation concluded "the see-and-avoid principle in the absence of traffic alerts is subject to serious limitations" and that un-alerted see-and-avoid has a "limited place as a last resort means of traffic separation at low closing speeds." Research conducted by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory during traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) flight testing showed a 50 per cent improvement in the visual target acquisition rate by pilots alerted to the presence of other aircraft, and a 40 per cent improvement in the median range of visual acquisition. TSB Engineering Report LP 86/95 indicated that visual search effectiveness improves by an approximately eight-fold factor when TCAS equipment is used (that is, one second of search with the aid of a TCAS traffic advisory is as effective as eight seconds of un-alerted search). TCAS is specifically mentioned in this excerpt from TSB Report A03P0113. PCAS.ca highly supports the broader implementation of TCAS wherever possible. For most General Aviation pilots, however, TCAS is simply out of reach monetarily.
Mid-air collisions are thankfully very rare. Close calls on the other hand occur far too often. Despite our best efforts, sometimes nearby traffic catches us by surprise. Your PCAS device will add another layer of safety by helping you to more accurately see and avoid nearby traffic. Each and every time your PCAS advises you of traffic before you were able to spot it yourself you will truly appreciate the real value of your investment.
PCAS.ca is dedicated to helping pilots understand and appreciate the benefits of PCAS for the good of us all. We would be pleased to answer your questions whether or not you ultimately decide to purchase your PCAS from us. Below are some common questions from our clients. If you require any further information we invite you to contact us.
How does PCAS work?
ATC ground stations and active TCAS systems transmit interrogation pulses on an uplink frequency of 1030 Megahertz. Aircraft transponders reply on a downlink frequency of 1090 Megahertz. PCAS devices detect these transponder responses, then analyze and display conflict information.
How does PCAS differ from TCAS or TIS?
PCAS is passive, portable, and inexpensive. TCAS is an active system transmitting interrogation pulses and monitoring responses. TIS requires the use of ground based mode S sensor sites which will then transmit traffic information to mode S client systems. Several US sensor sites are scheduled for closure and the TIS service is generally unavailable in Canada. TCAS is arguably better than PCAS but is also significantly more expensive.
I've heard that PCAS may not display as much traffic as ATC advises.
There may be several reasons for this but all in all we think this is a great example of why we need to use a combination of traffic detection resources. We strongly encourage pilots to continue to maintain a good lookout, to communicate their position and intentions, to monitor local frequencies, and to utilize flight following. Adding a PCAS device to this regimen is icing on the cake!
I'm concerned that the PCAS device could be a distraction.
It need not be. Simply place the unit on the glare shield, turn it on, and forget about it. The only time you’ll hear from it is when it detects nearby traffic, and if you haven’t already spotted that traffic you’ll be thankful for those little beeps (or the advisory or alert message you’ll hear through your headset).
Why choose PCAS.ca?
For us, PCAS isn't just another product. We are PCAS specialists. PCAS.ca is North America's recognized and proven General Aviation collision avoidance authority, has rapidly become the country's leading source for PCAS, and is Canada's first and only Zaon-preferred Star Dealer. In fact, we have been featured on an episode of TV's Wings Over Canada with John Lovelace and write a column entitled Close Calls that is published monthly in several popular aviation magazines and websites around the world (click here to read Close Calls articles free).
We are truly dedicated to our mission to eliminate mid-air collisions and reduce close calls in General Aviation. To learn more about us, click here.
And our clients tell us that our customer service is second to none! We answer your questions knowledgeably and from experience, not just from reading the side of the box. We respond to your calls and e-mails immediately and process your orders FAST! PCAS.ca delivers satisfaction and will do whatever it takes to make your purchase right for you - our customer - because that's the way it should be.
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Most of the aircraft involved in collisions are engaged in recreational flying, not on any type of flight plan.
