Posted on 09/20/2014 3:25:22 PM PDT by rlmorel
Cruising at 37,00 feet eastbound, surfing the Internet, I paused for a second and looked out the window and saw another airliner flash by going 180 degrees in the opposite direction.
I readily admit I am no good at estimating relative distance in the air, I have never seen another plane pass this close...ever.
I could have read the tail number, it was that close, but I was so startled I didn't even register the kind of plane it was, though it was white with an engine under each wing.
Here is where it happened, at 1750 EST:
Poor fellow had got his pilot's license when he was 13, and became one of the first generation of jet pilots, cutting his teeth on P-80s and driving Sabers in Korea. Later in life he was subject to black outs, and unceremoniously had his driver's license taken from him. He died peacefully of a stroke in his sleep one night.
Thankfully, no...but I did say aloud: “Holy Crap!” involuntarily.
That just seemed too damned close to me! And I am not a shrinking violet, and I DO understand aviation to a degree. Someone else who might know less than me might not have even thought it was unusual, but I guess I know enough to alarm me, though perhaps not enough to be alarmed.
Right. NHNF (No Harm; No Foul, Fowl, er (in)Fraction)
For example, if you observed the airplane for 1 second, and your view was 60 degrees, the minimum distance to the airplane was 0.333 miles, or 1758 feet.
Relax, no big deal, I often see airliners zipping by in the opposite direction when I fly. There are highways in the sky just like the ones on the surface. If you stare out the window long enough you’re bound to spot a plane going the other way.
It’s 1000’ nowadays with RVSM in most places. Used to be 2000 though as you said. Still would seem very close at 1000kts!
I think BECAUSE we were at 35K it alarmed me. I have flown a lot, and never seen another aircraft pass that close, especially head on.
If we had been on the same bearing, I guess I might have said “Look! It’s another plane...” without too much fanfare.
I was there at BUR when that happened. I was flying Alaska and everyone was crowded around the TV by the bar. I go down there and there is an aerial picture of the plane in the gas station with "Live: Burbank Airport" printed over it.
Man, talk about weird. I called home and my wife was almost in hysterics since they broke in on TV and just said "airline overshoots runway at Burbank Airport."
LOLOLOL!
The other plane filled between half and 2/3 of the horizontal window in the instant it flashed by.
It just seemed darn close to me, though I suppose there is no way the crew could have not seen it.
I was thinking the same thing.
Thing is, I am the least white-knuckled passenger I know. And I am not freaked out or anything. But my heart did jump and thumb a beat when I saw it.
“I gasped and my heart jumped. I looked around and back, nobody seemed to have even noticed. My wife and the guy in the seat next to her looked at me like I was crazy!”
LOL!
I can relate having flown just a few weeks ago. I freaked out seeing a speck of a plane that must have been miles away, only to see a plane full of people enjoying the flight. Heck even the babies were zen compared to me. i also had a hard time dealing with turbulence, even though it is a completely normal part of flying. I’m sure the plane was at a safe distance. It is really hard to run into another plane, there are just too many things that would have to go wrong.
The only thing that helped me was listening to the audio of the cockpit and ground control. If they were cool, then I had nothing to worry about.
Visually, if the plane fit within your window, probably not too close. If only half plane fit in your window, it getting close
"Ouick, someone call PRICELINE....someone wants on!"
It must suck to have your license yanked, though I imagine many pilots would know the time is approaching. That old saying about “old and bold” pilots is probably true.
I had the opportunity to see Bob Hoover fly a few times, and met him afterwards...I thought he was the coolest, most amiable and gracious public figure I had ever met, and he chatted with my friend and I for about 10 minutes.
I heard he got a raw deal from the FAA, and it was a personal vendetta against him, but he was a pretty old and crusty guy at the time.
He sure didn’t fly that Commander like an old, crusty guy, though...:)
Now THAT is scary!!
Stewardess! Stewardess!
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