EAA Chapter 791

🛡️ WINGS Safety Presentation — Michael Paul Muetzel

Presented during our monthly member EAA Chapter 791 | Monthly Meeting

Collision Avoidance

Mike gave us a detailed WINGS presentation on collision avoidance, and there were quite a few practical takeaways.

Pilot Responsibility
The pilot in command is ultimately responsible for collision avoidance.
We control our own airplane.
We control our decisions.
We control our route, weather choices, equipment, and resources.
We do not control what another airplane is going to do.
The goal is to use every resource available to make good decisions.

The 9/11 Example
Mike used September 11 as an example of pilots suddenly being placed in a situation nobody had previously trained for.

FAA personnel had limited information and no existing procedure for the unprecedented situation.

Thousands of aircraft had to be grounded in a very short period of time.
Pilots had to make decisions and safely get their airplanes on the ground.
The larger lesson was about decision-making and using the resources available to you when the situation changes.

Visual Scanning
Every person has a physiological blind spot caused by the optic nerve.
Good eyesight doesn't eliminate it.
Pilots need to move their heads and systematically scan.
Don't simply stare straight ahead.
Don't sweep your eyes randomly across the entire sky.
Break the sky into sections and deliberately scan each area.
Spending too much time looking inside the cockpit creates another opportunity to miss traffic
Passenger Resources
Passengers can actually be a tremendous resource.
Tell them what you're looking for and where to look.
Use the clock position and altitude when possible.
A non-pilot passenger may actually spot something you don't.
Two people looking from slightly different angles can increase the chances of seeing traffic.

Checklists
Talk through your checklist.
Even when flying alone, verbalizing the checklist can reinforce the sequence.
With another person in the airplane, talking through the checklist lets them understand what's happening.
Checklists aren't just paperwork—they're a way of keeping the brain organized.
Approach Briefings

Review unfamiliar airport diagrams and approach plates before getting there.
Even a VFR pilot can benefit from reviewing an instrument approach plate.
Start at the upper left and work through the information systematically.
Know what you're getting into before you're trying to find it from the air.

ADS-B
Portable ADS-B receivers can provide another source of traffic information.
Some systems provide traffic only.
Others provide traffic and weather.
Having your own portable receiver can be particularly useful when flying different airplanes with different avionics.
Mike also discussed DIY systems that can combine GPS, traffic, and weather information.
ATC Is a Resource
IFR pilots receive separation services from ATC, but VFR pilots can also use ATC as a resource.

Flight following can provide another set of eyes.
ATC can provide traffic information, weather information, routing help, and assistance with airspace.
If an ATC clearance doesn't work for you, ask for another option.
Use standard terminology from the AIM and Pilot/Controller Glossary.

Military & Special-Use Airspace
Pilots need to know where military training routes and special-use airspace are located.
Military aircraft can be moving quickly and operating at low altitude.
Don't assume that because you're in an area you're familiar with, nothing unexpected can appear.

👀 A Great Visual-Scanning Tip - Craig Laporte
One of the members added a really useful scanning technique to Mike's presentation.

Suppose ATC tells you: “Traffic, 3 o'clock, 3 miles.”
Instead of immediately looking up into the sky and focusing at infinity, first look at the ground approximately three miles away.
This helps your eyes focus at the correct distance.
Then bring your eyes back up toward the reported traffic.
The idea is to avoid looking past the traffic because your eyes are focused at the wrong distance.
Simple little trick, but definitely worth remembering.

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