Originally Posted by
IADCAflyer
how is it possible that you could have an approach system where it is permissible to have as little as 100 to 200 feet of vertical separation between a high speed turbojet aircraft and a helicopter on intersecting routes.
It is not permissible. Minimum radar vertical separation is 500' when within 1-1/2 miles laterally.
Visual separation does not have any minimum distances or altitudes. It is up to the aircraft to stay separated.
We use visual separation extensively at SFO. Runways 28L and 28R are separated by 750', centerline to centerline. With good visibility, we fly wingtip to wingtip on those approaches using visual separation. It is used in many other places as well.
Originally Posted by
Davvidd
Actually they can and that’s why the Council decides and the General Assembly passes it. If everyone in the council agrees to it.
ICAO has no power to enforce their standards. It is up to each member country to comply. The US has significant deviations from ICAO standards in both phraseology and procedure.
The issue to me is the VFR. It’s crazy to have VFR in such a congested controlled airspace.
This has nothing to do with VFR. Visual separation can, and is, applied to IFR to IFR aircraft separation. See my SFO example above.
The airspace in which the collision occurred is Class B airspace. Every airplane, whether IFR or VFR, must have a clearance to operate in Class B airspace and they must comply with ATC instructions.
Originally Posted by
Justin026
As we wait for the investigation to unfold, are there any measures that would be helpful?
The use of the helicopter routes in the vicinity of DCA have been restricted to police and medivac helicopters only.