What is considered a close call

[Vinny Ohare]

Just wondering what the safe distance is between airplanes while in the air. Is it a few thousand feet? Last night I was flying at 34,000 feet and I look out the window and a commercial plane went under us and if I had been looking I probably could have read the letters on the tail as it went by.

I am very curious.

[moose135]

If the pilot needs to change his shorts...
8-O

At that altitude, there should be 2,000 foot (vertical) separation unless you are operating RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums) where it is 1,000 foot separation.

[lijk604]

RVSM airspace starts at FL290 to FL410, so at FL340 separation can be 1000 feet (above or below), traveling in opposite directions. It's 2000 feet for those traveling the same direction.

[Vinny Ohare]

Moose I felt like changing mine. Is there a way maybe using planefinder to see exactly how close it was? I don't want to put exact details here on the board.

[stratoduck]

I'm certain the distance was 1000 feet, otherwise you would have felt the aircraft suddenly climbing. Generally speaking, there is a bubble around the aircraft that is 5 miles in diameter and 1000 feet above and below. That bubble changes - larger in some en route areas, and smaller in terminal (slower airspeed areas).

[cancidas]

also, at RVSM altitudes airplanes need to be separated by 5 miles laterally.

[snydersnapshots]

also, at RVSM altitudes airplanes need to be separated by 5 miles laterally.

At the same altitude that is. It is perfectly legal (and quite often happens) for aircraft to pass directly over/under with 1,000 foot separation. To someone not used to seeing them at that distance, they DO look close!

[hiss srq]

When you notice that the Captain on the Copa 737 going the other way was wearing knock off Ray Ban's called Rey Ban...

[Vinny Ohare]

I have tried to replicate this using planefinder but it doesn't show it. Any idea's

[pilotsandy]

When you notice that the Captain on the Copa 737 going the other way was wearing knock off Ray Ban's called Rey Ban...

Happens the same always :tongue:

[jerslice]

Flying this weekend from Boston to Seattle we were somewhere around 2hrs in when my wife (to whom I gave the window seat) was startled and started pointing out the window while yelling to me to look out the same window she was occupying. Sure enough a 4 engine plane was streaking very close overhead (looked to me like a Finnair A340, but I couldn't get a positive lock on it) had crossed us heading north (we were heading west). I don't know how close it actually was when my wife first saw it, but I do know it's the closest I ever seen a plane out the window outside of a formation setting.

[Vinny Ohare]

Jerslice that was exactly my reaction. I was surprised that the plane didn't shake from the crossing planes wake it was so close.

[USAF Pilot 07]

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