Re: What are you listening to?
I think those who fly VFR without flight following have never had a genuinely close call. Sheer arrogance. I have had two "near-misses" outside patterns, one inside a pattern, with people feeling too ... whatever ... to use their radio. Collision last year was saved by an aggressive Tampa approach controller. I wrote a letter to the center manger thanking them for saving my life. If it had not been for my then 19-year-old daughter's eagle eyes, we would have lain in a burning heap on the ground once flying into Murphy's home field -- Sturgis, MI. Is it really worth killing yourself, maybe a passenger or two, maybe a planeload of others for your sense of serenity?
It happens to me at least a couple of times a month with the amount of flying I do... ATC calling out a target in close proximity -- "unverified." Even worse is with no altitude readout. Then you go into this controlled-panic-searching mode. Just hate that. Use the damn system whenever other planes could be around. Or don't fly. Period. (Reminds me of when the British used to drive without headlights.) Sorry for the rant but a couple of near-death experiences, especially when you imagine the police calling your wife to tell them her daughter is dead, will do that to you.
