Originally Posted by
MEM_ATC
1. How do you feel about ATC asking YOU to provide Visual Separation between yourself and the preceding departing aircraft?
2. Would it matter if ATC did this every once in a while to get themselves or you out of a bind?
3. What are your thoughts on ATC issuing Visual Separation to each and every aircraft in the departure push as a method to expedite the flow of traffic?
4. Any other thoughts or comments about Visual Separation between successive departures?
Upon further review, it appears I didn't really answer your battery of questions. I think my previous post answers #1.
#2. If I'm on the ground waiting for takeoff clearance, I'm not in a bind. What bind would you be in?
#3. I think my answer to #1 addresses this -- I would be reluctant to accept such a clearance in anything less than ideal circumstances. Excellent visibility, preceding traffic is climbing quickly, and my anticipated climb rate will be such that I won't have to struggle to look over the nose of my airplane to keep him in sight.
#4. Other thoughts? Yes. What happens when I roll down the runway, lift off, raise the landing gear, and then report that I've lost sight of the preceding traffic? Does that put you in a bind? That's the situation I think I'd like to avoid.
IF you're going to use the visual separation trick, I'd prefer the preceding traffic be assigned a heading that diverges from runway heading. That helps me see him, and gives me more of a warm fuzzy that I won't overrun him if I do lose sight.
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