Traffic Alert Threshold: add option "Time to Conflict"

[MGiacomet]

Currently traffic alerts are distance-based, e.g., 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10NM. Would be nice to have options like "1 minute", "2 minutes", "5 minutes", etc. based on the closure rate, i.e., dividing the distance to traffic by the difference between your own speed and the traffic's, yielding how much time it'll take to become a conflict.

Rationale: Say you have the alert set to 5NM and you're flying at 100KT. There is traffic 5NM behind you, flying at 110KT. It'll take 1/2 hour for it to become a conflict (to cover the 5NM at a speed difference of 10KT). On the other hand, if the same traffic is ahead of you, it'll take only about 82 seconds for it to become a conflict.

 

[MDreger]

I tend to agree with this, however it seems you also need a mile distance reference to enable looking for the traffic. If the traffic is an business jet, and heading directly for you, it would seem you'd want to know exactly where to look out the window, as well as on your screen to determine exactly which target is headed for you.

 

[MGiacomet]

I tend to agree with this, however it seems you also need a mile distance reference to enable looking for the traffic. If the traffic is an business jet, and heading directly for you, it would seem you'd want to know exactly where to look out the window, as well as on your screen to determine exactly which target is headed for you.

Certainly, no changes to what the alert will indicate (“traffic X o’clock, Y miles”) but the feature request is simply a change on WHEN the alert gets triggered.

Glad you agree; if you haven’t, don’t forget to upvote