F16 and a C150 mid-air near Charleston...

[amillet]

Do you say "negative contact"?  What is the preferred response to let ATC know you heard the call?

[Shadrach]

5 hours ago, amillet said:

Do you say "negative contact"?  What is the preferred response to let ATC know you heard the call?

I say "no contact" or "negative contact" or "N number has the traffic".

"Looking" tells a controller what they likely already assume...that you have working eyes. The only thing they need to know is if you see the traffic. Often times I hear a controller call my aircraft to the other traffic first, so when the call comes to me I've already identified the opposing traffic.

[bradp]

Negative contact from the pilot controller glossary. Simple and gets the point across. When IFR in IMC I say "IMC" as well- then they stop asking you to look and will hopefully issue a vector if a conflict exists.

Ref pages 72 and 108.

https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/pcg.pdf


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[amillet]

My old eyes don't usually find the called traffic until 1-2 miles.  Sometimes ATC will advise of traffic 10 miles out.  What are they expecting you to say to acknowledge hearing the call?

[Bob_Belville]

Does anyone reply to ATC that "no visual, tracking on TIS" or equivalent?

[Hank]

4 hours ago, Bob_Belville said:

Does anyone reply to ATC that "no visual, tracking on TIS" or equivalent?

I hear that a lot, often "got it on the fishfinder." But no, I don't say that, I wait until I see the traffic with my eyes (my fishfinder is on the boat, and only works vertically for a little over 100 feet). I use "looking" during that awkward silence after the initial callout if I don't spot it in a few seconds. Lets ATC know I heard them; sometimes I use "no joy," it all depends . . . "negative contact" is an awkward mouthful compared to "no joy."