How can you determine if another aircraft is on a collision course with your aircraft?

• A. There will be rapid apparent motion between the two aircraft
• B. There will be no apparent relative motion between your aircraft and the other aircraft
• C. The other aircraft will appear to pull away quickly
• D. You will hear a distinct collision warning before visual contact

Answer: (B)

The key idea is relative motion. If another airplane is on a collision course with you and both aircraft keep their current speeds and directions, the other plane will appear to stay in the same spot in your view as you close distance. In other words, there’s no change in its bearing against the background, so you notice no apparent motion of that aircraft relative to your own. That steady bearing while the range decreases is what tells you a collision path exists.

If you ever observe the other aircraft moving rapidly across your field of view, or it seems to pull away, that means your paths aren’t converging on a collision. And a collision warning you might hear before you see it isn’t a reliable cue in itself, so you should rely on visual scanning and traffic awareness to assess and avoid the risk.