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I've overtaken a lot of traffic at higher altitudes, but haven't been run over up there. Converging traffic can sometimes be an issue, but in the flight levels, traffic is more established, and most equipment is TCAS equipped and under positive radar control. Most aircraft are crewed by trained and experienced pilots/crews, too.
Around FL180, different hazards exist. The weather is among them. A lot of your short-range traffic, as well as slower, smaller traffic is found just above or below the transition level at FL180 (in the Continental US). This can include turbojet, turboprop, and piston equipment. A lot of aircraft hang out close to the transition level, either just above or below it; 20,000' is an altitude where nearly everything else that's not hanging out at FL200 will be climbing or descending at high speeds through FL200.
Most of my close calls with respect to traffic have been at much lower altitudes, including a recent TCAS resolution advisory at 7,000' near Newark, earlier this year.
In Iraq, I averaged three near-misses nightly. In my opinion, that's way too much. I haven't experienced nearly that number in Afghanistan, but the conflict potential is very much there.
That said, I'm not flying a skymaster in Afghanistan, either. My single biggest concern in flying has always been the potential to have a traffic conflict with a light airplane on a VFR weekend, especially near high-traffic areas. Sometimes there's just no telling.
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12-01-11, 01:10 AM
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