Joe Rodewald
Potomac TRACON
10
On October 5, 2014, NATCA member and Potomac
Consolidated TRACON veteran member Joe
Rodewald was working Charlottesville approach
when he noticed two aircraft squawking VFR in
the same vicinity. The aircraft appeared to be on
converging courses at the same altitude. Rodewald
immediately began broadcasting in the blind in
hopes that one or both aircraft were monitoring his
frequency.
Rodewald: Traffic 10 miles east of Charlottesville
westbound you have traffic at your 11 o'clock and
two and a half miles northeast bound indicating
4,900.
Rodewald: Traffic eight miles northeast of
Charlottesville, northeast bound traffic at your one
o'clock, one and a half miles westbound indicating
4,600.
When the aircraft were two miles apart, the pilot
of N811L J , who was proactively monitoring the
frequency, acknowledged and answered Rodewald's
calls. He responded, "looking." Rodewald continued
to make traffic calls until the pilot reported the traffic
in sight.
Rodewald: Traffic is now one mile apart converging.
N811LJ: 1L J has the traffic in sight, thanks for the
call out.
When the pilot finally got the other traffic in sight,
the two aircraft were less than a mile and indicated
