Don Maxwell wrote:
John, I've never been in a mid-air, but I've come closer to other aircraft than was comfortable, mainly because it was a surprise to both of us. Also, a friend's SeaRey was eaten up from behind by a faster airplane when both were carrying Young Eagles. My friend and his passenger survived, but the others died.
After that I decided to make my own SeaRey easier to see--added a wigwag flasher to the landing lights to augment the wingtip strobes. The forum doesn't seem to like videos, but here's a frame of one, showing the wig but not the wag:
The next step is to make the airplane more visible from astern and I'm currently trying to get a firm ruling on whether a white strobe on the back of an airplane, pointing aft, is legal. So far I haven't found any rule that prohibits it--nor any rule that promotes it, either. But knowing the FAA, there probably is one, however obscure it might be.
I have 3 Whelen comet flash strobes on my plane 2 wing lights ant the tail is an integrated tail nav/strobe. If you don't have the strobes on or the strobe fails you still have the tail nav light. Been on the plane since 2001.