Transiting Benalla a few weeks ago I got my first response in Two years from a glider from my standard “ten mile” call. From the tone I think it was an instructor and he warned that they were circling over the town- not much thermal activity elsewhere. He was near my altitude and even knowing roughly where to look, I couldn’t see him. So much for see and avoid.
‘’I don’t understand why it isn’t mandatory today for gliders to have either a radio and effing use the bloody thing or fit ADSB (sky echo?). They seem to have battery capacity for variometers, etc and ten AH of lithium battery doesn’t weigh that much and takes up about the space of a small lunchbox.
‘’I looked at fitting FLARM myself instead of ADSB but it’s cost is prohibitive and it’s alien technology for powered aircraft.