Wiz:
The issue is that on a good day, you'll have multiple (and by that i mean potentially a couple of dozen) gliders at various altitudes chasing lift. They don't fly fixed tracks and altitudes. If the culture in gliding was for every glider to respond to every inbound call, you'd immediately get a completely jammed frequency. Awareness of the operation and eyes peeled is really the only mitigation. Many ARE fitting Sky Echo ADSB units, but how many powered aircraft have an ADSB In traffic display?
I agree with you and I agree FLARM is more advanced than ADSB. I agree that all gliders talking would jam a frequency.
‘However, ’In two years regular flying often on weekends and transiting the YBLA area within 20 miles I have heard exactly ONE call from a glider on the 125.6 CTAF and nothing on Area. That’s ONE call by a glider, nothing from tugs either - and this is supposed to be the premier gliding club in Victoria. I may be old deaf and feeble but not completely senile and I still make calls at ten and I’m ready and listening from 20 miles or when not on the YWGT CTAF..
I would be delighted if we were discussing how to limit the number of calls from gliders but my experience is the effing reverse! Flying anywhere near YBLA is like entering the fictional “ cone of silence” as far as gliding is concerned - which is why I never go near it if possible.