Hi EnglishAl, it sounds like we agree on the principal, it's simply haggling over the numbers and boundaries How about if gliders fly above FL195 then they should have a trasnponder? Until a few years ago 'Open FIR' went up to FL245. Now it has dropped to FL195. On the IMC front, let's try the alternate that if you want to fly in protected IMC then you need to fly within controlled airspace where everybody else is similarly equipped and there's somebody watching over you. Isn't this already available to you providing you have the appropriate equipment ?