I've always wondered why transponders aren't fitted to gliders, I think they have the weight down to about 1 kilo now don't they? Not sure what the current draw is, but modern competition gliders have panels like something out of USS Enterprise so I would imagine they could cope.
I've had several 'that was a bit close' moments, not counting other gliders of course as we tend to thermal together. Closest was a pair of Tucanos who just brushed the edge of our site at the mandatory 2,000 ft. I had just come off the cable (it was a windy day straight down the strip) They never saw me but I estimate we were about 100 metres apart on a reciprocal heading, same altitude.........
I think the problem with GA is that they spend a lot longer with their heads down, looking at maps etc, plus they get lulled into the 'I'm on radar, I'm safe' mentality. Maybe I'm wrong I don't know. I would say glider pilots spend 99.9% of their time head out. It always seemed to be me that spotted a potential conflict and me that took avoiding action whilst Joe GA carried on burrowing his hole in the sky blissfully unaware. I suppose you have to say that the vis in a glider is infinitely better than a spamcan so we're going to spot conflicts probably before the GA pilot would. But that's the name of the game. That's why we wear parachutes.........
Last edited by thing; 7th August 2010 at 09:53.