Making gliders visible to GA aircraft
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thing
I've never understood that either. If you've got it, use it. Mid air is my greatest flying fear, anything that says 'Hey I'm here!!!!' has got to be good.
Unless you're running contraband of course.
Or towing a glider in, or just under busy CAS.....
Originally Posted by thing
I've never understood that either. If you've got it, use it. Mid air is my greatest flying fear, anything that says 'Hey I'm here!!!!' has got to be good.
Unless you're running contraband of course.
Or towing a glider in, or just under busy CAS.....
Mid air is my greatest flying fear, anything that says 'Hey I'm here!!!!' has got to be good.
Avoid imitations
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Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 415 Likes
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218 Posts
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Seen it; I'd be fairly certain in saying say the last time I flew an aircraft with a Mode A only transponder was about 35 years ago. But quite a few others don't seem to bother, no idea why - except perhaps those who don't want to risk dropping themselves in the mire being spotted with an altitude or airspace bust.
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I used to routinely fly with the transponder firmly in the "off" position, saved the batteries.
Only reason it was fitted was to allow crossing of a recently imposed TMZ, for which it was switched on, then switched off once across.
Now, i'f I'm flying my glider along with the mode S on (as I now have to, when I remember to take it off grnd) and you are flying your spamcan along, monitoring (what do you actually do in those things en-route to your next cup of coffee/ bacon roll?)
What do you have to tell you where I am ?
Up here in the frozen North, there are large areas where spamcans fly not covered by radar (pesky hills getting in the way)
And when I'm operating at sensible alts, there are NO spamcans.
Why do you not have Flarm fitted ?
Only reason it was fitted was to allow crossing of a recently imposed TMZ, for which it was switched on, then switched off once across.
Now, i'f I'm flying my glider along with the mode S on (as I now have to, when I remember to take it off grnd) and you are flying your spamcan along, monitoring (what do you actually do in those things en-route to your next cup of coffee/ bacon roll?)
What do you have to tell you where I am ?
Up here in the frozen North, there are large areas where spamcans fly not covered by radar (pesky hills getting in the way)
And when I'm operating at sensible alts, there are NO spamcans.
Why do you not have Flarm fitted ?
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I used to routinely fly with the transponder firmly in the "off" position, saved the batteries.
Only reason it was fitted was to allow crossing of a recently imposed TMZ, for which it was switched on, then switched off once across.
Now, i'f I'm flying my glider along with the mode S on (as I now have to, when I remember to take it off grnd) and you are flying your spamcan along, monitoring (what do you actually do in those things en-route to your next cup of coffee/ bacon roll?)
What do you have to tell you where I am ?
Up here in the frozen North, there are large areas where spamcans fly not covered by radar (pesky hills getting in the way)
And when I'm operating at sensible alts, there are NO spamcans.
Why do you not have Flarm fitted ?
Only reason it was fitted was to allow crossing of a recently imposed TMZ, for which it was switched on, then switched off once across.
Now, i'f I'm flying my glider along with the mode S on (as I now have to, when I remember to take it off grnd) and you are flying your spamcan along, monitoring (what do you actually do in those things en-route to your next cup of coffee/ bacon roll?)
What do you have to tell you where I am ?
Up here in the frozen North, there are large areas where spamcans fly not covered by radar (pesky hills getting in the way)
And when I'm operating at sensible alts, there are NO spamcans.
Why do you not have Flarm fitted ?
I have been told that some people think that fitting FLARM to a GA aircraft renders it VFR only as they seem to think that the purely advisory FLARM invalidates the IFR capability of the Aircraft .
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I ask myself the same Question, FLARM is cheap if you get a portable version and the better powerflarm units are still inexpensive with minimal paperwork costs as they can be fitted to most small GA aircraft under CS-STAN.
I have been told that some people think that fitting FLARM to a GA aircraft renders it VFR only as they seem to think that the purely advisory FLARM invalidates the IFR capability of the Aircraft .
I have been told that some people think that fitting FLARM to a GA aircraft renders it VFR only as they seem to think that the purely advisory FLARM invalidates the IFR capability of the Aircraft .
so i put it to you! why don’t gliders fit a Pilotaware?
Last edited by ivorPhillips; 27th Feb 2018 at 04:49.
Avoid imitations
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I used to routinely fly with the transponder firmly in the "off" position, saved the batteries.
Only reason it was fitted was to allow crossing of a recently imposed TMZ, for which it was switched on, then switched off once across.
Now, i'f I'm flying my glider along with the mode S on (as I now have to, when I remember to take it off grnd) and you are flying your spamcan along, monitoring (what do you actually do in those things en-route to your next cup of coffee/ bacon roll?)
What do you have to tell you where I am ?
Up here in the frozen North, there are large areas where spamcans fly not covered by radar (pesky hills getting in the way)
And when I'm operating at sensible alts, there are NO spamcans.
Why do you not have Flarm fitted ?
Only reason it was fitted was to allow crossing of a recently imposed TMZ, for which it was switched on, then switched off once across.
Now, i'f I'm flying my glider along with the mode S on (as I now have to, when I remember to take it off grnd) and you are flying your spamcan along, monitoring (what do you actually do in those things en-route to your next cup of coffee/ bacon roll?)
What do you have to tell you where I am ?
Up here in the frozen North, there are large areas where spamcans fly not covered by radar (pesky hills getting in the way)
And when I'm operating at sensible alts, there are NO spamcans.
Why do you not have Flarm fitted ?
Most modern helicopters (at least, the IFR equipped ones, the ones a glider pilot is likely to come closest to) have TCAS, which is an approved fit and is designed to interrogate and detect transponders. Unfortunately, FLARM isn't part of the mandatory equipment for IFR aircraft.
TCAS can detect and display a transponder equipped aircraft from a range of around twelve miles, including its relative altitude. This allows the pilot to change his routing well in advance, to avoid the chance of conflicting flight paths.
Also, unlike many glider pilots, I for one am likely to be taking advantage of the LARS system, under a traffic service from ATC. As a glider pilot you will be aware that your aircraft doesn't show up well on radar. Proper use of a transponder makes sure that it does.
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Us vs them
Some of the stuff I see on this thread has all the makes of a sort of racism, gliders vs powered and I think it’s time to remember that it’s all GA aircraft that are subject to the collision risk.
The suggestion that £2172 is expensive puts a very low value on your life but the joke is the system can be had for a lot less than that if you have a portable FLARM, The £2K+ is for the version that hooks up to the high end Garmin kit.
The reason that gliders have FLARM and don’t have pilotaware is the gliding community fitted FLARM long before the powerd Aircraft started thinking about this kit and have a take up rate of above 95%. Do you think all those gilders are going to change because you have got the wrong cheap system ?
The suggestion that £2172 is expensive puts a very low value on your life but the joke is the system can be had for a lot less than that if you have a portable FLARM, The £2K+ is for the version that hooks up to the high end Garmin kit.
The reason that gliders have FLARM and don’t have pilotaware is the gliding community fitted FLARM long before the powerd Aircraft started thinking about this kit and have a take up rate of above 95%. Do you think all those gilders are going to change because you have got the wrong cheap system ?
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We could ban gliding completely, confiscate the gliders and send the glider pilots to Powered Flight re-education camps. That’ll teach the uppity, thermal seeking, aerodynamic know-it-all’s .
Avoid imitations
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Not sure where that was aimed, A&C, but "cheap systems".....transponder and TCAS as part of a certificated IFR setup?
The point I mentioned was pilots of powered aircraft (or gliders where applicable) not switching on a transponder already fitted in the aircraft.
The point I mentioned was pilots of powered aircraft (or gliders where applicable) not switching on a transponder already fitted in the aircraft.
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Some of the stuff I see on this thread has all the makes of a sort of racism, gliders vs powered
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Illegal practises
Just to make it crystal clear it is now illegal to not turn on an ATC transponder and use the altitude reporting mode ( if fitted ).
Shy torque the “cheap systems” comment was aimed at the character who suggested that the glider community having got the fast majority of the fleet fitted with FLARM wants them to change to something called pilot aware.
With powerflarm able to locate FLARM , mode S and ADS-B targets as well as warning of the proximity of mode C targets it at a very reasonable cost it seems to tick most of the boxes at an affordable price.
My new avionic fit will have powerflarm mainly to counter the threat from gliders and ADS-B out for conspicuously to the high end systems, I would hope that this backing up the Mk1 eyeball will help me avoid the vast majority of traffic.
Shy torque the “cheap systems” comment was aimed at the character who suggested that the glider community having got the fast majority of the fleet fitted with FLARM wants them to change to something called pilot aware.
With powerflarm able to locate FLARM , mode S and ADS-B targets as well as warning of the proximity of mode C targets it at a very reasonable cost it seems to tick most of the boxes at an affordable price.
My new avionic fit will have powerflarm mainly to counter the threat from gliders and ADS-B out for conspicuously to the high end systems, I would hope that this backing up the Mk1 eyeball will help me avoid the vast majority of traffic.