W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). wrote:

After two or three days, with his ship not going as
well compared with the others as he expected, he removed it. The
difference was immediate and obvious, he described to me the difference with
it fitted as turning the ASW27 into an ASW20! Remember, he had been flying
with the antenna for some time, it was only in contest against other similar
gliders with good pilots that he saw the difference.

I remain skeptical: I sure didn't see any difference at all when I
fitted a transponder antenna to my ASH 26 E, flying against gliders I'd
flown with for years, nor have I heard of anyone else noticing a
difference. Perhaps something unusual was occurring in his case.

Please do not talk as if flying in UK contests involves the same collision
risk with CAT as flying in the high skies around Minden (I have never done
that, alas!).

I won't, and I didn't. My remarks were directed at a Std Cirrus pilot
who felt he needed every crumb of performance, and that was why he
wouldn't consider a transponder. My belief the drag increase is
insgnificant, so it shouldn't be a factor in his decision. The need for
it and the cost are the most important factors, I think.


To anyone buying a new modern machine from Schleicher, Schempp or the
others, the cost of fitting a transponder is only a small percentage of the
total cost, but would still involve finding panel space, and sufficient
power (particularly if the transponder is to be on whenever airborne). But
there are still a lot of low value gliders in use in the UK, and a lot of
gliding being done where the actual collision risk where a transponder would
make a difference is very small.

Also the situation in much of the USA. Though, I don't think the value
of the glider should be a factor in the decision to install a
transponder. I realize you are using the glider value as a proxy for the
spare cash the owner has, but I'd rather the focus was on the collision
risk, the value of reducing it, and the cost of installing a transponder.

In the USA, I wonder how many of the 1-26 fleet are fitted?

I don't know, but some do have them in the Minden area.

Are you allowed to fly in airways in the UK (as we do in the US), and
would having a transponder give you greater access to them?

--
Note: email address new as of 9/4/2006
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA

"Transponders in Sailplanes" on the Soaring Safety Foundation website
www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/articles.html

"A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org