On 8/19/2010 8:13 PM, Mike Schumann wrote:


Knowing the rate of climb or decent of aircraft that are in your
vicinity is very useful in evaluating whether or not they are a
threat. As a pilot, I don't want to wait for an alarm just prior to
an imminent collision. I want to see what is going on around me 1-2
miles out, so I can avoid getting anywhere close to an uncomfortable
situation. If I am entering a gaggle, I want to see what is happening
in 3D with the other gliders that are already there.
It sounds like you've never flown in a contest, and have no idea of what
contest flying is like. True statement?

My thinking, as someone who flew about 60 contests over 30 years, is
much different than yours. I can't even imagine what you mean by
assessing an "uncomfortable situation" that's 1-2 miles away, and I sure
don't see how a 3 D picture of a 15 glider gaggle is going to improve my
safety when I can already look outside and see what's going on as I
approach it.

I've never used Flarm, but it's been tested in many contests over
several years, the pilots like it VERY much, and it's ridiculous to keep
suggesting it can't do the job, and so we also need ADS-B.


Artificially turning off this type of information is not going to go
over very well with the FAA, the NTSB, or the trial lawyers, the next
time there is a mid-air involving gliders in a contest with aircraft
equipped with this kind of equipment. It's surprising that this
wouldn't be raising huge red flags with the FLARM guys given how
skittish they were about the US market due to the litigious nature of
our legal system.
You are just guessing about all that, right? No legal expertise at all,
right? No research into the liability of a company like Zaon, for
example, right? Instead of being "surprised" by the Flarm developers
lack of foresight, you should first discuss the situation with them.
I've talked to Urs Rothacher a number of times, and he isn't a naive
programmer glider geek. You would be a much better advocate for safety
with some real facts, instead of guessing and making stuff up.

--

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (netto to net to email me)

- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz