On Sep 9, 8:54*am, jcarlyle wrote:
Transponders are not a magic shield.

I fly with a Mode S transponder in the busy Philadelphia / New York
airspace. I often see airliners diverting course to go around me
(particularly commuters), but then there was the Southwest 737 that
flew 300 feet directly over me. I was thermalling at 5700, he was
straight and level at 6000. Gliders in this area have a discrete
transponder code, and we know from conversations with ATC that they're
keeping track of us specifically as glider traffic. So, I know for
certain that (1) the Southwest pilot was aware of me (long before I
was aware of him), and (2) he was also aware that I was a glider.

I'm not standing on principle here, if I'd seen him sooner I would
have quit thermalling and flown 90 degrees to his track while losing
altitude (quickly). But it was a hazy day, I was thermalling, he was
doing 250 kts, and I just flat didn't see him until he was about a
mile away.

Moral - keep a good lookout, amd remember that stuff can happen in
spite of a transponder...

-John

On Sep 8, 1:56 pm, Ramy wrote:







Since I started flying with transponders I never
saw an airliner too close, and I am flying in some of the most busy
airspaces in the US (Bay Area and Reno).

out here in Boeing country it's not uncommon to see test flights
returning right thru the same airspace we fly gliders. it's quite a
sight to have then drop out of the clouds at 3000' just south of KAWO.
it's also quite a sight to see the big dreamlifter do the same
thing................I've taken a few pics of this big bird and had it
fill the frame.

Brad