On Jan 24, 6:36*pm, cfinn wrote:
We keep moving toward a total "Nanny State". SPOT and PCAS should be
mandantory for XC?. If it's that important for XC, is it any less
important to have PCAS near an airport where there's more traffic?
What about using APRS instead of SPOT? APRS position reports are more
reliable and the radio can provide two way communications, especially
in the eastern states where it's hard not to have APRS coverage.
Should we be required to carry a SPOT also? I don't argue the value of
having a traffic warning device and a position reporting system. What
I do take offense to is the "Mandatory for XC" idea. Should we also
pay a $100 per flight user fee? That could be mandatory.

Charlie


Relax, if you want to use APRS instead of SPOT, or carry a satellite
phone, knock yourself out. By "mandatory" I mean "essential for my
peace of mind".

My point was that there are lots of neat little gizmos out there that
can make our sport not only safer, but more fun - Wifey enjoys seeing
where I am on a long xc, and doesn't worry anymore about me wandering
around the wilds of Arizona.

Personally, my "mandatory" XC equipment list includes redundant GPS,
varios, batteries, a radio, ELT, SPOT, PCAS, PDA moving map software,
etc. I like using (or not, in the case of the ELT!) all the high tech
stuff.

Some luddites will complain that all this tech dilutes the pure
gliding experience. I disagree with that point of view. I enjoy
flying our club K-13 and open cockpit 1-26, but feel a lot more
comfortable in my LS6.

So chill, dude, I'm not calling for the Feds to force SPOT, PCAS, or
FLARM on all of us.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt if we all had those in our gliders, along
with radios - ESPECIALLY AROUND AIRPORTS!

Kirk
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