On Tuesday, April 17, 2012 8:17:10 AM UTC-5, Don Johnstone wrote:

I think you are confusing having an AH with being allowed to cloud fly.
Cloud flying in competition is permmitted in the UK as is the fitting of an
AH. If the EASA rules are strictly complied with the removal of an AH is
not a simple task. A lot of gliders in the UK are fitted with AH for very
good reason, mine was although I took care to never deliberately set out to
fly in cloud. An even larger number, possibly a majority have a turn and
slip fitted. My point is simple, having a rule that says you cannot fly in
cloud is fine and enforceable. A ban on having an AH is not enforceable,
quite apart from the lash up that I built, my iPhone has an app that
provides that instrument so enforcing that ban is not possible without
draconian, and possibly unlawful measures, like searching every pilot
before they get into the cockpit. A rule that cannot be enforced is better
never made. Having an AH is not cheating, flying in cloud is (in some parts
of the world). By all means enforce no cloud flying, but crippling
technology is not the way to go about enforcing it. If someone wants to
cheat they will find a way of fitting an AH that you cannot see. Someone
who has no intention of cheating will not do so whatever instrument they
happen to have fitted.

I do not campaign against you right to bear arms so why should you campaign
to have software crippled that would improve safety where clouds are more
of a problem.

Don, I'm not confusing anything. If you don't compete in contests that have the no AH rule (all FAI or SSA sponsored races, for example), then by all means have an AH or T&B. But the rule is there, and it's pretty simple to enforce - look in the cockpit for AH or T&B, have pilot state on contest registration what software he is using on his moving map, and sign a statement that he does not have AH apps on his smart phone.

Most pilots wont cheat, and going to the effort to conceal AH software (or pull out and use your smart phone) is probably going to make that cheater more likely to take a chance and get caught - and booted.

And realize that this brouhaha is mainly from the US, where cloud flying is extremely uncommon - and AHs are rare in most glider cockpits, so it isn't a big handicap to not have one installed.

But leaving an AH up and running is just too much of a temptation to take that extra turn in 10 knots up into the cloud....and guys do that now without an AH!

So I don't see what the big panic is all about. Just comply with the bloody rules and have fun!

Cheers,

Kirk