Watching the Butterfly vario video, it sure looks nice and smooth, with lots of information - then it occurred to me that this is a potential downside that the pilot will have to guard against - "clock watching" while thermalling, trying to make sense of all the changing data, and perhaps relying on Flarm to stay safe!

It's bad enough with all the data available on our glide computers and PNA displays, but that data is usually checked during cruise, and is more static in nature; while thermalling we try to rely on the audio vario and occasionally check inside for the average. Will conventional audio be sufficient to convey the data that the Butterfly (and by extension, CNv and other future varios) will be generating?

Perhaps more synthetic voice data to give trend info would allow the pilot to keep his eyes out of the cockpit and still make use of all the new data. "Gust", "Roll out - Turn in" (for thermal centering), "two six, two six" for the average, etc.

Or a head mounted display - JHMCS anyone? That would need a big battery!

It would be a shame to equip the fleet with Flarm just so we can thermal on instruments!

Kirk