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Old May 29th 13, 06:19 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
son_of_flubber
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Posts: 1,550
Default Why not put an audible variometer in every glider?

Here is something that you might be able to do to improve glider safety for everybody (yourself included).

Buy yourself a brand new variometer (you deserve it!). Give your old "perfectly good audible variometer" to a club, a commercial training operation, or one of those pocket-empty "first glider" owners that need to buy all of the "extras" that he/she needs. (Dang! that list is long: parachute, wing wheel, trailer repairs, new batteries etc., etc...).

Post the availability of your generous gift to RAS.

If somebody is clever, knowledgeable and motivated, they might set up a program with SSA that would get you a tax-deduction for your charitable gift of a valuable variometer and direct the vario to a waiting list of deserving clubs.

I recently learned to fly gliders at three otherwise excellent clubs. None of the trainers had audible variometers. Now I have to break the bad habit of frequently looking at the vario needle. Dumb. BTW, I have an audio variometer, but I don't have the skill to use it.