On Tuesday, August 5, 2014 9:55:00 AM UTC-7, Stats Watcher wrote:
At 16:17 05 August 2014, waremark wrote:

I believe the most recent UK mid-air, the one of which we have

been seeing

the dramatic photos of the wing parting, happened in a

competition thermal

gaggle. I find Flarm of little relevance in that situation.





.and another happened in a thermal with two gliders alone.



So we conclude FLARM isn't any use in a gaggle, and isn't any use

not in a gaggle.

So in the context that most mid-airs happen in thermals, when is it

useful? Or is it the Emperor's New Clothes?

Like all flight instruments, it adds data to your decision making. And like all flight instruments, to the extent you believe in it, it reduces the burden of keeping watch on that function. The only reason you have any instrument at all is to add data, or to present already available data in a way requiring less thought (pilot workload). So Flarm, like any instrument, tempts one to pay less attention to watch keeping (and more to something else) to the extent that you allow. At the same time, it adds a great deal of situational awareness, i.e., what to watch for. I think most pilots flying with it begin to depend on it in this way, consciously or not. If the implementation allows voice warnings (such as the Butterfly Vario) then there is no additional attention *required* at all.

I disagree that it is not useful in tight gaggles. With a good presentation (the best is probably on the old Winpilot software) your situational awareness is greatly improved, and the voice warnings I get from the Vario are almost always relevant. I can't imagine anyone closing their eyes in a gaggle and waiting for Flarm to tell them what to do. But when flying in the clear there is a temptation to pay less attention to empty space until a target is picked up by Flarm, then pay a lot more attention to trying to get eyes on them. Whether that is a net plus I don't know.

However, Flarm is worth the cost for its entertainment value alone.