On Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 12:11:49 AM UTC-5, WaltWX wrote:
If the FAA could only assure the gliding and GA community that equipping with transponders and ADS-B would provide avoidance of midair collisions, perhaps there would be more acceptance. Even with a transponder, aircraft collide with each other. TCAS on airliners (mostly) is the only system that seems to assure a resolution to collisions.

GA that predominantly fly VFR and gliders would gain the most from Nextgen improvements by preventing midair collisions.

It seems that FAA's main thrust with Nextgen (adding a second tracking ADS-B system) is for THEIR BENEFIT to control traffic under postive control (IFR or VFR Advisories radar tracking). That is the premise and main policy motivating this change to transponders everywhere and ADS-B.

BTW, I do have empathy for those wishing to stay in gliding at the lowest cost, raising their family and educating their children. Adding transponders and ADS-B doesn't seem to have a sufficient cost benefit. My particular financial position allows me to add that equipment.

Walt Rogers WX

Walt Rogers WX

Walt:

You've hit the nail on the head. The FAA wants us to spend all this money, but then they don't use the data. Right now, under the FAA rules, ATC can watch an airliner heading straight for a transponder equipped VFR aircraft and not even give the airliner a traffic advisory, much less a minor course deviation to avoid a potential collision. Everybody is putting their trust in eyeballs and TCAS.

Eyeballs don't work when you are dealing with jet traffic. TCAS also is useless when you have Military jets, who are exempt from ALL the rules, flying around at 400+ knots 500' above the ground without TCAS or ADS-B, and maybe not even an operating transponder.

Before we have any more FAA mandates, we should insist that all Military jets be equipped with TCAS and ADS-B just like everyone else, and that ATC (both civilian and military) provide active separation services for all IFR aircraft under their control to avoid any transponder or ADS-B OUT equipped VFR aircraft that are visible on their radar screens.

Once everyone (including Military jets) are ADS-B OUT equipped, we will have an environment where low cost ADS-B IN systems can provide very accurate collision warnings to VFR pilots, so we can actively stay out of harms way.