On Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 9:21:25 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:

I recall leading a visitor to Colorado on a flight southwest from
Black Forest back in the 90s when an A-7 blasted by on our left
about the time we were crossing Pike's Peak.Â* I told him to watch
out as they didn't travel alone.Â* The other one went by on our
right.Â* That wouldn't have happened if either one of us had had a
transponder but it would have happened nonetheless
even had both of us been FLARM equipped.

Wait, how would you having a transponder have prevented a VFR A-7 (not talking to center) from hitting you at low level? Unless A-7s had IFF interrogators, he wouldn't see you. When I used to fly low levels in F-4s the only way we knew about low level traffic was by using our radar and IFF interrogator - we were on a tactical freq and not talking to anyone.

But yes, if you fly where there is a lot of airline/bizjet traffic, a transponder is a REALLY GOOD THING TO HAVE, no argument there. I just disagree that in all environments it's more valuable than a PF.

Kirk