I'm with you - I wouldn't fly without my PowerFlarm. At about $1800 it's cheaper than a parachute, which I also wouldn't fly without. I don't really know how many potential collisions my PowerFlarm has alerted me to since 2012, but it has more than repaid its initial cost, simply from peace of mind. Maybe it's my old eyes, but I find gliders and SE aircraft are quite difficult to see at altitude when they're more than a mile away. The extra help the PowerFlarm gives to my scan is very much appreciated...

-John, Q3

On Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 10:59:26 AM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
When I installed Power Flarm (PF) in 2013, I had no idea whether it would ever 'save my butt'. Not many people have it in my area.

Last October I was flying by myself on a weekday in the Sugarbush Wave, at 8000 climbing, and squawking 1202 (on a TT21 that came with the glider). I gave Burlington Approach a position report 20 minutes prior. I'm monitoring Approach freq and 123.3, gently orbiting a point to figure out the 'sweet spot' of the wave, and doing a continuous 360 scan for traffic. Wind aloft is 30 knots. Gentle wave.

The sky is crystal clear blue. Zero clouds. Peak foliage. Adirondack mountains visible on the far side of a deep blue Lake Champlain. More peaks visible in every direction. Weather is warm and dry. I'm feeling lucky.

I overhear Approach advise a Cirrus of my position. 'Step up' my scan... no traffic. Relax, keep looking. The ADS-B Flarm alarm goes off. Adrenaline jolt. Scan harder... Closing traffic 11 o'clock. Nose down, steep right 90... Quick glance at the bottom of a shiny new Cirrus. Oh my...

Cirrus pilot to Approach: 'um... we just missed that glider'.

I get about one PF Alert a year. This was the first time that I saw the traffic. When alerts are rare, they provoke a 100% response. I have zero 'Cry Wolf' complacency from alert_fatigue. So for this reason, I think PF is very effective in low traffic areas. It only takes ONE significant alert to justify the costs.