On Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 8:34:12 AM UTC-7, Charles Longley wrote:
Good info guys! I am doing more research. There’s an ADSB in option for PowerFLARM that must be what some of the glider pilots are seeing. So if someone put put a Power FLARM core with the ADSB in option into a tow plane what would be the best way to display it? I am thinking iPad mini so ForeFlight could be used for Aero retrieves.

You really should look through some old threads on r.a.s. on this stuff.

You don't need a PowerFLARM core, you could use a portable. I would start with trying to borrow somebody's PowerFLARM Portable for an easier quick test. Sure a core could be more nicely installed.

Almost all PowerFLARM in the USA have the "ADS-B" Option. Which is 1090ES In Only. About half a dozen out of many hundred units sold in the USA don't have this option, and some of those owners I've talked to really regret not getting the ADS-B Option. PowerFLARM has some restrictions with ADS-B In, basically bemuse of it's European centric development, they are not being dual-link In (so it cant' see UAT Out equipped targets) and not supporting TIS-B and ADS-R... all that makes it not great for an ADS-B In option in GA/power aircraft.

PowerFLARM is aimed at the glider not GA community, PowerFLARM talks FLARM serial protocol and you can display that ADS-B traffic on any devices that supports that protocol (e.g. LXNav FLARMView displays, Air Avionics traffic displays, LXNav flight computers, ClearNav flight computers, Naviter Oudie, PDA/PNAs running soaring software, etc.)

PowerFLARM does *NOT* talk GDL90 or Garmin display protocol and so cannot display on ForeFlight or similar GA EFB applications.

I would hope the main benefit of having a PowerFLARM in a towplane would be increased safety from better awareness of FLARM equipped gliders and other towplanes while airborne, with hopefully the secondary benefit of helping PowerFLARM equipped gliders on tow not get these annoying alerts about the towplane with ADS-B Out. That all seems much more intersting than finding glider for retrieves. And there practically you need (1) line of sight to the glider on the ground, (actually it's transponder antenna, which might be obscured by the fumerslage... but it's got a lot of power so hopefully will work... but best case you are likely to get a few tens of miles of range, and (2) the glider pilot to leave the transponder on transmitting ADS-B Out and (3) I suspect rely on the glider on the ground *not* transmitting surface mode ADS-B Ou messages which the PowerFLARM will likely ignore... and the glider is required to do that for a 2020 Compliant/SIL-3 ADS-B Out installs. Options like Garmin inReach and Spot and good old VHF radio seem more useful for retrieves, but it's a great thing to think about and something to maybe play with (yes more tests).