FLARM.....for good, or evil??

On Oct 27, 4:15*am, "
wrote:
On Oct 26, 8:29*pm, Ramy wrote:





On Oct 26, 4:38*pm, "

wrote:
On Oct 26, 1:47*pm, "

wrote:
On Oct 26, 10:08*am, John Cochrane
wrote:

On Oct 26, 6:53*am, "

wrote:
From Sept 2010 "Soaring"...article on FLARM...

..."we were flying in big undiciplined gaggles"...

..."I received indications about one idiot who pulled in behind and
then passed 10 feet over me."...

..."I received many beeps from gliders following 20 feet behind and
just outside..."

Holy close call Batman! *..Undisciplined??!! .. * Idiot??!! * .. 10
feet over??!!.. * 20 feet??!!

*Are you thinking what I'm thinking???

Cookie

Well, I'm thinking I'm glad to be alive. I'm thinking that I like the
trend in US contest rules that take us away from mass gaggle flying,
and wish the worlds would take a stab in that direction as well. I'm
thinking flarm is a pretty darn good idea. What are you thinking?

John Cochrane

John,

I do not disagree with anything you say above. *I am glad you are
still alive. *I see the problem with big gaggles. *I think FLARM is a
useful tool in avoiding glider to glider collisions.

Well, I was thinking that maybe FLARM is creating false sense of
security? *Could contest pilots actually be tempted *to fly
dangerously, taking extra risks, assuming that if everybody has a
FLARM there is no problem??

How could two flarm equipped gliders possibly get within 10 feet of
each other? *I mean, at some earlier point in time they we
considerably further apart, so at what point does one or both pilots
take evasive action?

Or does FLARM somehow allow safe flight within 20 feet or 10 feet or
even closer?

Cookie- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hey Guys........

I think you are missing my point / question here............In my
original post, I did not intend to simply re-open the FALRM pro or con
arguement...Note I changed the heading.

My point / question is in regard to John C's article in soaring, in
which his accounts left me with a very uneasy feeling.

Not about the FLARM, but about what a perceive as possible misuse of
FLARM, or false confidence, or increased risk taking, knowing every
glider is FLARM equipped *(that's the "evil" *part in my heading)..

I am referring to the parts in the article about "idiot" and
"undisciplined".....and what a perceive as some close, near
collisions........

Are the pilots "idiots" and "undisciplined" because of the FALRM? *Or
are they "idiots" and "undisciplined" in spite of the FLARM?

Cookie- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The answer to your question is the same as the answer to the following
question: Are you flying less carefully because you are wearing a
parachute? I don't think so.

Ramy- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Ramy,

I disagree ..........With a parachute I do take more risk......and you
probably do to.

Here are three examples of more risky flying WITH a parachute that I
do / have done:

1) Flight testing homebuilt aircraft
2) Aerobatic flying
3) Glider competition

Regualtion and / or common sense dictates a parachute for the above
scenarios.

Cookie

So are you suggesting that parachutes are also evil?
Cookie I think you confuses activities with behavior. Of course more
pilots may also fly contests with Flarm.