Two die in Glider mid-air

Originally Posted by Mike the Strike

On Sep 6, 8:10*pm, Mike I Green wrote:[color=blue][i]
A PowerFlarm might have prevented this accident. *I am getting one.

Mike Green

As I have reported here before, I had a close head-on with a fellow
club member a couple of years ago. We were flying in opposite
directions along a cloudstreet and were in radio contact. I suddenly
saw a flash of orange ahead and slightly to my right, so I
instinctively climbed and banked left. My colleague passed not fifty
feet under my right wing and he never even saw me. One of the few
times that anti-collision markings helped (my glider has none). A
review of our GPS traces showed us closing at a speed of over 200 mph
(300 feet per second) and the time between seeing a head-on glider and
impact was barely sufficient to react.

Electronic countermeasures are the only solution.

Mike

Report on CBC radio this morning indicated that the Canadian Rockies Soaring Club had just ordered FLARM for all their gliders prior to the accident.... Unforunatley not installed in time. Not sure if the gliders involved were club ships. I met Keith Watson a few weeks ago when he dropped by the club I fly with and we talked for quite some time while I was working on my LS-3. Nice guy and I was sadened to hear about the accident.

Mid airs have always been my biggest source of fear in soaring. I get upset with myself everytime I notice a Cessna after it has already passed me! I watched a Challenger pass by once at the same altitude and thought to myself that I would have 0 chance avoiding a head on with a jet. I`m borderline obsessive with keeping track of every other glider in the air and I`m still surprised how many times I loose people and find them again much closer than expected.

Matt