Another mid-air (UK)

I have used US Powerflarm in every flight I have made since it was released in the USA at Uvalde 2011. This includes around 10 contests. For me, FLARM solves one key problem and one key problem only. Anything else that it provides is a bonus.

THE ONE KEY PROBLEM FLARM SOLVES IS:

Powerflarm (if properly installed) MAY alert me to gliders that I MIGHT otherwise not be aware of (PERIOD).

This potential knowledge is a highly valuable thing to have. In my opinion glider collisions where one pilot (or both) sees the other are quite rare. Glider collisions are usually a result of BOTH PILOTS NOT being aware of the other. FLARM gives both pilots a fighting chance to avoid being unaware of each other and the chance to visually acquire each other before a surprise collision can occur. Period.

Situations in which 2 gliders may be dangerously unaware of each other may include: gliders flying the same course (behind, below, above or to the side), head on collisions, entering a thermal from different directions, entering the pattern, in the pattern, the chaos of the starting cylinder (gliders coming from any direction, little organization), or (most importantly) THE CHAOS OF A GLIDER GLUB OR COMMERCIAL OPERATION WITH MANY GLIDERS LOITERING NEAR THE AIRPORT.

Flarm (IMO) is also very good at managing up to 3 gliders at the same altitude in the same thermal.

What I DO NOT expect Flarm to do well for me is to manage MANY gliders (5+) in the same thermal ALTHOUGH PowerFlarm is usually very good at only providing relevant collision warnings even in crowded thermals. The problem I have is when more than 3 gliders in a thermal I have absolutely no time to look at the FLARM display and need 100% focus outside the glider on the other sailplanes nearby. The Flarms audible collision warnings are still useful to me however. I can usually easily/immediately correlate an audible warning to a change in turn radius by a nearby glider that could result in a collision. That audible warning "makes sense" even though I am no longer referring to the FLARM display to confirm it.

The scary part is when you get an audible alert in a very crowded thermal and nothing that you see visually from the other gliders around you seems to warrant that FLARM audible warning!

In regards to the (ch^%p) pilots who don't have FLARM, won't buy it or argue that it doesn't work or provide safety value. I have one simple statement for them:

Darwin was absolutely spot on.

http://youtu.be/iKz01UB8QrY