Is FLARM helpful?

I am always perplexed by the argument that a device that gives you more situational awareness has a cost because you are not looking outside for one bloody second, rather looking inside at something that tells you what you have not been able to see by looking outside. Ever heard of synthetic vision? I have over two thousand hours flying much faster aircraft than gliders equipped with Mode S traffic position displays and/or TCAS. These amazing devices, yes including Flarm, are more about giving you the entire picture that you cannot see, so you can avoid the drama of extreme near misses or of the actual collision. A second looking at an instrument inside the cockpit can tell you more than you have seen with your scan the last 30 or more seconds.

I am not sure why the gliding community resists technology when we fly airfoils that are designed by some of the fastest computers on the planet. This debate is reminiscent of the GPS debate of 18 or so years ago. Looking back on that debate does anyone think the anti-GPS opinion was right or just plain silly. The head in the cockpit was used by the anti-GPS faction also.. Imagine taking photos of turn points. Think of the fancy new instruments we have that would not have been developed had the anti-GPS debate won.

Maybe the Amish have a gliding club with bungee cords, wood and fabric gliders and pellet varios.

No vitriol intended, just trying to make a point that seems so obvious to me and with my real world experience using traffic awareness technology. Again no offense intended to any parties including the anti-GPS faction who were so clearly wrong and short sighted

On Saturday, November 28, 2015 at 6:51:46 AM UTC-8, John Godfrey (QT) wrote:

An issue with this argument is the assumption that integrating an in-cockpit display into ones awareness has no cost. I believe this is a fallacy. Anything that directs your attention inside the glider potentially adversely affects safety. Folks are making the "situational awareness" argument with the premise that sll objects you need to be aware of are FLARM equipped and that all FLARMs are operating correctly.

WRT thermals, one prior poster observed that Winpilot is excellent for displaying gliders in a thermal. The idea of someone in a thermal not looking out the window 100% of the time is troubling to me. There have been at least two instances I am personally aware of where FLARM equipped gliders have collided in a thermal.

QT