Nearly Mid-Air Collision at Estrella

bumper wrote:

"Terry Claussen" wrote in message
...

A lousy end to what was a beautiful day of soaring, thanks to the USMC
and my own lack of vigilance.



Not sure any reasonable amount of vigilance on your part could be counted on
to avoid a high speed jet from nailing you from behind when you're running
straight in a glider (or other small GA aircraft). I've seen a couple of
fighters pass right close behind another Stemme 1/4 mile ahead of me. Asked
if he'd seen them, he of course hadn't. I suspect, or at least hope, as in
your case too, that the fighters had us and were just doing an exhuberant
buzz job. In any case, not very prudent or responsible of them.

I fly with a transponder and that has to be a help. I've got a ProxAlert R5
on order (www.proxalert.com), so if they're squawking, I'll have their
altitude, range and squawk code too. If their altitude is the same as mine,
with rapidly decreasing range, and I don't have joy on 'em, then like a
raptor approached by a power plane, they'll get to watch me do a wingover
and rather steep spoiler descent.

all the best,

Bumper, I suspect you're right about the exuberance. But if not, if
these guys are flying head down, shouldn't they have radar plenty
capable of spotting a glider? Its not like Schempp-Hirth or DG make
them intentionally stealthy or anything.
Just Curious.

Shawn