The SSA-OLC

KM wrote:
I use a Cambridge model 20 with version 6.0 and
this reports both GPS and pressure altitudes.I have never flown my ship
above 17300 feet, and yet on days with a low altimeter, my box has
shown on or about 18K.Now of course this is not a safety issue because
ATC will not assign FL180 to IFR traffic on days with low pressure, but
I dont like the thought of having to explain this to the guy that typed
the "Sunset" memo.

You won't have anything to explain, because you didn't bust 18,000' msl.
Your logger records pressure altitude and GPS altitude, but _not_ msl
altitude (what your altimeter reads). The pressure altitude from the
logger file must be corrected for the barometric pressure during the
flight to determine your altitude, and this will show you were at 17,300
(for the flight mentioned).

Another concern is the lateral part of the box.I use Aero Explorer 1.1
(and I am not very good with any of this stuff yet), and I do not have
any type of map feature.All of the turn points are just dots on a white
backround and there is no reference to any airspace.What would happen
if you flew across a TFR (Inavertantly of course) or something and the
Feds wanted to see the flight log? Would the SSA cheerfully hand it
over?

They wouldn't have to, because YOU posted it to the OLC, and the FAA
could simply download it like any other person visiting the site. If you
were lucky, the airspace violation would be notice and reported by
someone in time for you to remove the flight before the Feds noticed it.

Now the main gist of my post Paul, was that I am amazed amount of
infighting on R.A.S. over the SSA-OLC.I thought it would be prudent to
post straight to the OLC in Germany and forgo all of this.

The controversy here doesn't affect the big majority of OLC posters, who
don't even know there is any controversy unless they read it here. It's
too bad your introduction to the OLC started during this period - in
this case, ignorance would be bliss. As a pilot that intends to fly with
careful attention to the regs, none of this is pertinent to you, so if
you find it upsetting instead of interesting or educational, I hope you
will just ignore the thread.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

"Transponders in Sailplanes" on the Soaring Safety Foundation website
www.soaringsafety.org/prevention/articles.html

"A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org