Transponder Praise

One option would be to take along a handheld and use it request flight
following from your local center.

Mike Schuman

"jcarlyle" wrote in message
...
What is the group’s suggestion on the best procedure to follow when
flying a transponder equipped sailplane outside of an area where
specific squawk codes have been assigned, ie, where you get lumped in
with other VFR traffic? It’d be nice if gliders and balloons had a
discrete squawk code everywhere in the US, so ATC would know
immediately that we were a different kind of traffic, but since that’s
not going to happen soon (if ever) what strategies could glider pilots
use to stay as safe as possible?

Currently I’m squawking 1200, communicating on 123.3 with other XC
gliders, monitoring my Zaon MRX PCAS for transponder equipped traffic,
and of course constantly visually scanning for traffic. As Darryl
said, if my PCAS alerts me to closing traffic and I don’t see it, I
start turning while increasing my visual scan. This makes me more
visible to them, and allows me to look at what was my 6 o’clock. I
also tend to get more vigilant when I’m nearing a VOR as well as when
I'm flying at a multiple of 1000 feet, as I figure other traffic tends
to fly at those locations and altitudes.

One hardware change I plan on making soon is to move my PCAS antenna
from the instrument panel area to a location back in the tail boom. My
PCAS antenna is now getting shadowed from multiple directions by
various instruments from the rear and below, by the compass from the
front and above, by the canopy and instrument panel lifting mechanism
from the front, and by the rudder pedal assembly from the front and
below. In the tail boom the only real shadowing will come from the
landing gear from the front. Shadowing of the PCAS antenna in its
present location might explain why the business jet closed with my
friend and I so quickly.

-John

On Jul 6, 3:36 am, Darryl Ramm wrote:
The distance measurements with PCAS are approximate and only based on
radiated power from the other aircraft's transponder and can be fooled
as the aircraft change atitudes/altirudes relateive to each other.

With two gliders flying near each other and both thermalling (so that
you are most visible to other traffic) I'd be trying to stay with the
other glider (traffic might see and try to avoid one glider and hit
the other), I'd be focused on scanning for the traffic and not be
shoving the nose over and pulling spoilers unless I could see the
traffic and thought that was a good thign to do. If traffic is
getting close on PCAS and I can't see it I will bank or turn the
glider to have a good look around.

Darryl


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