New Nationwide Squawk Code

On Apr 2, 10:42*am, Fred wrote:
SoaringNV is sponsoring a Minden Wave Camp this week. *As part of our
camp we have invited the tower controllers from Reno TRACON to talk to
us about communication with them, something we do for every camp. *We
learned, quite inadvertantly, that a nationwide transponder squawk
code has been assigned to gliders: 1201.

SO, from now on your transponder should be set to squawk 1201 anywhere
in the US (including the Reno airspace, where we have used a different
squawk code by agreement between PASCO and the controllers.)

Please use 1201 squawk code in your glider transponder.

Fred LaSor
SoaringNV
775 790-4314
Minden, NV

Does this mean that when the engine quits in my 150 I should
immediately change my squawk for 1200 to 1201? H...

I know your comment was intended as a joke; however, I would suggest when the 150's engine quits you squawk 7700.


"Haven" wrote in message ...
On Apr 2, 10:42 am, Fred wrote:

Does this mean that when the engine quits in my 150 I should
immediately change my squawk for 1200 to 1201? H...

Does this mean that when the engine quits in my 150 I should
immediately change my squawk for 1200 to 1201? *H...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Only if you start climbing (thermaling or wave)

Hi Gang and Cindy
To me this is a classic example of lack of communications and follow
up. Who's to blame? Both the gliding community (SAA and Pasco) and the
FAA! Could there have been better communications? Absolutely. But
maybe there is little motivation to communicate.
A story. A couple of years ago I thoroughly researched what I should
do with the SparrowHawk. Should I register it experimental, ELSA or
just fly it under Part 103 with no registration. To make sure I got my
facts straight I contacted the local FSDO and had an FAA agent come
and inspect my SparrowHawk to determine if I would be legal under Part
103 and whether I was doing anything that might constitute a danger or
a liability. Nothing negative was found. At the same time I researched
who were the personnel at the FAA in Oklahoma who composed the rules
and regs around the then new LSA class of aircraft. I located the
authors and posed the question of why for a LSA glider was there a VNE
limitation of 120knots whereas for all other LSAs including balloons
there was not this limit? There was no answer and, of course, there is
no rational answer to that question. I then asked the question in
putting together the LSA rules for gliders had they worked with any
glider group such as the SSA or Pasco. No was the answer. So Cindy we
are now in 2010 and things have not changed. There is still no
meaningful dialog between the SSA and the FAA in the generation of
regs and rules. I stand by my original criticism of the SSA. The SSA
has shown itself to be a poor representative of the gliding community
over the years. As agreed by you there is a contradiction in what code
to use for a motor glider - 1200 or 1201. A little thought and better
communications might have avoided this contradiction and also the LSA
glider VNE spec.
Dave

PS If anyone is interested in my full writeup on the SparrowHawk and
the questions and answers whether to register it or not please email
me. If sufficient of you think it would be of interest I could post it
here on RAS.

kd6veb wrote:
Hi Gang and Cindy
To me this is a classic example of lack of communications and follow
up. Who's to blame? Both the gliding community (SAA and Pasco) and the
FAA! Could there have been better communications? Absolutely. But
maybe there is little motivation to communicate.
A story. A couple of years ago I thoroughly researched what I should
do with the SparrowHawk. Should I register it experimental, ELSA or
just fly it under Part 103 with no registration. To make sure I got my
facts straight I contacted the local FSDO and had an FAA agent come
and inspect my SparrowHawk to determine if I would be legal under Part
103 and whether I was doing anything that might constitute a danger or
a liability. Nothing negative was found. At the same time I researched
who were the personnel at the FAA in Oklahoma who composed the rules
and regs around the then new LSA class of aircraft. I located the
authors and posed the question of why for a LSA glider was there a VNE
limitation of 120knots whereas for all other LSAs including balloons
there was not this limit? There was no answer and, of course, there is
no rational answer to that question. I then asked the question in
putting together the LSA rules for gliders had they worked with any
glider group such as the SSA or Pasco. No was the answer. So Cindy we
are now in 2010 and things have not changed. There is still no
meaningful dialog between the SSA and the FAA in the generation of
regs and rules. I stand by my original criticism of the SSA. The SSA
has shown itself to be a poor representative of the gliding community
over the years. As agreed by you there is a contradiction in what code
to use for a motor glider - 1200 or 1201. A little thought and better
communications might have avoided this contradiction and also the LSA
glider VNE spec.
Dave

PS If anyone is interested in my full writeup on the SparrowHawk and
the questions and answers whether to register it or not please email
me. If sufficient of you think it would be of interest I could post it
here on RAS.



Maybe this will help explain the 120 Knot limit. Read through the whole
page and you will see it applies to gliders as well as powered aircraft.
http://www.sportpilot.org/learn/fina..._synopsis.html

On 4/4/2010 11:21 AM, Scott wrote:


Maybe this will help explain the 120 Knot limit. Read through the whole
page and you will see it applies to gliders as well as powered aircraft.
http://www.sportpilot.org/learn/fina..._synopsis.html


"Maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power (Vh)—138
mph (120 knots) CAS"

A glider can't maintain 120 knots in level flight, so does this restrict
a glider VNE to 120 knots?

"Greg Arnold" wrote in message ...

"Maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power (Vh)—138
mph (120 knots) CAS"

A glider can't maintain 120 knots in level flight, so does this restrict
a glider VNE to 120 knots?

What you say is true. It is obvious that FAA didn't know how to establish an appropriate speed limitation for gliders. It seemed to them that the obvious solution was to simply use the same number for both airplanes and gliders. There also seemed to be an underlying assumption that gliders are fragile; therefore the speed number should be assigned at Vne instead of Vh. It is all spelled out on page 44801 (and elsewhere) of the following document.
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/regulatory/sport_rule.pdf

For us living here in the Western US, limiting altitude to Light Sports Pilots to 10,000 MSL instead of some height about the ground show an additional lack of understanding glider safety. I often fly out of an airport located in a valley that is 6,000 MLS. The mountain range next to the valley varies from 10,000 MSL to 12,600 MLS. Under the current regulations I would not be able to fly out of the valley.

Wayne
http://www.soaridaho.com/

Hi Gang
A lot of misunderstanding in the last 3 posts. Lets start with the
easiest to explain:

1) Altitude limitations for all LSA flying machines used to be 10,000
feet msl for LSA licensed pilots ONLY. If you fly a LSA like I do with
a regular single engine power license then I can fly my LSA without
altitude limitations. That's the primary reason to get a more advanced
ticket than a LSA ticket. This applies to all LSAs including LSA
gliders/motorgliders where you reallydo need a regular glider
license. No one flies a LSA glider solely on a LSA glider ticket. I
hope that explains one confusion.
2) I obtained from the Web a couple of years ago the proposed first
set of modifications and corrections to the LSA regs. In that proposal
was an altitude limit change to read maximum altitude for a LSA
licensed pilot only. The new limitation would be 10,000 feet msl or
2,000 feet agl. I believe that has been approved and is now effective
and will allow you to get over that mountain.

Now I think a couple of you are confusing maximum cruise speeds and
VNE. There is a difference! Maximum continuous cruise speed for any
LSA is 120 knots but at what manufacturer specified power level? Max
power? Probably not. The manufacturer has figured this loop hole out
and will specify that for continuous operation in cruise mode is say
at a specified power level. So the result is most new LSAs have gone
to big powerful engines with placated maximum cruise speeds at a
continuous power levels of say 70% which limits the max cruise speeds
to 120 knots or less. This probably implies that many LSAs will be and
are flown illegally at cruise speeds in excess of 120 knots. What a
huge gaping loop hole!
Except for LSA gliders/motorgliders there are no VNE limits on any
LSA flying machines and in fact most LSAs, mine included, have much
higher placated VNEs than 120 knots. There has never been a VNE limit
dictated by the FAA for any flying machine ever except for a LSA
glider! Why? Surely it is the manufacturer who defines a VNE limit
based on flutter and other considerations. What was the FAA thinking
about? A royal screwup and why didn't the SSA catch it? Go figure. Was
no one minding the store? Occam's razor logic probably applies here -
the simplest explanation is often correct.
Dave

Greg Arnold wrote:
On 4/4/2010 11:21 AM, Scott wrote:


Maybe this will help explain the 120 Knot limit. Read through the whole
page and you will see it applies to gliders as well as powered aircraft.
http://www.sportpilot.org/learn/fina..._synopsis.html


"Maximum speed in level flight with maximum continuous power (Vh)—138
mph (120 knots) CAS"

A glider can't maintain 120 knots in level flight, so does this restrict
a glider VNE to 120 knots?

I would guess no, as I'm guessing that some light-sport (powered)
aircraft have a Vne of more than 120 knots.

On Apr 5, 3:49*am, Scott wrote:
Greg Arnold wrote:
On 4/4/2010 11:21 AM, Scott wrote:

Maybe this will help explain the 120 Knot limit. Read through the whole
page and you will see it applies to gliders as well as powered aircraft.