Flarm in 2011 USA Contests

Wow - a severe outbreak of common sense seems to have overtaken the
committee!

Mike

On Nov 16, 9:29*pm, Mike the Strike wrote:
Wow - a severe outbreak of common sense seems to have overtaken the
committee!

Mike

Outbreak of common sense.. ok I would like to entertain the idea of
the SSA doing something for all the SSA members. I noticed there is a
discount for group buying of the new USA FLARMS. Why is it that the
SSA Director has not conducted negotiations with the FLARM
manufacturer and created an opportunity for all the SSA members to
receive a discount through an "SSA FLARM GROUP PURCHASE" ? Seems to
me that might be a real win win for all involved. Members might be
able to purchase the units for $1,000 or so...

But I might be expecting too much of the SSA. So as a member of a
small club I'll have to decide if the cost is worth it...

Oh I do intend to purchase a FLARM myself.

Steve
S9

On 11/16/2010 7:42 PM, Stephen wrote:
On Nov 16, 9:29 pm, Mike the wrote:

Wow - a severe outbreak of common sense seems to have overtaken the
committee!

Mike

Outbreak of common sense.. ok I would like to entertain the idea of
the SSA doing something for all the SSA members. I noticed there is a
discount for group buying of the new USA FLARMS. Why is it that the
SSA Director has not conducted negotiations with the FLARM
manufacturer and created an opportunity for all the SSA members to
receive a discount through an "SSA FLARM GROUP PURCHASE" ? Seems to
me that might be a real win win for all involved. Members might be
able to purchase the units for $1,000 or so...

But I might be expecting too much of the SSA. So as a member of a
small club I'll have to decide if the cost is worth it...

Oh I do intend to purchase a FLARM myself.

I suggest you ask your Regional director. It might be something simple
like "The PowerFlarm company won't do it that way". From the Craggy Aero
site, the group purchase requirements are...

* A group does not need to be an officially sanctioned club by the SSA.
* Generally, a local club operating on an airfield is our model.
* **The group needs to be based at one airfield* *so that the
benefit is appreciated by the participants.


Regardless, your director will know the answer or can easily get it for you.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl
- "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation Mar/2004" Much of what you need to know tinyurl.com/yfs7tnz

Am 17.11.2010 04:55, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 11/16/2010 7:42 PM, Stephen wrote:
On Nov 16, 9:29 pm, Mike the wrote:
Wow - a severe outbreak of common sense seems to have overtaken the
committee!

Mike
Outbreak of common sense.. ok I would like to entertain the idea of
the SSA doing something for all the SSA members. I noticed there is a
discount for group buying of the new USA FLARMS. Why is it that the
SSA Director has not conducted negotiations with the FLARM
manufacturer and created an opportunity for all the SSA members to
receive a discount through an "SSA FLARM GROUP PURCHASE" ? Seems to
me that might be a real win win for all involved. Members might be
able to purchase the units for $1,000 or so...

But I might be expecting too much of the SSA. So as a member of a
small club I'll have to decide if the cost is worth it...

Oh I do intend to purchase a FLARM myself.
I suggest you ask your Regional director. It might be something simple
like "The PowerFlarm company won't do it that way". From the Craggy Aero
site, the group purchase requirements are...

* A group does not need to be an officially sanctioned club by the SSA.
* Generally, a local club operating on an airfield is our model.
* **The group needs to be based at one airfield* *so that the
benefit is appreciated by the participants.


Regardless, your director will know the answer or can easily get it for
you.

In Germany we get rebates of 5% / 10% / 15% for group orders of 6+ / 10+
/ 20+ FLARM units. You don't have to be a formal group like a club, an
informal group of individuals will do fine.

Normally, someone puts a small ad on the website of segeflug.de, seeking
for other people wanting to join in to get a better rebate.

This works well since several years, and by this method I got my FLARM
for my newly purchased glider for a reasonable price.
--
Peter Scholz
ASW24 JE

Peter said:

In Germany we get rebates of 5% / 10% / 15% for group orders of 6+ / 10+
/ 20+ FLARM units. You don't have to be *a formal group like a club, an
informal group of individuals will do fine.

Normally, someone puts a small ad on the website of segeflug.de, seeking
for other people wanting to join in to get a better rebate.

This works well since several years, and by this method I got my FLARM
for my newly purchased glider for a reasonable price.

The FLARM company recognizes the device only works best when all
gliders in a group (club) are equipped with the device. A small
percentage of gliders and towplanes equipped with FLARM defeats the
intended anti-collision safety features. In order to encourage as many
aircraft as possible within a local group to be equipped with FLARM,
they offer a graduated discount for the group. Groups should consider
FLARM as a "safety system" to help prevent collisions in the flying
space where they fly the most.

As a FLARM dealer, I am trying to encourage as many individuals to
equip with FLARM so they are protected when they fly at our soaring
site (lots of gliders flying from different soaring sites on our
ridges.) These same FLARM equipped aircraft fly the most hours at
their local club, and for many (most?) this means in thermal
conditions. Thermalling is another midair high risk arena, and gliders
as well as towplanes will benefit - probably during more flying hours
each year than when visiting a ridge/wave site, or flying in contests
during the year.

FLARM dealers will have no way to enforce the intent of the company
policy, however, those who are trying to save what amounts to only a
few dollars, should consider the goals of the anti-collision "system."
The largest discount incentive is to place your order before the first
of the year, and we dealers are encouraged by the number of pilots who
are placing their orders now.

Tom Knauff