Why not put an audible variometer in every glider?

On Wednesday, June 5, 2013 6:21:45 AM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:
On Wednesday, June 5, 2013 6:56:41 AM UTC-4, wrote:

On Wednesday, June 5, 2013 2:44:34 AM UTC+1, son_of_flubber wrote:



On Tuesday, June 4, 2013 5:48:07 PM UTC-4, Martin Gregorie wrote:



As I mentioned previously, all gliders in our club fleet carry audio

the batteries in gliders at the start of the day and taking them out and

putting them on charge in the evening. How is that different from doing

the same with the 'chutes and being involved in hangar packing and

helping with the DI in the morning?



Audio varios, FLARM, parachutes? In a club glider??



And radios. Why wouldn't you? We're training people to be cross country pilots.





We've circled back to the original topic question that I posted. Is there really such a stark contrast between UK and USA pilots on this matter? I wonder if it springs from the government regulation of USA gliding by the FAA, whereas UK gliding is "self-regulated" by the BGA.

What does the FAA have to do with this all? I don't get it... Just like in the UK, most gliders in Germany and France are club-owned and very well equipped and yes, that included audio varios even back in the 80's when I flew there. Parachutes were mandatory for all seats even back then.
Herb

On Wednesday, June 5, 2013 9:53:04 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Wednesday, June 5, 2013 6:21:45 AM UTC-5, son_of_flubber wrote:

We've circled back to the original topic question that I posted. Is there really such a stark contrast between UK and USA pilots on this matter? I wonder if it springs from the government regulation of USA gliding by the FAA, whereas UK gliding is "self-regulated" by the BGA.


What does the FAA have to do with this all? I don't get it... Just like in the UK, most gliders in Germany and France are club-owned and very well equipped and yes, that included audio varios even back in the 80's when I flew there. Parachutes were mandatory for all seats even back then.

Herb

How do you explain the starkly contrasting attitudes (between UK/Germany/France and the USA) wrt equipping trainers? I'm grasping at straws when I raise the BGA vs. FAA/SSA/NTSB/AOPA regulatory approaches, but those approaches, and the regulations, and the equipment of trainers is quite different. Perhaps the regulatory environment affects our attitudes and behavior, especially when so many regulations are known or taken to be bogus. (For example the FARs wrt oxygen use are known to be based on wrong and out-of-date scientific knowledge.)

How do you explain the starkly contrasting attitudes (between UK/Germany/France and the USA) wrt equipping trainers? I'm grasping at straws when I raise the BGA vs. FAA/SSA/NTSB/AOPA regulatory approaches, but those approaches, and the regulations, and the equipment of trainers is quite different.. Perhaps the regulatory environment affects our attitudes and behavior, especially when so many regulations are known or taken to be bogus. (For example the FARs wrt oxygen use are known to be based on wrong and out-of-date scientific knowledge.)



A quick look at the (UK BGA) regulations shows using a parachute is a recommended practice, as is the use of an audio vario. However, radio is not mandated, nor FLARM. But radio is very (90%) common in the 100 or so gliders at my club. FLARM is present in 50% and increasing of cross country gliders, and 100% of the 11 club gliders. I think these things become expected - and as Martin pointed out, are safety issues in high traffic density airspace.



Paul