Another mid-air (UK)

So, Mark, are you trying to say that the last time you almost ran over
me you would have seen me had I had a PF installed? Why didn't your PF
provide you with an alert on my Mode S transponder? Oh, yeah, that
inconvenient co-altitude thing.

After some 30+ years as a systems engineer, I know how to develop
requirements for systems way more complex than PF and I also know how to
choose existing systems which deliver what they claim. Reading all of
the PF comments on here by the believers still leads me to different
conclusions. Please note also that I only state negative opinions when
someone makes a ridiculous statement first.

Should you want to discuss this further, I'll be towing today and
tomorrow. Drop by.

Dan Marotta

On 8/5/2014 8:45 PM, Mark628CA wrote:
I fly with Dan Marotta on a regular basis from Moriarty. He constantly denigrates Power Flarm to any and all, and refuses to consider it as anything but something to bitch about.

Many of us at Moriarty use Power Flarm and find it to be a welcome addition to the cockpit environment. I see an indication of possible PF traffic and immediately try to get a visual contact. I see a Transponder ring and altitude and immediately try to scan to find the object.

My eyes are out of the cockpit much more than previously, when I thought I was all by my lonesome in the Big Blue Sky. I am informed of relative traffic on many occasions when I would have been blissfully unaware of their presence.

Dan is entitled to his opinion, but he should be aware that he is in the minority, and his insistence on only a transponder makes US aware of HIM, but he is not taking advantage of a valuable tool that might make his flying safer for HIM (and US!)

And his assertion that he has "a whole brain" is a subject of regular debate amongst other Moriarty pilots. You might want to get a second opinion, Dan.

Just kidding :-)

On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 6:58:12 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
So, Mark, are you trying to say that
the last time you almost ran over me you would have seen me had I
had a PF installed?� Why didn't your PF provide you with an alert
on my Mode S transponder?� Oh, yeah, that inconvenient co-altitude
thing.



After some 30+ years as a systems engineer, I know how to develop
requirements for systems way more complex than PF and I also know
how to choose existing systems which deliver what they claim.�
Reading all of the PF comments on here by the believers still
leads me to different conclusions.� Please note also that I only
state negative opinions when someone makes a ridiculous statement
first.



Should you want to discuss this further, I'll be towing today and
tomorrow.� Drop by.

Dan Marotta
On 8/5/2014 8:45 PM, Mark628CA wrote:



I fly with Dan Marotta on a regular basis from Moriarty. He constantly denigrates Power Flarm to any and all, and refuses to consider it as anything but something to bitch about.

Many of us at Moriarty use Power Flarm and find it to be a welcome addition to the cockpit environment. I see an indication of possible PF traffic and immediately try to get a visual contact. I see a Transponder ring and altitude and immediately try to scan to find the object.

My eyes are out of the cockpit much more than previously, when I thought I was all by my lonesome in the Big Blue Sky. I am informed of relative traffic on many occasions when I would have been blissfully unaware of their presence.

Dan is entitled to his opinion, but he should be aware that he is in the minority, and his insistence on only a transponder makes US aware of HIM, but he is not taking advantage of a valuable tool that might make his flying safer for HIM (and US!)

And his assertion that he has "a whole brain" is a subject of regular debate amongst other Moriarty pilots. You might want to get a second opinion, Dan.

Just kidding :-)

PowerFlarm does not have a Mode S co-altitude problem. Mode S response is unique to the transponder and effectively filtered. Mode C, yes. Mode S will only warn if it is simultaneously being queried by third party radar, and will warn only altitude, not position or vector. It carries far less information than a Flarm based warning.

Flarm has an obstacle data base warning of wires and towers. Not available for the US yet (and far less of a problem here).

Your criticism of Flarm might carry more weight if you knew more about it. It isn't perfect but pretty much does what the brochure says.

Sean: Audible warnings come in two flavors: a beep warning you to look at the display (just when you would rather not), vs. a voice saying "GLIDER, 12 O'CLOCK HIGH" which requires only evasive action. I prefer the latter. Eyes on the panel are not needed to decode.