Glider crash at Moriarty

Anyone out there managed to install a 406 ELT on a standard category C of A glider with the proper paperwork from the maintenance shop? Just wondering because they all seem to have specs for ground plane dimensions that are incompatible with non-metal gliders. The Kannad referred to earlier specifies a minimum antenna ground plane radius of 24 inches for example.

On Friday, June 19, 2015 at 12:52:41 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Anyone out there managed to install a 406 ELT on a standard category C of A glider with the proper paperwork from the maintenance shop? Just wondering because they all seem to have specs for ground plane dimensions that are incompatible with non-metal gliders. The Kannad referred to earlier specifies a minimum antenna ground plane radius of 24 inches for example.

OK I'll play along, what would the "proper paperwork" be here? It should usually be a minor modification, installation of stand alone stuff, not required by regulation in a glider, and with installation requirements not provided for by any regulation. AFAIK the usual "required paperwork" would be a note in the maintenance log.

There is nothing really unique about a 406 MHz ELT... it's the 121.5 MHz beacon withing the 406 MHz ELT that gives the large ground plane and/or plane/awkward large antenna mounting requirement. Almost all installs of any type of ELT I've seen in gliders suck, especially the antenna location/distance from obstructions, ground plane etc.

Please give me the reference in the federal regulations that allows for a ELT to be installed as "stand alone stuff". That would be a valuable reference as we have been filing 337's

Lane

I suspect you are one of few A&Ps who would file a 337 for an ELT install in a glider. There is no regulation that I am aware of that controls an ELT install in a glider or clarifies explicitly if an ELT install must be a major or minor install.... You have to make that call. In your case does the FSDO actually look at anything about the ELT performance? Antenna? Ground plane? ELT install orientation? switch location? Look at compliance with the install documentation? (Some of which will be mighty hard to meet).

On Friday, June 19, 2015 at 9:34:03 AM UTC-7, Darryl Ramm wrote:
I suspect you are one of few A&Ps who would file a 337 for an ELT install in a glider. There is no regulation that I am aware of that controls an ELT install in a glider or clarifies explicitly if an ELT install must be a major or minor install.... You have to make that call. In your case does the FSDO actually look at anything about the ELT performance? Antenna? Ground plane? ELT install orientation? switch location? Look at compliance with the install documentation? (Some of which will be mighty hard to meet).

And to add to that ACK for example promotes the instal of their ELTs being minor installs, e.g. see the FAA letter here http://www.ackavionics.com/pdf/E-04%...all%20Data.pdf Of course there can be cases where it could need a 337.

On Friday, June 19, 2015 at 9:34:03 AM UTC-7, Darryl Ramm wrote:
I suspect you are one of few A&Ps who would file a 337 for an ELT install in a glider. There is no regulation that I am aware of that controls an ELT install in a glider or clarifies explicitly if an ELT install must be a major or minor install.... You have to make that call. In your case does the FSDO actually look at anything about the ELT performance? Antenna? Ground plane? ELT install orientation? switch location? Look at compliance with the install documentation? (Some of which will be mighty hard to meet).

And to add to that ACK for example promotes the instal of their ELTs being minor installs, e.g. see the FAA letter here http://www.ackavionics.com/pdf/E-04%...all%20Data.pdf Of course there can be cases where it could need a 337.