FLARM in Stealth Mode at US 15M/Standard Nationals - Loved It!

On Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 1:56:35 PM UTC-4, 7C wrote:
Other Flarm users. If you are in Stealth you give no more warnings to other users than you receive. So non-stealth gliders will not see any more than your fellow competitors.

This has the unfortunate effect of causing gaggles to 'appear' with very little prior warning.

So... a fast moving powered aircraft that happens to have Flarm will have seconds worth of warning that you are about to collide which may not be sufficient. I'd be concerned about the liability issues if this was to happen because you had degraded your collision avoidance systems - especially in the US!


Stealth mode doesn't change the warning mode of flarm, at all. It does change the tactical display for aircraft that are not in conflict.

A fast moving powered aircraft, properly configured, should get plenty of warning from thermaling gliders. And vice versa.

-Evan Ludeman / T8

This was my first experience with FLARM. I had prepared myself for a significant change in tactics vs. what was the norm when I last flew a nationals in 2010 but I have to say that I'm a believer now.

As has been said, FLARM in stealth mode enhanced safety without changing fundamentally the skills required to do well in a contest. Granted, on a few occasions FLARM alerted me to another glider a short distance away under the same cloud that proved to be climbing faster. But this zone of visibility was fairly small. On the other hand, I received several warnings of gliders unexpectedly coming into a thermal rapidly from an angle that were quite useful and were received in plenty of time to take action.

I was using a PowerFLARM Portable with the internal readout. I'm told that this device as well as the "core" unit can drive a FlarmView or other readout that provides more data on the gliders within range; e.g., contest ID and climb rate. That's potentially useful information. I don't know where you draw the line but even with this enhancement, FLARM like a decent compromise between the safety benefits and the degradation in skill required to fly competitively.

My decision now is whether to buy a PowerFLARM (the one I used was very generously loaned to me by fellow pilot Bill Nockles)--new or used--or the "core". Is it true that there have been multiple configurations/types of PowerFLARM portables over the past few years?

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.

A fast moving powered aircraft, properly configured, should get plenty of warning from thermaling gliders. And vice versa.

Warning is not what you want in that situation it is tactical awareness.

But then almost every glider pilot is convinced they are being followed so Flarm is obviously a tool to make this easier

I flew the PAGC this year in TN (Thanks, Sarah) where we used FLARM extensively as tactical device. I felt it changed the nature of the contest significantly.

It was my idea to go stealth at the Std/15m Nats this year at Harris Hill. I flew the contest as well and had no complaints personally or from any other competitor- other than some had trouble configuring initially. All warnings were spot on and the unit became a collision avoidance only.

Warnings from fast movers always over ride the 2km and +\- 300 m vertical limitations.

I'm glad we did it so we can have an informed discussion on this important topic in this year's opinion poll.

XC