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

On Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 3:28:56 PM UTC-7, Papa3 wrote:
What is "situational awareness" exactly in this context?

Seeing other gliders on the moving map display, finding them visually, and then working to avoid them before alarms go off.

I find this the biggest benefit of Flarm and the way it works best, especially head on traffic under cloudstreets, side to side traffic going my way under cloudstreets, or side to side traffic going to the same cloud or gaggle.

If I had to wait for the big red alarm, then work out where the glider is -- converging at 200 knots under a cloudstreet, or maybe to the side or below where I can't see it -- and work out an escape plan that didn't put me in the path of another glider that wasn't showing up either because of stealth mode, might be a challenge.

I'd rather have a very quick look at the instrument to see who is nearby and if I am missing anyone visually, then keep far enough away that collision warnings don't show up in the first place.

For that, I don't need climb rates. I don't need altitude to be accurate, except above vs. below which must be quite accurate. So if it's climb rate displays that bug you guys, I'm happy to give those up.

John Cochrane