High Vis Markings

Alisport has been offering LED strobe on fin of the Silent 2 Electro for several yrs.

On Friday, January 22, 2016 at 2:22:53 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
As stated above the anti-collision markings are mandated in France, and they have been proven to work! Fluorescent orange is not a color in nature and it stands out against a snowy or cloudy background. There are called High Visability marking for a reason. There is an article somewhere on-line about the effectiveness of these markings. France has mandated Flarm now and had a significant reduction in collisions.

Take a look at the Schleicher web site, they offer a LED strobe strip in the vertical fin (it is part of leading edge so no aerodynamic penalties). With an LX ACL controller the strobe fires when there is a Flarm alert! I am surprised all manufactures do not just include this unit is the base price and not even make it optional.

The big sky theory is as valid as cold fusion.

As the referenced article reminds me, there were some controlled experiments in the U.K. years back that empirically debunked the popular wisdom that Day-Glo tips and tail significantly enhanced visibility at a distance. This followed the movement in the mid to late 1970s when German gliders started arriving in the U.S. with orange/red tips and checkerboard tails. This trend seem to die out later as the evidence mounted that the high-viz paints didn't always help and, in fact, could hurt. I recall reading about experiments with mirrored coatings and black underside paints, two things that did seem to help in some circumstances. But it's dangerous to assume that what looks highly visible on the launch grid or close by in a thermal will work equally well at a distance, in particular on a collision course.

I'd argue the "big sky theory" (however one defines it) is still valid. What's undeniable is the probability that however remote, the odds of an encounter with another aircraft in that big sky are not zero and the consequences of that tiny probability are so devastating that it's worth seeking ways to reduce the risk.

I'm not current on the origins of FLARM but I seem to recall one of the drivers was the concentration of gliders along certain mountain ranges and ridgelines in the Alps, coupled with myriad cables and towers that posed a danger to low-flying gliders (I believe that was the reason for the obstruction database provided for in FLARM).

I suspect the only time we see that kind of concentrated traffic here in the U.S. is around major airports/airways/navigational features (where we either can't fly anyway or most pilots fly with heightened awareness and concern) and at large soaring contests, the size of which has diminished over the past 30 years. Nephi--which will almost certainly be oversubscribed--looks to be the exception to that.

One final not-quite-apocryphal story: back in the days of 65-glider national contests, I recall one attended by a pilot in a brightly colored Finnish glider. The pilot was thought by many to be particularly aggressive in thermals, so much so that a sighting of the "yellow PIK inbound" was often enough to prod even the most quavering, unapologetic leech to roll out on course in alarm. I don't know if yellow is the best color for visibility but against the background of Midwestern farm fields, it stood out pretty well.

Chip Bearden

On Tue, 26 Jan 2016 15:46:55 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

.... text deleted
I suspect the only time we see that kind of concentrated traffic
here in the U.S. is around major airports/airways/navigational features
(where we either can't fly anyway or most pilots fly with heightened
awareness and concern) and at large soaring contests, the size of which
has diminished over the past 30 years. Nephi--which will almost certainly
be oversubscribed--looks to be the exception to that.

.... text deleted

Unfortuantely a mid-air collision only requires 2 aircraft. Recall the
very tragic accident at Crazy Creek on Nov 28, 2009 (NTSB Docket.
WPR10FA068A and WPR10FA068B). We lost 2 good pilots.

At Texas Soaring Association this accident was one of the prime
drivers for equipping our entire club glider fleet (10), including our
Pawnee towplanes (3), with PowerFlarm when the units were first
released to the US in 2011.

Not saying Flarm would have prevented the Crazy Creek accident, but
"see and avoid" is clearly not 100% effective.

On a busy day TSA can have two towplanes and upwards of two dozen
gliders all within a few miles of the gliderport. Flarm is cheap
insurance.

Bob

I searched this thread and did not see an actual study referenced, only urban legend, that bright colors not found in nature somehow act to "work as camouflage because they erode the edge of the plane's outline/silhouette". Is this not the same ilk as "we only use 10% of our brain" or "it is improper English in end a sentence in a preposition"? BTW, all three urban legends have no basis in science, fact, or English structure. If you think so, you do not have a leg to stand on. Perhaps you do not know what you speak of. What are you talking about? Just three examples of one urban legend mentioned above. Autonomous processes of the body take more than 10% of brain function alone. Military uses high visibility paint on training aircraft, because it works. If you travel Russia you will also find most Russians do not wear seatbelts because they all know someone, who knew someone that was friends with someone that was saved because they were thrown free in an auto accident. Of course no one knows anyone first hand that was so saved, but they all believe the BS legends. Hmm... I wonder why hunters wear high visibility clothing? Is it to be seen so they are not shot... no I am sure the orange would just blur they edges so it would be difficult for a center shot.

France mandated high vis markings for a reason, they saw a statistically significate difference. France mandated Flarm for the same reason, it works.

I am not a fan of the big sky theory, have had way too many close calls, from the airport environment, to the middle of nowhere, thus the only possible conclusion is the theory is bunk. Sure, most aircraft do not collide, but the theory that only works 98% of the time is not really a theorem, is it.. Then it just becomes probability, fate, vicissitudes of life, karma... Imagine if the theory of relativity only worked 98% of the time. What if the laws of physics only worked 99% of the time.

Four times in the airport environment, under tower control, I have been place directly in the path of another aircraft, and this is by trained professionals. Too many times to count out in "the Big Sky", I have only had time to flench as another aircraft streaked by, once so close I did not even see an aircraft, just a grey blur filling the entire windscreen as I heard the roar of jet engines. And this was over the roar of my own jet engine and through noise cancelling headset.

Not intending to offend anyone, just to solicit thought, not rote acceptance. Show me the beef. (by way of full disclosure, I not not eat beef).

Funny you should ask that question. After determining the transponder/ADS-b out-in and whatever else it takes to "see" was too expensive I looked in the the "be seen" part of the saying.
And I just returned from my local bike shop with a Bontrager Flare RT Tail light with remote control in my possession. It was not cheap, at $80 but is very bright, small and rechargeable. They claim a 2k range in daylight. The remote control was $70 and I could have done without it. All I have to do is figure out where to mount it, yea, I know cant put anything on the aircraft as per the FAR's, but maybe near the wheel well facing rearward? Also, I checked into DOT tape truckers are required to have all over their trucks. Again not cheap at $30 per 25'x1" roll, but very bright in the daylight sun. Maybe the underside of the fuselage for this tape? And lastly if I really want to be seen, I might have the auto body shop near me paint a hunter orange stripe (12'x1.5') on the underside of my wings. I have a few quotes of $500-$650. Not sure about this one, I'll have to think about it, since my wings are carbon, painting them is no big deal.
Thank God for the off season so we can get stuff like this done.
Cheers.

Facing rearward, you are flying too slow )

On Friday, January 22, 2016 at 1:02:27 PM UTC-8, wrote:
All I have to do is figure out where to mount it, yea, I know cant put anything on the aircraft as per the FAR's, but maybe near the wheel well facing rearward?

In a head-on near miss at cloud base some years ago, I first caught sight of the orange wingtips of the oncoming glider and barely had time to slow a little and initiate a turn. The other pilot passed 50 feet under me and never saw my glider. Our igc files showed an impressive closing speed leaving little time to react. No doubt markings are helpful, but not always enough!

Mike

On Friday, January 22, 2016 at 1:02:27 PM UTC-8, wrote:
Funny you should ask that question. After determining the transponder/ADS-b out-in and whatever else it takes to "see" was too expensive I looked in the the "be seen" part of the saying.
And I just returned from my local bike shop with a Bontrager Flare RT Tail light with remote control in my possession. It was not cheap, at $80 but is very bright, small and rechargeable. They claim a 2k range in daylight.. The remote control was $70 and I could have done without it. All I have to do is figure out where to mount it, yea, I know cant put anything on the aircraft as per the FAR's, but maybe near the wheel well facing rearward? Also, I checked into DOT tape truckers are required to have all over their trucks. Again not cheap at $30 per 25'x1" roll, but very bright in the daylight sun. Maybe the underside of the fuselage for this tape? And lastly if I really want to be seen, I might have the auto body shop near me paint a hunter orange stripe (12'x1.5') on the underside of my wings. I have a few quotes of $500-$650. Not sure about this one, I'll have to think about it, since my wings are carbon, painting them is no big deal.
Thank God for the off season so we can get stuff like this done.
Cheers.

If these lights are really that effective and small enough, perhaps they could be molded into wingtip wheels and/or tail wheel fairings facing front and back. Ideally as a kit which can be retrofitted relatively easy at your local shop.

When I flew hang gliders many years ago I used to have a small (1-2") "party ball" tied to my kingpost which was quiet effective. Nowadays I use high vis and reflective tape on my wingtips and winglets.

Ramy

Ramy, I saw you on PowerFlarm way out but never saw the tape up in Idaho

http://soaringxx.com/index.php?route...&product_id=91

Seen this in Namibia. Very flashy up to 3 km.