Wacky Tracky

This thread is why people think soaring is all just cranky old farts.

For those of you that don't like tracking or electronics in the cockpit or the ground: What does it matter if someone else carries that gear? If they aren't actively flying reckless in your airspace, their preferences don't affect you AT ALL. Being bitchy about it is just as productive as whining about bandwagon sports fans.

The man had a question and was looking for info or help. How does being a dick about it help ANYONE? If you don't have something to add to the conversation, quit complaining on the Internet and go fly, or work on your glider, or do something productive.

No one cares about your negative opinion, and posting it for the world to see serves absolutely no purpose, other than to make you look like an asshole, tearing someone down for no reason (when they're trying to carry more safety gear, no less - Who criticizes safety)!?

The world doesn't need more assholes, so just don't do it.

--Noel

On Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 1:27:20 PM UTC-5, noel.wade wrote:
This thread is why people think soaring is all just cranky old farts.

For those of you that don't like tracking or electronics in the cockpit or the ground: What does it matter if someone else carries that gear? If they aren't actively flying reckless in your airspace, their preferences don't affect you AT ALL. Being bitchy about it is just as productive as whining about bandwagon sports fans.

The man had a question and was looking for info or help. How does being a dick about it help ANYONE? If you don't have something to add to the conversation, quit complaining on the Internet and go fly, or work on your glider, or do something productive.

No one cares about your negative opinion, and posting it for the world to see serves absolutely no purpose, other than to make you look like an asshole, tearing someone down for no reason (when they're trying to carry more safety gear, no less - Who criticizes safety)!?

The world doesn't need more assholes, so just don't do it.

--Noel

Thank you, Noel.

Noel please, you're such a politician. And we all know what is happening to politicians these days the non politician leads the pack.

Fact of the matter about GPS is this, use at your discretion. The owners of theses sats are not us as in you and me. And ultimately their responsibility to you if there is a "glitch" is zero. YOU as a pilot are supposed to be trained to use a map, VOR etc, and navigate without relying on a GPS or "glass". If you rely on a gps for positioning, to get your home, to navigate in general, to "track" you or let someone know your landout spot and can't use a map or properly you should NOT be in the air period.

I would like to see you guys/gals leave the GPS garbage at home and use a sectional to navigate. Can you actually do it? Do you even carry a sectional with you? Not in a tablet I am talking paper sectional and no I don't care about the tree its killing. Don't you think you would be a better pilot to be able to toss the gps (if you wanted to) and be able to run with a sectional? I do think so and I think the reliance on some of this technology is absolutely the problem today. The gps and spots are fantastic tools that you don't need to have. Do they make some tasks easier but that might be some of the problem. Everyone is so into the new stuff, the latest toys that they never have there heads outside the airplane and actually are paying "proper" attention to just flying the airplane.

On Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 12:12:28 PM UTC-7, Candid Sky Productions wrote:
---
Fact of the matter about GPS is this, use at your discretion. The owners of theses sats are not us as in you and me. And ultimately their responsibility to you if there is a "glitch" is zero. YOU as a pilot are supposed to be trained to use a map, VOR etc, and navigate without relying on a GPS or "glass". If you rely on a gps for positioning, to get your home, to navigate in general, to "track" you or let someone know your landout spot and can't use a map or properly you should NOT be in the air period.
---

I couldn't agree with this sentiment more. HOWEVER, the original poster wasn't talking about GPS for *their own* navigation at all. They were talking about a safety device for folks on the ground to use as reference.

Yet people's eagerness to rip someone for not being the pilot that YOU want them to be, the facts were totally overlooked.

What I think is bad for the sport is the eagerness to be negative and critical. To call people's equipment choices "garbage" when their choice does _not_ affect you in any way. To be so eager to pull other pilots down and question their skill or dedication or ability.

What the heck do folks even hope to accomplish, by blasting out such petty nonsense?

--Noel
P.S. Note the lack of swearing in my response, for those who wanted to complain about that as well. ;-)

I am glad you slowed down, took a breath and cooled off there Noel and thanks for keeping the conversation civil. As to "us telling others how they should fly", thats exactly the opposite of what we are advocating. In fact it is you who are passing judgement on those of us who prefer to take more of a non-tec-dependant approach to the sport. Your very words, quote "those who dont use tracking devices are irresponsible". Now who is judging who?

As to our sport being filled with old opinionated cranky geezers, well it is. Our soirt is aged for a variety of reasons, one of which being, those who advocate for the necesity of having all of the latest n greatest in tecno gizmos have priced the majority of young people right out of the sport.
As to the original reason for some of our posts, some of us "old cranks" have been there-done- that when it comes to xc and instrumentation failing. Maybe we, since we started flying in a limited electro age of soaring, have found ways to fly efficiently, stay alive AND keep our loved ones informed of our wearabouts without overt dependance on outside aids. You might want to give that some thought. Besides you should respect your elders lol

Oh p.s. I took an old 1-26 out for a 100k romp averaging 53mph today in marginal condx with 2,000 ft ceilings, the day you can do that I will consider you my elder

Correction yesterday

I lost GPS signal south of Elko for about 50 miles today. The signal would come in and out, not sure if I was on the north edge of some jamming. I have never had any problems in that area before.

Agree Noel, but the swearing doesn't bother me. :-) A couple things, people need to grow up and be able to take advice when it's given that way. Not take it as it's always an attack. Also I agree with the eagerness to be critical. Seems like more and more of the big dollar, every bell and whistle people think just because they have the best of the best they can spout out at folks and be critical. Happens in other areas of sport, hobby and life also just not soaring. Dealing with snotty spoiled people is nothing new. And the internet has brought on a new forum for that because they are much tougher behind the computer screen than in person. And when it comes to a face to face confrontation well let me tell you from experience they turn into 'minnie mouse" Oh of course they would never admit that online or to anyone :-) You guys have a good weekend soaring and be safe.

Sorry if the subject "Wacky Tracky" was a bit too serious.

Delorme tech support said they had a server problem on the 2nd.
Unsure what troubled SPOT, no longer have an account to ask them about.

Discovered the APRS no longer works because the drinking water supply was increased from 4 liters to 6, and apparently that shields the 2m stubby antenna.
Hope that doesn't start a new argument, as in the old days we never carried that much drinking water.
Jim