737 vs glider

I've been in 3 close calls with big iron while flying my glider inside the mode C veils N of PHL and also W of EWR. In all 3 cases I'm convinced that my Trig TT21 was a lifesaver. All occurred at about 6,000 MSL.

There were several things that were impressed on me as a result of these encounters. First, it is absolutely amazing how quickly these aircraft close on you from the time you first see them. Second, being 500 feet under a 747 or 737 in a glider is absolutely terrifying! Third, it was very difficult for me as a private pilot to dig out the needed SID or STAR information from paper charts - the advent of the geo-referenced SkyVector charts is a real step forward.

Finally, don't count on having 500 feet separation. The legal variance on altitude encoders is +/- 125 feet, so you might be as close as 250 feet!

-John, Q3

My closest near collisions have all been in the airport environment and both the other aircraft and I were under control of the tower. In one case, September of 2003 out of Burbank, tower put a United Airlines MD 80 heading to Dallas, and me (in an MD520 N) , on a collision course at about 200 ft AGL. An amazing story all told, but bottom line, buy the safety devices you can, but... We both filed NASA reports and the guy at NASA actually called me and said this is the most amazing story he had seen, then told me he was not supposed to do this, he offered me the phone number of the United pilot. Interesting how both the United pilot and I had a little bit different perspective of the same event. If someone can find the incident report I would love to read it. Burbank tower actually tracked me down and apologized.

On Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 11:55:43 AM UTC-7, John Carlyle wrote:
I've been in 3 close calls with big iron while flying my glider inside the mode C veils N of PHL and also W of EWR. In all 3 cases I'm convinced that my Trig TT21 was a lifesaver. All occurred at about 6,000 MSL.

On Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 11:55:43 AM UTC-7, John Carlyle wrote:
I've been in 3 close calls with big iron while flying my glider inside the mode C veils N of PHL and also W of EWR. In all 3 cases I'm convinced that my Trig TT21 was a lifesaver. All occurred at about 6,000 MSL.

There were several things that were impressed on me as a result of these encounters. First, it is absolutely amazing how quickly these aircraft close on you from the time you first see them. Second, being 500 feet under a 747 or 737 in a glider is absolutely terrifying! Third, it was very difficult for me as a private pilot to dig out the needed SID or STAR information from paper charts - the advent of the geo-referenced SkyVector charts is a real step forward.

Finally, don't count on having 500 feet separation. The legal variance on altitude encoders is +/- 125 feet, so you might be as close as 250 feet!

-John, Q3

In three occasions I've been close enough to a SW 737 to do a passenger count. Once probably close enough to pick them out of a lineup. Is that 500'? Closer? Hard to judge. All of these were on the north side of Reno. Since installing a transponder, nothing anywhere near that close - plenty of 737 vectored around me though, confirmed by listening to Norcal Approach. Transponders and ATC do work, if you give them a chance.