Gear Warning

Paul,

Any of the big electronics suppliers would have them (.com any of the
names below).

Digikey
Newark
Mouser
Jameco

All have good websites and good service.

If you like the garage sale approach I love All Electronics
(allelectronics.com).

Tim

One problem with a recorded voice is that it sounds
like background radio chatter and your brain filters
it out (or at least mine does)
Our CFI discovered this the hard way in our brand new
DG1000. luckily landed on soft grass so no damage.

Incidentally the BGA in the UK does not reccomend an
undercarriage warning buzzer.

When focussing on tasks, the human brain filters out signals it decides
are extraneous to the task on hand. This is what causes many vehicle
accidents where people fail to see objects. They are seen, but not
processed in higher areas of the brain.

Exactly the same can happen with audible warnings - they are heard but
not processed.

I had a glider colleague who was famous for gear-up landings and who
had the loudest and most obnoxious gear warning klaxon installed. One
day, we saw him descending on final with the warning blaring, clearly
audible from a hundred yards away. He then proceeded to land gear up,
as usual.

I prefer check lists, but must note I have seen another colleague
return from a flight with gear extended then retract it on final as he
went through his pre-landing checks!

I have yet to land gear up but presume it could happen if I am
distracted or in a hurry.

Mike

Nigel Pocock wrote:

Incidentally the BGA in the UK does not reccomend an
undercarriage warning buzzer.

As a pilot that has avoided 3 gear up landings because I had a warning
buzzer, I'm curious about the reasoning behind the recommendation.

How about a mechanical warning, like I use on my present glider? It's a
small spring-loaded plastic clamp that is on the gear handle when the
gear is down, then moved to the spoiler handle just before raising the
gear. The clamp location is reversed for landing.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Nigel Pocock wrote:

One problem with a recorded voice is that it sounds
like background radio chatter and your brain filters
it out (or at least mine does)

If it was your voice, or your wife's voice, on the recording, do you
think you would still filter it out? The Tasman unit allows any voice
and message. Maybe a former glider instructor (or for the ex-military, a
former drill instructor)?

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

In the current, Fifteenth Edition of Laws and Rules for Glider Pilots of
April 2005 published by the BGA
http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/doc...ion15final.pdf
in Part 3 Recommended Practices RP26 on page 58 states: -

"UNDERCARRIAGE WARNING SYSTEMS

"RP26. The fitting of systems that warn the pilot of a glider that the
undercarriage is not lowered during the landing approach IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
This is because if such a system is fitted and is activated then the pilot
is likely to attempt to lower the undercarriage during the final stages of
landing. This could result in mishandling the aircraft, so causing an
accident.

"It is also recommended that if the glider is seen on the approach wheel-up,
no attempt is made to warn that pilot, using radio or other means, for the
same reason. The pilot should be allowed to land wheels-up."

I understand that this recommendation was made after accidents where the
warning was considered to be the cause.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.


"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...

Nigel Pocock wrote:

Incidentally the BGA in the UK does not recommend an
undercarriage warning buzzer.

As a pilot that has avoided 3 gear up landings because I had a warning
buzzer, I'm curious about the reasoning behind the recommendation.

snip

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Mike the Strike wrote:
I prefer check lists, but must note I have seen another colleague
return from a flight with gear extended then retract it on final as he
went through his pre-landing checks!

Same thing happened to me on my first flight in the first glider I
owned. On pattern entry I went through my pre-landing checklist,
operated the gear handle, opened the spoilers, then heard a load beeping
noise. Closed the spoilers, beeping stopped. It took a fair bit of
contemplation to recognize that the glider might have a gear warning
system. A quick glance at the gear position symbols allowed me to solve
the mystery while still plenty high. I must have forgotten to retract
the gear after release...

Marc

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). wrote:
"RP26. The fitting of systems that warn the pilot of a glider that the
undercarriage is not lowered during the landing approach IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
This is because if such a system is fitted and is activated then the pilot
is likely to attempt to lower the undercarriage during the final stages of
landing. This could result in mishandling the aircraft, so causing an
accident.

You guys don't routinely do a test opening of the spoilers on pattern
entry?

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.). wrote:
In the current, Fifteenth Edition of Laws and Rules for Glider Pilots of
April 2005 published by the BGA
http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/doc...ion15final.pdf
in Part 3 Recommended Practices RP26 on page 58 states: -

"UNDERCARRIAGE WARNING SYSTEMS

"RP26. The fitting of systems that warn the pilot of a glider that the
undercarriage is not lowered during the landing approach IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
This is because if such a system is fitted and is activated then the pilot
is likely to attempt to lower the undercarriage during the final stages of
landing. This could result in mishandling the aircraft, so causing an
accident.

"It is also recommended that if the glider is seen on the approach wheel-up,
no attempt is made to warn that pilot, using radio or other means, for the
same reason. The pilot should be allowed to land wheels-up."

I understand that this recommendation was made after accidents where the
warning was considered to be the cause.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
Remove "ic" to reply.


"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...

Nigel Pocock wrote:


Incidentally the BGA in the UK does not recommend an
undercarriage warning buzzer.

As a pilot that has avoided 3 gear up landings because I had a warning
buzzer, I'm curious about the reasoning behind the recommendation.

snip

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA






So does the BGA recommend to use a pre-landing checklist where the
spoilers are checked? If the spoilers are checked early in the pattern
then the logic regarding gear warning systems is not very logical.

"Eric Greenwell" wrote in message
...
Nigel Pocock wrote:

One problem with a recorded voice is that it sounds
like background radio chatter and your brain filters
it out (or at least mine does)

If it was your voice, or your wife's voice, on the recording, do you
think you would still filter it out? The Tasman unit allows any voice
and message. Maybe a former glider instructor (or for the ex-military, a
former drill instructor)?

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Try: http://www.research.att.com/projects/tts/demo.html

Type in whatever message you want, choose the gender and accent of the
synthetic voice and download the .wav file. A sexy female voice gets my
attention.

As the gadget makers are now involved, I have a request. How about a small
box containing a multi-input, line-in, fixed volume, audio mixer with
amplifier and decent speaker powered by the ships battery. This box would
have an array of 3mm jacks to receive the audio from the varios, PDA, radio,
and other gadgets that output audio and play them all through the same
speaker. Maybe it should fit in a 57mm instrument hole. I think this would
simplify wiring and improve audio quality.

Bill Daniels