"Guy Acheson" wrote in message
...
All this talk about FLARM and other alternatives to
a transponder in the USA is just so much wasted energy.
The fact is that transponders are the established
aircraft identification system in the USA and all anti-collision
systems in the USA work off of this system.


Guy,

What you're saying is correct, as far as it goes. I fly at Minden with both
a transponder and TPAS in my glider because I value my butt and think it's
the responsible thing to do. However, transponders leave big gaps in
coverage, as in areas with no ATC interrogation and only rare TCAS
interrogation. This xponder shortcoming is even larger as not all aircraft
have transponders. Thus transponders will continue to represent only a
partial and interim solution. As ATC decommissions their radar systems,
assuming they do in favor of ADS-B, then transponders will become about as
useful as the NDB receiver in my Mooney.

Okay, it's a given that transponders and maybe TPAS is the best option we
have right now. But as the prior discussion covers (which I don't think is
"so much wasted energy") there can and probably will be better solutions in
the future. In the US, this will likely be based on ADS-B or some version of
that. I just hope they pay attention to the needs of gliders and
non-electrical system classic aircraft when that, slow in coming, time
comes.

--
bumper ZZ (reverse all after @)
"Dare to be different . . . circle in sink."
Quiet Vent kit & MKII yaw string