SSA petition to allow transponder to be turned off

It's on the Home page (www.ssa.org), second item. Or go directly to the
link at:

http://www.ssa.org/ListNewsArticleDtl.asp?id=389

I also feel a lot safer with the transponder on, even over our little
airport, because the airliners are sometimes vectored right over it, and
they've been surprised a few times to discover a glider there. In Minden
and southern California, I'm very pleased to have one. The power drain
is low enough for almost any glider now, but the ~$2000 is still a
problem for a lot of people.

Martin Hellman wrote:

Eric Greenwell wrote in message ...

Check out the SSA website for the complete info on this petition, and
consider commenting to the FAA (comments due by March 1, via web site,
mail, fax, "eRulemaking portal"):

SSA Transponder Petition Published
By Dennis Wright
Posted Thursday, February 19, 2004 ...


Eric,

Where is it? I went to the SSA web site and did several searches, such
as "faa transponder petition", and found nothing. Thanks for pointing
this out as I think the current rule may add to discouraging glider
pilots from installing transponders, even though many areas, such as
Minden, would really benefit from them. I'm lucky in that I have
plenty of battery power, solar cells (2 amps worth) and a solid state
Becker xponder that doesn't draw much, so I am able to abide by the
rule. But most gliders couldn't and it's clearly much better for them
to have transponders on in high traffic areas than never. Along the
same lines, I'd love to see a rule that would allow gliders to install
transponders without a 337. That's another rule that is way over-used.
When I changed my German altimeter for an American made one, I needed
a 337! Unscrewing three screws, pulling out an altimeter, putting in
another, and rescrewing three screws is a major modification to
airframe??

Anything we can do to get transponders in more gliders is a plus. When
flying in the Minden area and listening to Reno approach on a busy
day. I've heard things like:

"Southwest 123, descend to one zero thousand, targets at 2 o'clock ten
miles, 12 thousand feet, and a swarm of targets, altitudes unknown,
from 10 o'clock to 3 o'clock. Presumed gliders."

Makes me really happy I'm squawking. I realize I'm lucky to be able to
afford the setup I have and rules changes like this would help
increase transponder usage for a greater number of people who are on
more limited budgets.

Martin

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA