"Kirk Stant" wrote in message
om...
Most of the time, the Mk 1 Mod 0 Eyeball works fine - IF you can look in the
direction of the threat. Fine during thermalling (plus you are easy to see,
assuming the other guy is also looking out...). . . .
__________________________________________________ __________________________
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Some background on the original question . . . Between 1982 and 2003, there
were, according to the NTSB, ca. 400 MACs in the United States, of which 18
involved gliders, of which 10 - count'em - ten - were glider/glider in a
thermal!* There were others that were not reported.** Two more were
glider/glider in the pattern. We're not doing such a good job of
see-and-avoid even in the situation(s) where see-and-avoid is the ONLY
practical way to avoid a MAC. B U T . . . .

The ORIGINAL question, about TPAS/TCAD, was focussed on trying to get a
better grip on the risk of MACs which are not all that obvious from the
historical record, but which loom menacingly over the horizon - e.g., with
an airliner (TCAS equipped) or other large (transponder equipped) airplane
(or, in the latter case, maybe even a glider). These are instances where
see-and-avoid is not really working and is not going to work (e.g., the
airliner coming up on your six, which HAS led to NMACs.). There's a growing
list of anecdotally reported MACs between airliners and/or military aircraft
and gliders.

So, anyone know of a pilot who's actually installed or used a TCAD unit in a
glider? (Or a TPAS, for that matter . . .)

Jim Kellett, Resident Curmudgeon
Chief Flight Instructor, Skyline Soaring Club
Captain and CFI(G), Civil Air Patrol
Chairman, Classic Division, Vintage Sailplane Association
Webmaster, Open Cirrus Website
"If Flying Were the Language of Man, Soaring Would be its Poetry"



* Query on the downloaded NTSB accident database.
** Personal communication