On 2/8/2010 1:14 AM, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Mike Schumann wrote:

From the description the Cirrus pilot was just not looking and in
effect just walked
out into the road without looking to see whether a car was coming. I
don't
want to be insensitive to the family of the Cirrus pilot, but the
fault was his
and not the fact that glider activity was present. In my experience,
many IFR pilots
just don't look out for VFR traffic and expect ATC to keep them clear
of ALL traffic.
Is that stressed enough in IFR training? ( I know this is before any
NTSB ruling
and is based on hearsay evidence only.)
The reality is that other aircraft are difficult to see, even if you
know where to look. What is very frustrating is that affordable ADS-B
technology exists that could have prevented this accident.
Unfortunately commercialization is being delayed by the FAA's
obsession with IFR ADS-B applications, while certification standards
for low cost VFR devices are on the back burner.
And $500 PCAS units have been for sale for several years. I wonder if a
PCAS in one or more of the aircraft involved would have averted the
accident.
- -

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA * Change "netto" to "net" to
email me directly

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org
The $500 PCAS units don't give you the same situational awareness that
you get with ADS-B. It helps, but it doesn't give you any directional
data on where the threat is, just range and altitude. The more
expensive unit is better, telling you what quadrant the threat is in.
An ADS-B unit will tell you within 100 ft where the other planes are.

Mike Schumann

--
Mike Schumann