On Oct 11, 3:03*am, Andy wrote:
Pilots who have participated in a recent SSA Sanctioned contest are
being polled in an attempt to persuade the rules committee to adopt a
MIRA (Mandatory if Rentals Available) rule for 2011 SSA sanctioned
contests.

The proposed rule will require all contestants to submit, after each
contest flight, a FLARM log that shows the unit was operational and
calls for application of rule 12.2.5.1 if a log is not produced.

Rule 12.2.5.1 deals with unsafe operation and has a maximum penalty of
disqualification from the contest. *It is my understanding that this
rule is intended to address unsafe actions by a pilot. *Unless the
FLARM log is not available because the pilot deliberately chose not to
fly with an enabled FLARM, then linking this rule to FLARM is
inappropriate.

Any proposed rule that seeks to make use of FLARM mandatory must also
consider carefully what happens if a contestant's FLARM fails after
the contest has started.

What happens if a FLARM fails in flight and a complete post flight
FLARM log cannot be produced. Will the contestant's flight be invalid?

A FLARM is a radio and needs the aerial positioned in a good place to
work correctly. This is tricky in a carbon glider. The performance of
FLARM varies widely depending on the aerial. What level of performance
is going to be acceptable? How will it be tested? If the only test is
the nice radio range analysis on the FLARM website, how will a US
pilot find a gaggle of FLARM equiped gliders to fly with to generate a
suitable log before the contest? This is even harder for the renter.

Making FLARM mandatory will be a can of worms.

Phil Plane