Hi Debbie: I do not know if any studies have been done as to the visibility, but a strobe that is 12 long does put out more of a visual signature than a single point of light, as on most powered aircrat. Imagine, not a bright sky but running under a (dark developed )cloud street at 110 knot IAS at 17,000 ft with another glider flying in opposite direction, same speed. The Flarm goes off and so does the strobe, will that 12 inches of strobe give off enough to catch the eye of the other pilot? That strobe sure is bright, and I have had people tell me that it really stands out. It seems as if the 12 inches of strobe is much more visible than a single point of light.


On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 5:53:24 AM UTC-8, John Carlyle wrote:
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but in the previous discussion of glider strobes it was pointed out that battery powered strobes don't have the power to be conspicuous against a bright sky.

Even high-powered airliner strobes don't grab your attention during the day. There's a 737 that usually flies over my house at roughly 2,000 AGL. The plane itself is easy to see, but at closest approach his wing tip strobes are barely visible during the bright conditions typical of a soaring day.

-John, Q3