In terms of actual incidents, not opinions, I've only flown with FLARM since July. I've gotten several increasingly shrill warnings before I saw the gliders. All were in my blind spot behind. I'm not ready to label those "close calls" because the other pilots may have seen me. But it certainly enhanced my awareness of potential dangers.

I'm generally skeptical of gadgets that purport to improve safety marginally at great cost (and cynical of the glib question: "isn't your life worth more than [fill in the blank with whatever pricetag]?"). But after borrowing a PowerFLARM for one contest this year, I bought one.

No transponder.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.