On Monday, November 16, 2020 at 7:19:41 PM UTC-8, Guy Acheson wrote:
OK...I am ready to get flamed.
I have flown with a PowerFlarm for several years.
False alarms. Searching frantically for aircraft that I just never see or do not exist.
Flying with a group, all with Flarm, and several do not show on my screen because they have carbon fuselages and antennas that are blocked.
Flying head to head with another Flarm aircraft and no display.
Having other pilots inform me that they saw my plane on their screens when I was not flying...multiple times!
The programing and configuration issues are just too much.
My system is updated and confirmed with and by experts.
But, most are not.
For me, it has not been a dependable, reliable, predictable piece of equipment.
My experiences in France have been much better.
My understanding is that those systems are overseen/verified/inspected by aircraft mechanics.
Here in the USA...the Flarm system mostly increases my anxiety and complicates my flying day.

One great thing about flarm is that it works even if you don’t know how to use it or confused by it. It is sufficient if only the other pilot knows. So I always tell the Luddite (no offense) to turn on their flarm and ignore it if they are not comfortable with it, and then spend some time in the winter learning it and improving it.

Regarding the question if there been midair’s without flarm. Well, the good news is that less and less people fly without flarm so there are less midairs also without flarm. Overall there are much less midairs, the only ones I recall either had inop flarms or happen in gaggles where flarm is no more effective than see and avoid.

Ramy