On Feb 16, 7:07*pm, RAS56 wrote:
I have a (err...only partially facetious) solution:

A new class at contests "Open IFR".

Coordinate with ATC, get them to grant you a piece of airspace with an
altitude block. Keeps the IFR/VFR traffic away. Hopefully, it will be
sparsely populated enough under the airspace to permit a light shower of
carbon fiber or fiberglass to occur without much complaint from the
populace residing there.

Let all the yahoo's who desire to cloud-fly have at it. Heck, you could
count on the "Big Sky" theory and even make FLARM optional for these
folks. Darwinism should make the problem smaller and smaller each
year...until extinction occurs.

Seriously, this debate simply reminds me of the old saw about closing
the gate after the cow has left the barn.

The technology is already here and not going away. It will be installed
in more and more hardware, not less. Going to Luddite phones and dumbing
down our panels will not stop the technological advance. The rules are
not enforced and are unenforceable, a situation which I understand, when
it occurs, promotes a public attitude of ignoring other rules and laws
as well. Anyone ever lived in an area where few traffic laws are
enforced? I rest my case.

To me, Andy Gough's post is spot on and exactly how this type of
behavior should be handled. "By their behavior, ye shall know
them"...and when you do "know them", you hammer 'em...DQ their day, kick
'em outta the contest, banning them from competition completely...throw
the stinkin' book at 'em.

If you think the uproar about this is big on the internet now....wait
till you get guys pulling a trailer a 1000 miles to compete and then get
told their results are invalid because of the cell phone they forgot to
leave on the ground, the PDA software version they didn't know they
weren't allowed to fly with or that their vario was a no-no.

I can't wait for the debate to begin when we get cockpit mounted
low-draw FLIR systems that can thermal-detect from 5 miles off
integrated into our FLARMs, varios, PDA's and PNA's. Somehow, I get the
feeling it will be a "Lather, Rinse, Repeat" of this topic with the
rules-makers trying to capture or contain the technology rather than
direct it's integration into soaring in a safe and positive way.

--
RAS56

If you were to look back 10 years or so, you would find that the RC
anticipated much of what has occurred and wrote the rules previously
shown to make it clear that these elements were not going to be
permitted. In fact the door was closed and the cow was outside. Then
along came some young bulls and tried to knock the door down. In
truth, I suspect that most of these folks honestly had no idea they
were outside the rules. They simply did not become aware of them.
As far as the debate about thermal finders- Read the rules. We have
made it quite clear that we will not permit them. This is, in part so
someone who bothers to read the rules and see how they might affect
the potential market, will see the barrier before they invest.
What are we going to do about phones? The RC is discussing this. We
understand pilots don't want to give up their phones.
That said, we will have to come up with a way to deal with this that
we all can live with. That includes the scorers who right now rely on
our no cloud flying rule so they have no task involving this. We can't
ask them to become cloud flying monitors. We have to ensure another
way that this is not happening.
But make no mistake- the RC can not outright permit the use of AH
equipment. As I said in an earlier message, the first midair resulting
or appearing to result from our allowing these devices would raise the
obvious question "why did you abandon a safety rule
that was in place for more than 40 years with no history of negative
consequences?".
All this said, we will continue to work this out and we are listening.
The fact that we do not accept the positions of some well meaning and
strongly believing people does not mean that we have not listened or
that they have not been heard.
The vast majority of pilots don't have equipment that would truely
infriinge on the intent of the rule. In my PERSONAL view, the presence
of a "modern" phone does not imply intent to cheat.
Be patient and we'll work this out. In the meantime understand that
the rules are set for 2012 so do what you can guys to avoid the
problem.
Hint- no AH displays on the panel. Phone off and in the pocket.
FWIW that is exactly what the pliots at the WGC in Uvalde are expected
to do.
UH