Gear warnings

Two thoughts.

Stick shakers can be made with the little vibrator motors from cell phones
or pagers. They come in a wide range of sizes. Electronic parts suppliers
sell them for a few dollars.

The other thought is from a guy I knew who rented Mooneys and, like you,
suffered from renter pilots who forget the rollers. His solution was to add
skids to the belly. The engine and prop still suffered but the airframe
didn't so he could get the airplane back on revenue status in a few days.

Adding a light, tough HMWPE plastic skid to a glider would save the
fiberglass. Sacrificing $10 worth of HMWPE is better than $4000 worth of
gelcoat and fiberglass and replacing it would be an hour job. A skid two
inches wide and .5" thick should do the job and it wouldn't weigh more than
a couple of pounds.

Bill D


"fred" wrote in message
...
I have paid out of my pocket for several gear up landings by renter
pilots. I know they have the best intent. Rather than require more
insurance, I would prefer a better warning system.
Since I can not hear most warning horns (old ears) I would like to
have a stick vibrator, ( maybe that is off the shelf) a big flashing
light or an explosion. My wallet hurts, and teaching USTALL doesn't
seem to work.
Of all the students I have personally taught, I am the first...Yea,
Me. I landed on the belly while my passenger was having a panic
attack. Maybe the explosion would have gotten my attention.
For me, this is a serious request. Air brake handle markers have been
tried, but the renter pilot seems to forget to install them.
Please also tell me how to get my instructors to teach traffic
scanning. A friend and I had to take a shower and clean up both seats
yesterday. Four eyes, both activically scanning, gave a brief moment
that allowed a close encounter rather than planting a lot of glass
below.
They are very nice people and I love them, so maybe some words to me
would help keep my friends and me both flying.
Fred R.