PowerFlarm at Region 9 Contest

Here's a brief review of my experience with PowerFlarm at last week's Region 9 contest in Moriarty.

As some of you know, I've been a bit annoyed with some of my PowerFlarm experience - setup isn't really intuitive and it's hard to find all the info you need in the manual. The antennas are cheesy and mounting them effectively is tough - I ended up with a setup that looked like a bomb sight from Dambusters!

Having said all that, I got it up and running and had my first flights during the contest. It works extremely well and in four contest days I got three alarms of imminent conflict that I took action to avoid. One of them really caught my attention as my cockpit view was filled with a glider crossing my path! I'm now an enthusiast!

A second major value was the information about gliders in your vicinity. It really, really, helps a pilot with situational awareness of where everyone is and this definitely helps to avoid conflict.

The Butterfly display works well and with Flarmnet data gives you the contest numbers of the gliders located (hence its value as a leeching tool). Its audio, however, is totally inadequate - especially for a half-deaf old geezer in a noisy cockpit. Some PDAs and PNAs also give you better presentation of the data.

During the contest, we had one very close mid-air (6 feet) with two gliders that were not Flarm equipped and that would likely have been avoided if they were. I hate making proprietary equipment compulsory, but I have to say that I am leaning that way for PowerFlarm for contests in the USA.

Some pilots whined that being able to see other gliders and their climb rates would forever change the way we fly contests and this may be true. This will not be the last we hear of this topic!

Mike (WA)

"Compulsory" for contests - fine with me since I don't fly in contests, but
you'll never get me to install one.

I'd much rather have ATC keeping power traffic, e.g., airliners, away from
me than seeing other gliders in my vicinity. My Mode-S Trig TT-22 does a
fine job of that; I haven't seen an airliner up close in over 200 hours of
flying since installing it. I saw plenty of them before that. Flim-Flarm
won't do that.

Dan


"Mike the Strike" wrote in message
...
Here's a brief review of my experience with PowerFlarm at last week's Region
9 contest in Moriarty.

As some of you know, I've been a bit annoyed with some of my PowerFlarm
experience - setup isn't really intuitive and it's hard to find all the info
you need in the manual. The antennas are cheesy and mounting them
effectively is tough - I ended up with a setup that looked like a bomb sight
from Dambusters!

Having said all that, I got it up and running and had my first flights
during the contest. It works extremely well and in four contest days I got
three alarms of imminent conflict that I took action to avoid. One of them
really caught my attention as my cockpit view was filled with a glider
crossing my path! I'm now an enthusiast!

A second major value was the information about gliders in your vicinity. It
really, really, helps a pilot with situational awareness of where everyone
is and this definitely helps to avoid conflict.

The Butterfly display works well and with Flarmnet data gives you the
contest numbers of the gliders located (hence its value as a leeching tool).
Its audio, however, is totally inadequate - especially for a half-deaf old
geezer in a noisy cockpit. Some PDAs and PNAs also give you better
presentation of the data.

During the contest, we had one very close mid-air (6 feet) with two gliders
that were not Flarm equipped and that would likely have been avoided if they
were. I hate making proprietary equipment compulsory, but I have to say
that I am leaning that way for PowerFlarm for contests in the USA.

Some pilots whined that being able to see other gliders and their climb
rates would forever change the way we fly contests and this may be true.
This will not be the last we hear of this topic!

Mike (WA)

Might be too little information too late since you already have spent the money on the Butterfly, but the LXNav Flarmview is really quite good. I have it connected to a portable unit for my primary display in the front seat.

The audio is not lacking in any way shape or form. It's almost too loud. I haven't actually tried to adjust the volume, I think that may be an option, but you could hear it just fine in a 2-33 at 60knots.

It's a bit cheaper than the Butterfly displays and it works great with polarized glasses. I'm really happy with it so far. A few usability quirks, but for the job it is supposed to do it works great. The configuration and manual leave a little to be desired as well, but like most things it is all firmware so I am confident those idiosyncrasies will get worked out in time..

I second Dan's opinion that a transponder is really the preferred safety device if you fly in airspace with big metal. For me it isn't an either/or for Flarm/Transponder. Both is the right choice.


Morgan


On Monday, June 10, 2013 7:30:54 AM UTC-7, Mike the Strike wrote:
Here's a brief review of my experience with PowerFlarm at last week's Region 9 contest in Moriarty.



As some of you know, I've been a bit annoyed with some of my PowerFlarm experience - setup isn't really intuitive and it's hard to find all the info you need in the manual. The antennas are cheesy and mounting them effectively is tough - I ended up with a setup that looked like a bomb sight from Dambusters!



Having said all that, I got it up and running and had my first flights during the contest. It works extremely well and in four contest days I got three alarms of imminent conflict that I took action to avoid. One of them really caught my attention as my cockpit view was filled with a glider crossing my path! I'm now an enthusiast!



A second major value was the information about gliders in your vicinity. It really, really, helps a pilot with situational awareness of where everyone is and this definitely helps to avoid conflict.



The Butterfly display works well and with Flarmnet data gives you the contest numbers of the gliders located (hence its value as a leeching tool). Its audio, however, is totally inadequate - especially for a half-deaf old geezer in a noisy cockpit. Some PDAs and PNAs also give you better presentation of the data.



During the contest, we had one very close mid-air (6 feet) with two gliders that were not Flarm equipped and that would likely have been avoided if they were. I hate making proprietary equipment compulsory, but I have to say that I am leaning that way for PowerFlarm for contests in the USA.



Some pilots whined that being able to see other gliders and their climb rates would forever change the way we fly contests and this may be true. This will not be the last we hear of this topic!



Mike (WA)

I've had a transponder for eight years. What it doesn't do is keep away general aviation and some military - I have had close-up views of a few light twins in the past couple of years. Some sort of PCAS device will help with this.

If you are flying with more than a handful of gliders, Flarm is very useful. For fun flying, perhaps not so much, but for team flying and contests it's a great tool.

I've already heard about the superiority of LX Flarmview, but the Butterfly display came with my core unit.

Mike

I can see that if you fly with a bunch of gliders Flarm can be a big help.
I'm mystified about about the close encounters with military and GA aircraft
unless you're operating in an area with little to no radar coverage, VFR
fliers, MOAs, oil burner routes, etc. I used to have to make position
reports while flying IFR in the Albuquerque to Cortez, CO area since there
was no radar coverage (this was several years back), but I haven't done that
in some time and I don't know about coverage there now.

Since installing my transponder I've seen it replying on the ground at
Moriarty and in the air many miles east and down low.

As they may have briefed at the pilot's meetings, we have an arrival
corridor pretty much overhead and sometimes airliners come over at 12,000'
MSL (6,000 AGL), and, I understand that ATC held them above 18,000' MSL for
the duration of the contest. Before installing my transponder, I saw many
airliners, C-130s, big twins, etc. closer than I would have liked. I even
heard a few engines. A Flarm would have provided no warning against those.
Since installing the transponder, I never see military or airline aircraft
closer than 5 miles or a couple thousand feet vertically. Neither Flarm nor
transponder will protect against VFR aircraft not in contact with ATC. PCAS
might work for that, however.


"Mike the Strike" wrote in message
...
I've had a transponder for eight years. What it doesn't do is keep away
general aviation and some military - I have had close-up views of a few
light twins in the past couple of years. Some sort of PCAS device will
help with this.

If you are flying with more than a handful of gliders, Flarm is very
useful. For fun flying, perhaps not so much, but for team flying and
contests it's a great tool.

I've already heard about the superiority of LX Flarmview, but the
Butterfly display came with my core unit.

Mike

On Monday, June 10, 2013 8:53:21 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Neither Flarm nor

transponder will protect against VFR aircraft not in contact with ATC. PCAS

might work for that, however.




I was under the impression that PowerFlarm (not Flarm) did that since it receives Mode C replies. Is that not the case?

On Monday, June 10, 2013 9:39:26 AM UTC-7, jfitch wrote:
On Monday, June 10, 2013 8:53:21 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:

Neither Flarm nor



transponder will protect against VFR aircraft not in contact with ATC. PCAS



might work for that, however.









I was under the impression that PowerFlarm (not Flarm) did that since it receives Mode C replies. Is that not the case?

Yes, but I was replying to Dan who doesn't want a Flarm. We have lots of aviation traffic going to small airfields that are not in contact with ATC. Single-engine stuff is usually low down, but twins are often coming in from a destination further away and descend through airspace near the gliderport. They never seem to be looking out of their windows and won't be aware of me unless they too have a PCAS.


Mike

On Monday, June 10, 2013 10:06:24 AM UTC-7, Mike the Strike wrote:
On Monday, June 10, 2013 9:39:26 AM UTC-7, jfitch wrote:

On Monday, June 10, 2013 8:53:21 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:



Neither Flarm nor







transponder will protect against VFR aircraft not in contact with ATC.. PCAS







might work for that, however.



















I was under the impression that PowerFlarm (not Flarm) did that since it receives Mode C replies. Is that not the case?



Yes, but I was replying to Dan who doesn't want a Flarm. We have lots of aviation traffic going to small airfields that are not in contact with ATC.. Single-engine stuff is usually low down, but twins are often coming in from a destination further away and descend through airspace near the gliderport. They never seem to be looking out of their windows and won't be aware of me unless they too have a PCAS.





Mike

Every now and then the argument of flarm vs transponder will come up. This is like comparing apples to oranges. These are not alternative solutions. Each has different purpose and each solution is highly desirable depend on where you fly. Dan flies out of Moriarty so obviously both are desired. Sooner or later those who insist on never installing a flarm will find themselves less popular among their flying buddies who went through the trouble of installing. You may hear on the radio "watch out for a bozo flying around without flarm". My message to those who can afford a powerflarm but don't think they need it: Install one anyway and turn the display off if you want. At least we will be able to see and avoid you. You may never know that it saved your butt.

Ramy

On Monday, June 10, 2013 12:15:16 PM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:
Sooner or later those who insist on never installing a flarm will find themselves less popular among their flying buddies who went through the trouble of installing. You may hear on the radio "watch out for a bozo flying around without flarm". My message to those who can afford a powerflarm but don't think they need it: Install one anyway and turn the display off if you want. At least we will be able to see and avoid you. You may never know that it saved your butt.

Ramy
__________________

Amen Ramy - I was sympathetic to the rationalizing by those who didn't fly with PowerFlarm or Transponders - until I got both. Both arguments are exactly the same - just focused on different traffic types. That argument is: "big sky, little glider, I don't need it".

You correctly point out the big cultural difference between the two - a transponder protect you and airline passengers, PowerFlarm protects you and your soaring buddies. I care that you don't run into an airliner, but it's an intellectual exercise. I care that you don't run into me because it's personal.

Lacking a PowerFlarm is becoming the path to being a pariah at contests. I see it being taken up at commercial operations too and I suspect the more active clubs are adopting. We'll see how long the diehard opponents last.

9B

Yes, but you can't get out of the way of an airliner - you're a stationary
target at his speed. And, if you have a Flarm only and not a transponder,
the airliner won't see you.


"jfitch" wrote in message
...
On Monday, June 10, 2013 8:53:21 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Neither Flarm nor

transponder will protect against VFR aircraft not in contact with ATC.
PCAS

might work for that, however.




I was under the impression that PowerFlarm (not Flarm) did that since it
receives Mode C replies. Is that not the case?