Another midair in the pattern

Scott & Bob,
If we suck a glider through a jet at a unicom airport, mandatory
radios will be the least of our worries. Many 'uncontrilled' airports
are quite large with passenger carrying jets using them, Minden,
Truckee and Montague to list some in region11. Your so called 'right'
to enter the pattern at these airports without announcing your
presents,... stops with the passangers 'right' to arrive unscaved.
JJ

I am looking for a headset with a PTT set up for my hand held, one
cannot be too safe.

After a few close calls in thermals with other gliders I have also added
a parachute to my list of required items. *Most of the privately owned
glass ship pilots wear chutes, no reason why one in a rental should not.


Walt, I did the exact same thing. Having a glider start circling with
me in a thermal for the first time was both exciting and scary, and it
is startling how little time you have to spot traffic when approaching
head on. First thing I bought was a parachute, the 2nd thing I
bought was a radio, and the THIRD thing I bought was a pair of
polarized prescription sunglasses, for the exact same reasons you
mention. I haven't gotten to wear the parachute much because I have
always been with an instructor and it was an inconvenience, but now
that I have my glider license I will be wearing it every flight and
using my radio too even in the rentals.

Tom (helipilot)

Originally Posted by tstock

I am looking for a headset with a PTT set up for my hand held, one
cannot be too safe.

After a few close calls in thermals with other gliders I have also added
a parachute to my list of required items. *Most of the privately owned
glass ship pilots wear chutes, no reason why one in a rental should not.


Walt, I did the exact same thing. Having a glider start circling with
me in a thermal for the first time was both exciting and scary, and it
is startling how little time you have to spot traffic when approaching
head on. First thing I bought was a parachute, the 2nd thing I
bought was a radio, and the THIRD thing I bought was a pair of
polarized prescription sunglasses, for the exact same reasons you
mention. I haven't gotten to wear the parachute much because I have
always been with an instructor and it was an inconvenience, but now
that I have my glider license I will be wearing it every flight and
using my radio too even in the rentals.

Tom (helipilot)

Some interesting comments on this subject and while I see some are disturbed about the possibility of a mandate requiring radios it makes sense to acquire the technology that might help keep us alive. Our best warning system is our willingness to fly outside the cockpit and use our eyes. To that end I also purchased and wear an ASCENT audio vario. None of the rentals have audio varios and time spent looking at the needle means your are not looking outside where the danger lurks.

The original poster is right, some things just make sense and a radio makes sense. We are all potentially trying to occupy the same space at the same time and this just doesn't work. Seems that some contests will be requiring collision avoidance devices and when there are 60 gliders launching, flying and returning in quick succession, it just makes sense. There was a fatal accident at Uvalde recently, perhaps this would have helped. While I am not in favor of any more mandates than absolutely necessary the radio makes sense. Perhaps the SIXTH sense should be COMMON SENSE. JJ is right.

Walt

*First thing I bought was a parachute, *

Good point Tom,
I remember the G-102 flying at Truckee that was hit by a light
aircraft climbing out of the same airport. The prop would have cut the
boom off, only stopped when it came to the steel oxygen bottle! The
whole assend was soooo loose that elevator movement made it wiggle up
and down. But here is the best part of the story, the pilot didn't
have a parachute! Miraculously he was able to plunk it down safely in
the middle of the runway. To those who say, "flying is unsafe, deal
with it", Why not do all we can to improve our odds? Don't you hook
up your seat belt when driving? Don't you slow down when driving in
rain? Don't you announce your intensions when entering the pattern?
Don't you monitor 123.3 when thermalling with others? I do.
JJ

Your eyeballs are good but a traffic warning system will actually show
you how many planes you DIDN'T see. My power club recently got a DA40
with the G1000 and the traffic option. This one still uses the old
mode S TIS system (not TIS-B), but it has made me aware of other
planes I probably would never have spotted if I hadn't been alerted to
them. It's really nice to have an extra set of eyes out there.

Pete

At 01:07 15 January 2011, Walt Connelly wrote:

I am looking for a headset with a PTT set up for my hand held, one
cannot be too safe.

Actually, one *can* be too safe. If you really want to be safe with your
glider, leave it on the ground. Never fly it. That would be really,
really safe. But *too* safe, right?

Jim Beckman

Originally Posted by Jim Beckman[_2_]

At 01:07 15 January 2011, Walt Connelly wrote:

I am looking for a headset with a PTT set up for my hand held, one
cannot be too safe.

Actually, one *can* be too safe. If you really want to be safe with your
glider, leave it on the ground. Never fly it. That would be really,
really safe. But *too* safe, right?

Jim Beckman

Jim, everything is meant to be within reason. The PTT feature would give me one less thing to fiddle with in critical circumstances. PUlling the handheld from my pocket, holding it with one hand, usually my left while flying with the right can be cumbersome. The potential for dropping it is incurred each time it is employed which brings forth an added hazard. Each reduction in required manipulations allows for a greater safety margin. Sure, we could never leave the ground or for that matter never leave our house but that would defeat the purpose, would it not? We should always be looking for ways to reduce the hazard potential and I am always open to listen to new and intelligent ideas.

Walt

On Jan 15, 8:54*am, Walt Connelly Walt.Connelly.
wrote:
'Jim Beckman[_2_ Wrote:

;760006']At 01:07 15 January 2011, Walt Connelly wrote:-

I am looking for a headset with a PTT set up for my hand held, one
cannot be too safe.-

Actually, one *can* be too safe. *If you really want to be safe with
your
glider, leave it on the ground. *Never fly it. *That would be really,
really safe. *But *too* safe, right?

Jim Beckman

Jim, everything is meant to be within reason. *The PTT feature would
give me one less thing to fiddle with in critical circumstances. PUlling
the handheld from my pocket, holding it with one hand, usually my left
while flying with the right can be cumbersome. The potential for
dropping it is incurred each time it is employed which brings forth an
added hazard. * Each reduction in required manipulations allows for a
greater safety margin. *Sure, we could never leave the ground or for
that matter never leave our house but that would defeat the purpose,
would it not? *We should always be looking for ways to reduce the hazard
potential and I am always open to listen to new and intelligent ideas.

Walt

--
Walt Connelly

I clip my radio to my seat belt up near my shoulder. Problem is I
need my left hand to press the transmit button which eliminates the
possibility of holding the air brake lever as I am announcing my turn
to base and final.

I need a solution too

In article tstock writes:
On Jan 15, 8:54=A0am, Walt Connelly Walt.Connelly.
wrote:
'Jim Beckman[_2_ Wrote:

;760006']At 01:07 15 January 2011, Walt Connelly wrote:-

I am looking for a headset with a PTT set up for my hand held, one
cannot be too safe.-

Actually, one *can* be too safe. =A0If you really want to be safe with
your
glider, leave it on the ground. =A0Never fly it. =A0That would be reall=
y,
really safe. =A0But *too* safe, right?

Jim Beckman

Jim, everything is meant to be within reason. =A0The PTT feature would
give me one less thing to fiddle with in critical circumstances. PUlling
the handheld from my pocket, holding it with one hand, usually my left
while flying with the right can be cumbersome. The potential for
dropping it is incurred each time it is employed which brings forth an
added hazard. =A0 Each reduction in required manipulations allows for a
greater safety margin. =A0Sure, we could never leave the ground or for
that matter never leave our house but that would defeat the purpose,
would it not? =A0We should always be looking for ways to reduce the hazar=
d
potential and I am always open to listen to new and intelligent ideas.

Walt

--
Walt Connelly

I clip my radio to my seat belt up near my shoulder. Problem is I
need my left hand to press the transmit button which eliminates the
possibility of holding the air brake lever as I am announcing my turn
to base and final.

I need a solution too


Most of the radios (Icom, Yaesu/Vertex Standard) are from the same companies
that make amateur radio handhelds, which appear to use the same headsets.

It looks like some of the FRS/GMRS brands use headsets that match the Icom
radios. I saw a pair of lightweight headsets in a bag for $20 a while back.
(While I had a FRS radio that I thought would work with them, they didn't look
like they would work with my aircraft band or amateur radios.)

Some of the headsets have push to talk switches on the cord, some of the
makers have PTT adapter cords. Or, you can find how the push to talk connection
works (generally a resistor is involved) and build one. Then you could have
a convenient/comfortable PTT on the control stick.

Once that is done, the radio can be secured to the inside wall of the cockpit
with the antenna having a view out the canopy, and you have less chance of it
flying around in turbulence.


Alan

At 13:54 15 January 2011, Walt Connelly wrote:

Jim, everything is meant to be within reason. The PTT feature woul
give me one less thing to fiddle with in critical circumstances. PUllin
the handheld from my pocket, holding it with one hand, usually my lef
while flying with the right can be cumbersome. The potential fo
dropping it is incurred each time it is employed which brings forth a
added hazard.

Clip the handheld to your shoulder harness, right next to your
face. That's what I do when I use one.

Jim Beckman