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#1
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Can you see me now?
Today I took a step toward settling a question I've had for a long
time. After making sure the frequency was pretty empty, I went ahead and made the call: Me: Pitt Approach, Schweizer glider 34367. PA: Aircraft calling Pitt, say again call sign. Me: Pitt Approach, this is Schweizer glider 34367. PA: pause Glider 34367, go ahead. Me: Schweizer 34367 is five miles southeast of Washington County at six thousand one hundred. Just wondering, can you actually see me on your radar? It's something I've always wondered about. Our club's airport (Bandel, 22D) has a few of the house thermals just south of the approach course for the ILS 27 at Washington County (KAFJ). It's not a very busy airport, but they get a few King Airs and bizjets every day. If a couple of us came close, could approach even see a primary return from the glider and give advisories? (Of course they wouldn't have our altitude, but even so.) PA: bemused Hang on a second 367, let's have a look. PA: There you are, 367, looks like, are you more south-southeast of Washington County? Me: Pitt approach, 367, yeah, south-southeast is more accurate. Thanks! pause PA: Glider 367, are you heading westbound? Me: 367 is circling at my present position. Now I was in our club's lowly 2-33, which has that huge aluminum wing. Has anyone ever tried this in a sailplane that doesn't have any big metal parts? I'm not so sure they could see a glass ship... --Tom |
#2
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Our local ClassB approach control can readily spot our club 2-33 and 1-26,
also our Grob 103 and LS-4, primary radar only. I tend to listen up on the frequency when I'm up in "airliner altitudes", sometimes that can be as low as 7-8000ft MSL, I hear them call "traffic, suspected glider altitude unknown" to the airliners, and sure enough, it's me they are talking about. Once I even called them to report 4-6 gliders working the "ridge" between two fixed points at altitudes from 14K and below after watching about 4 airliners circumnavigate the ridge. He appreciated the call. BT wrote in message ups.com... Today I took a step toward settling a question I've had for a long time. After making sure the frequency was pretty empty, I went ahead and made the call: Me: Pitt Approach, Schweizer glider 34367. PA: Aircraft calling Pitt, say again call sign. Me: Pitt Approach, this is Schweizer glider 34367. PA: pause Glider 34367, go ahead. Me: Schweizer 34367 is five miles southeast of Washington County at six thousand one hundred. Just wondering, can you actually see me on your radar? It's something I've always wondered about. Our club's airport (Bandel, 22D) has a few of the house thermals just south of the approach course for the ILS 27 at Washington County (KAFJ). It's not a very busy airport, but they get a few King Airs and bizjets every day. If a couple of us came close, could approach even see a primary return from the glider and give advisories? (Of course they wouldn't have our altitude, but even so.) PA: bemused Hang on a second 367, let's have a look. PA: There you are, 367, looks like, are you more south-southeast of Washington County? Me: Pitt approach, 367, yeah, south-southeast is more accurate. Thanks! pause PA: Glider 367, are you heading westbound? Me: 367 is circling at my present position. Now I was in our club's lowly 2-33, which has that huge aluminum wing. Has anyone ever tried this in a sailplane that doesn't have any big metal parts? I'm not so sure they could see a glass ship... --Tom |
#3
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Flying out of Minden, NV, we are in Reno Approach's area. They have assigned
all glider traffic the VFR transponder code 0440, so they know that it's a glider and they have the altitude to. Of course a transponder squawk doesn't get lost in the clutter as a primary return can. Bottom line, if you want to be seen by ATC and aircraft with TCAS, and especially if you fly where the heavy iron does, consider installing a transponder. all the best, bumper "BTIZ" wrote in message news:M_PSe.8279$ct5.6666@fed1read04... Our local ClassB approach control can readily spot our club 2-33 and 1-26, also our Grob 103 and LS-4, primary radar only. I tend to listen up on the frequency when I'm up in "airliner altitudes", sometimes that can be as low as 7-8000ft MSL, I hear them call "traffic, suspected glider altitude unknown" to the airliners, and sure enough, it's me they are talking about. Once I even called them to report 4-6 gliders working the "ridge" between two fixed points at altitudes from 14K and below after watching about 4 airliners circumnavigate the ridge. He appreciated the call. BT wrote in message ups.com... Today I took a step toward settling a question I've had for a long time. After making sure the frequency was pretty empty, I went ahead and made the call: Me: Pitt Approach, Schweizer glider 34367. PA: Aircraft calling Pitt, say again call sign. Me: Pitt Approach, this is Schweizer glider 34367. PA: pause Glider 34367, go ahead. Me: Schweizer 34367 is five miles southeast of Washington County at six thousand one hundred. Just wondering, can you actually see me on your radar? It's something I've always wondered about. Our club's airport (Bandel, 22D) has a few of the house thermals just south of the approach course for the ILS 27 at Washington County (KAFJ). It's not a very busy airport, but they get a few King Airs and bizjets every day. If a couple of us came close, could approach even see a primary return from the glider and give advisories? (Of course they wouldn't have our altitude, but even so.) PA: bemused Hang on a second 367, let's have a look. PA: There you are, 367, looks like, are you more south-southeast of Washington County? Me: Pitt approach, 367, yeah, south-southeast is more accurate. Thanks! pause PA: Glider 367, are you heading westbound? Me: 367 is circling at my present position. Now I was in our club's lowly 2-33, which has that huge aluminum wing. Has anyone ever tried this in a sailplane that doesn't have any big metal parts? I'm not so sure they could see a glass ship... --Tom |
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#5
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Yes primary radar can see glass ships. The metal push rods provide a
visible return. I once enjoyed having Tucson approach vector airliners round me while I climbed on the edge of their class C airspace. That was in an ASW 19. The radar can be set to reject slow primary targets so they may not see you if they are not looking for you. Being a possible primary target won't give you much protection though unless you are talking to ATC. At best conflicting traffic will get a report of "traffic 12 o'clock slow moving altitude unknown". You will be invisible to TCAS. |
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