PowerFLARM questions

Will the PowerFLARM logger record pressure altitude, or only GPS
altitude? Will it record engine noise level?

On Oct 31, 12:33*pm, Greg Arnold wrote:
Will the PowerFLARM logger record pressure altitude, or only GPS
altitude? *Will it record engine noise level?

It *has* to record (cockpit ambient) pressure altitude to be an IGC
approved recorder, and it also has to record the GPS altitude as well
(if it has a GPS fix).

There is an ENL option for the PowerFLARM.


Darryl

On Oct 31, 12:33*pm, Greg Arnold wrote:
Will the PowerFLARM logger record pressure altitude, or only GPS
altitude? *Will it record engine noise level?

It *has* to record (cockpit ambient) pressure altitude to be an IGC
approved recorder, and it also has to record the GPS altitude as well
(if it has a GPS fix).

There is an ENL option for the PowerFLARM.


Darryl

On Oct 31, 12:44*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:

It *has* to record (cockpit ambient) pressure altitude to be an IGC
approved recorder, and it also has to record the GPS altitude as well
(if it has a GPS fix).

I thought new flight recorders were allowed, even required, to be
connected to a static port. This eliminates the differences between
the logger and the altimeter due to speed changes. Not sure when the
requirement changed but it has been discussed here before.

So the real question is will the blind PowerFLARM have a static
connection.

Andy

On Nov 1, 7:13*pm, Andy wrote:
On Oct 31, 12:44*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:



It *has* to record (cockpit ambient) pressure altitude to be an IGC
approved recorder, and it also has to record the GPS altitude as well
(if it has a GPS fix).

I thought new flight recorders were allowed, even required, to be
connected to a static port. *This eliminates the differences between
the logger and the altimeter due to speed changes. *Not sure when the
requirement changed but it has been discussed here before.

So the real question is will the blind PowerFLARM have a static
connection.

Andy

Andy

Opps you are right (my C302 bias showing) thanks for catching that -
the current IGC standards allow either. I'm not aware if any of the
other more recent flight recorder implementations do this - the C302
static port is not used for its flight recorder.

Personally I'm happy having cockpit ambient but it would be nice for a
PowerFLARM brick to come with a port suitable to connect with a static
line (even if that might not pass FAA muster...). You don't need to
connect it if you don't want to.

And so the original question's answer is yes still yes it has one but
the question has changed.

Urs....?

Darryl

Andy,

I know the EWMicro doesn't attach to the static port. I think it would be considered a "new" logger. So, it must not be "required."

Wayne
http://www.soaridaho.com/


"Andy" wrote in message ...
On Oct 31, 12:44 pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:

I thought new flight recorders were allowed, even required, to be
connected to a static port. This eliminates the differences between
the logger and the altimeter due to speed changes. Not sure when the
requirement changed but it has been discussed here before.

So the real question is will the blind PowerFLARM have a static
connection.

Andy

On Nov 1, 10:08*pm, "Wayne Paul" wrote:
Andy,

I know the EWMicro doesn't attach to the static port. *I think it would be considered a "new" logger. *So, it must not be "required."

Waynehttp://www.soaridaho.com/

"Andy" wrote in ...

On Oct 31, 12:44 pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:

I thought new flight recorders were allowed, even required, to be
connected to a static port. *This eliminates the differences between
the logger and the altimeter due to speed changes. *Not sure when the
requirement changed but it has been discussed here before.

So the real question is will the blind PowerFLARM have a static
connection.

Andy

I should have typed my last reply more carefully as well. It is
currently optional for a IGC flight recorder to use either cockpit
ambient or static if the flight recoder is for a fixed install. If it
a portable flight recorder it must use cockpit ambient. The EWMicro is
a portable so would not qualify anyhow.

So to be clear here is the current IGC flight recorder technical
specification language...

"Pressure Altitude - In a GNSS FR, this is a five numeric group
indicating the pressure altitude in metres with respect the
International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) used in aviation, to a sea
level datum of 1013.25 HPa. The pressure recorded in the *.IGC file
may either be "cockpit static" (vented within the FR box), or use a
tube connection to the pressure from glider instrument system static
tubing. If the pressure altitude signal within the FR is used for
other purposes such as cockpit instrument readings which can be set to
other datums such as QNH or QFE, a one-way transmission system must be
used from the sensor so that the IGC file always records the required
ISA to the 1013 sea level datum irrespective of other settings used
for flight instruments. The permitted use of instrument-static is
intended for a GNSS FR mounted in the instrument panel. With such an
installation, an OO as part of the inspection of the FR installation
must check the tubing and the pressure connection to the FR to ensure
that they will be out-of-reach of the aircrew in flight. This is to
prevent alteration to the IGC-file pressure altitude record by any
method. (AL4)"

The OO would also have to check for and seal any alt-static switches/
valves so they can't be used in flight.


Darryl

All this seems to be a very demanding requirement for official
observers.

Chris N

On Nov 2, 4:09*am, Chris Nicholas wrote:
*All this seems to be a very demanding requirement for official
observers.

Chris N

Yes this does increase the work for OO and contest CD in principle.
There are demanding requirements for the OO now depending on the
individual flight recorder approval--like possibly sealing the
recorder to the aircraft in some circumstances. How often do you think
OOs are 1. aware of these requirements for a particular flight
recorder approval and 2. follow them?

The trade-off is do you want to provide pilots with the option or an
IGC flight recorder pressure altitude that is sourced from the static
line (and therefore should line up after QNH calibration better with
their altimeter) or is the extra choice(=possible confusion)/
complexity/hassle not with it?

I'm not aware of any other vendor offeing this - does anybody know of
any. The LX 8000/9000 do not and the C302 does not - they all record
ambient pressure altitude. I just did a quick check and it looks like
the ability to use static line pressure altitude was introduced in the
GNSS Flight Recorder Technical Specifications AL4 ~2001 (not sure of
the exact adoption date - but it was *not* recent).

Darryl

On 11/2/2010 12:52 PM, Grider Pirate wrote:
I don't have FLARM, but I have a TT21 transponder. I WILL be talking
on 123.5 on the Whites!
Let me get this straight. FLARM uses GPS altitude. My transponder
uses Pressure altitude.
FLARM will see my transponder (assuming I'm interrogated) much as a
PCAS.
FLARM will look at its GPS altitude, and maybe not worry about me
because it thinks we have 1000' vertical separation. Too bad for us
if it's a smokin' day, and the tranponder pressure altitude show
16,800 when the GPS altitude shows 18,000!

B2016373615714N11540384WA 05179 05561 000076000000
B2016413615718N11540296WA 05202 05585 000072000000
(just an example of a 1,256 difference between pressure and GPS alt,
spaces added for clarity)

The difference between cabin and static is trivial compared to the
difference between pressure and GPS.


Also, we just learned that the altitude of other gliders displayed by
SeeYou for Flarm purposes is absolute, not relative. So we will be
comparing the GPS altitude of other gliders with the pressure altitude
on our altimeter. This seems like a problem.