The near mid-air at the Region 9 contest

In article ,
Brad wrote:

We're the pilots talking to each other on the radio?

I've only flown in 1 contest, but if I recall radio "chatter" was frowned
upon.

thanks,
Brad

(who has PowerFlarm and loves it)

"Barking dogs" as Spratt called them, are definitely frowned upon.
However, radio calls in the service of safety are definitely encouraged
by the rules as well as popular opinion. "WB, I'm at your 7 o'clock and
turning inside..." type calls are more than welcome.

About 10 years ago I had s mid-air collision on thermal entry. Happily, neither of us was hurt; we both came down safely on parachutes. If we had both had working Flarms (not available back then) the collision would not have occurred. So I think Flarm/Powerflarm is A GOOD THING.

I have slight reservations about this idea of using rental units at comps. I think you get used to using Flarm over time - the first time I experienced a Flarm warning I jumped out of my skin. And you get used to using it as an aid to scan rather than a distraction from it. Really, it would be better to do that not in a comp environment. And you have to work out how to fix and power the unit safely in your plane.

Mark Burton
London Gliding Club, Dunstable, UK (where Flarm is being adopted quite rapidly by the cross-country community, but it is not compulsory for any type of flying - and Powerflarm and transponders are both very uncommon)

On Thursday, 20 June 2013 19:41:55 UTC+1, WB wrote:
In article ,

Brad wrote:



We're the pilots talking to each other on the radio?



I've only flown in 1 contest, but if I recall radio "chatter" was frowned

upon.



thanks,

Brad



(who has PowerFlarm and loves it)



"Barking dogs" as Spratt called them, are definitely frowned upon.

However, radio calls in the service of safety are definitely encouraged

by the rules as well as popular opinion. "WB, I'm at your 7 o'clock and

turning inside..." type calls are more than welcome.

On Thursday, June 20, 2013 5:36:45 PM UTC-7, waremark wrote:
About 10 years ago I had s mid-air collision on thermal entry. Happily, neither of us was hurt; we both came down safely on parachutes. If we had both had working Flarms (not available back then) the collision would not have occurred. So I think Flarm/Powerflarm is A GOOD THING.



I have slight reservations about this idea of using rental units at comps.. I think you get used to using Flarm over time - the first time I experienced a Flarm warning I jumped out of my skin. And you get used to using it as an aid to scan rather than a distraction from it. Really, it would be better to do that not in a comp environment. And you have to work out how to fix and power the unit safely in your plane.



Mark Burton

London Gliding Club, Dunstable, UK (where Flarm is being adopted quite rapidly by the cross-country community, but it is not compulsory for any type of flying - and Powerflarm and transponders are both very uncommon)



On Thursday, 20 June 2013 19:41:55 UTC+1, WB wrote:

In article ,



Brad wrote:







We're the pilots talking to each other on the radio?







I've only flown in 1 contest, but if I recall radio "chatter" was frowned



upon.







thanks,



Brad







(who has PowerFlarm and loves it)







"Barking dogs" as Spratt called them, are definitely frowned upon.



However, radio calls in the service of safety are definitely encouraged



by the rules as well as popular opinion. "WB, I'm at your 7 o'clock and



turning inside..." type calls are more than welcome.

One thing worth pointing, that even if someone is totally unfamiliar with how to use the unit, just turning it on and ignoring it or even turning down the volume, may be sufficient since it will still warn others.

Ramy

On Thursday, June 20, 2013 5:42:18 PM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:

One thing worth pointing, that even if someone is totally unfamiliar with how to use the unit, just turning it on and ignoring it or even turning down the volume, may be sufficient since it will still warn others.

I got accommodated to Flarm on the first flight. I think the benefits so far exceed any learning curve concerns that I strongly favor a rental program.. Ramy makes a great point for those with a shallow learning curve. There is definitely momentum towards 100% compliance at contests in the US right now.

9B

Agreed...but...I wonder if it would have, at least, better warned one of the pilots who could have made an adjustment to his/her flight path and avoided the close call. FLARM, for me at least, seems to do a very good job of beeping at me if I begin to close on another Flarm equiped glider in thermal entry. And if its really close its always been "going nuts" for many seconds before that potential collision can occur. At the same time if their is no decrease in relatively close range, its silent. As soon as the range begins decreasing, say I turn inside, it immediately warns both pilots by beeping violently. It's a good product.

It's far, far better that nothing I think and this kinda thing is exactly what Flarm is designed to prevent.

Anyhow. I have flarm in both the Lak and Eric just bought a Flarm brick for his 29, installing today for him in Ionia. I have had flarm since 2011 in Uvalde and I never fly without it, even when I fly by myself for power traffic!

How about flarm makes a one time discounted by for US pilots this summer? How about $1499 (the original discount price thru August 31 if 100 pilots join in the group buy)? Lets do something to motivate our fellow pilots to purchase one!

Sean
F2

On Thursday, June 20, 2013 6:42:18 PM UTC-6, Ramy wrote:
On Thursday, June 20, 2013 5:36:45 PM UTC-7, waremark wrote:

About 10 years ago I had s mid-air collision on thermal entry. Happily, neither of us was hurt; we both came down safely on parachutes. If we had both had working Flarms (not available back then) the collision would not have occurred. So I think Flarm/Powerflarm is A GOOD THING.







I have slight reservations about this idea of using rental units at comps. I think you get used to using Flarm over time - the first time I experienced a Flarm warning I jumped out of my skin. And you get used to using it as an aid to scan rather than a distraction from it. Really, it would be better to do that not in a comp environment. And you have to work out how to fix and power the unit safely in your plane.







Mark Burton



London Gliding Club, Dunstable, UK (where Flarm is being adopted quite rapidly by the cross-country community, but it is not compulsory for any type of flying - and Powerflarm and transponders are both very uncommon)







On Thursday, 20 June 2013 19:41:55 UTC+1, WB wrote:



In article ,







Brad wrote:















We're the pilots talking to each other on the radio?















I've only flown in 1 contest, but if I recall radio "chatter" was frowned







upon.















thanks,







Brad















(who has PowerFlarm and loves it)















"Barking dogs" as Spratt called them, are definitely frowned upon.







However, radio calls in the service of safety are definitely encouraged







by the rules as well as popular opinion. "WB, I'm at your 7 o'clock and







turning inside..." type calls are more than welcome.



One thing worth pointing, that even if someone is totally unfamiliar with how to use the unit, just turning it on and ignoring it or even turning down the volume, may be sufficient since it will still warn others.



Ramy

Doesn't having a transponder also alert the Flarm unit/user?

Mike

Doesn't having a transponder also alert the Flarm unit/user?



Mike

Mode S will tell every flarm in miles where you are. Mode C is next to useless for flarm, and many flarm people will have turned mode c warnings down/off.

John Cochrane

On Friday, June 21, 2013 1:31:22 PM UTC-6, wrote:




Doesn't having a transponder also alert the Flarm unit/user?







Mike



Mode S will tell every flarm in miles where you are. Mode C is next to useless for flarm, and many flarm people will have turned mode c warnings down/off.



John Cochrane

I remain in stealth mode...with mode c. ;^)

On Friday, June 21, 2013 12:31:22 PM UTC-7, wrote:




Doesn't having a transponder also alert the Flarm unit/user?


Mike



Mode S will tell every flarm in miles where you are. Mode C is next to useless for flarm, and many flarm people will have turned mode c warnings down/off.



John Cochrane

That is true IF the Mode S or C is operating in an ATC radar environment, or if it is being actively interrogated by a TCAS equipped aircraft. Otherwise, the flarm or PCAS will never know you're there.

That's part of the beauty of PowerFlarm, unlike a transponder, PF is an active system transmitting your position for other PF users to see.

Both PF and a transponder are important if you fly near gliders or powered aircraft . . . it's not a one or the other deal, though depending on where you fly, one might be more advantageous to have than the other, though both is best.

bumper

John can you elaborate? That's the first time I hear that there is a difference between mode C and mode S as for PCAS alert? AFAIK both will provide approximate distance, altitude difference and no direction.

Ramy