tnash

There has been a lot of talk about fitting transponders to gliders, can someone out there tell me what effect 50 gliders in a competitition gagle flying would have on radar and tcas. (I have been told that more than 7 contacts is ignored ) With a large number of gliders in a thermal pulling up or down may not be an option.

Gliders have more to fear from a collision so we would like to know when a fast jet is sneaking up on us why not fit Flarm or Flarm compatible equipment in jets.

ryane946

Good point. VERY GOOD point!! I have been in thermals with 10 other gliders. What happens when 10 transponders are tagged over the exact same spot on the radar?? I remember when I was part of a flying club and we had 8 aircraft heading for the same airport, and how confusing it was for the controllers!!

Scout

Just for conparison.

Germany has huge numbers of glider clubs that compete mainly from May until Sep each year. They have special use airspace and block out the airspace to deconflict with the IFR and VFR traffic. Every now and then there is a mid-air but it is rare. The biggest hazard is from light aircraft and helicopters during the launch, they mainly use cables and a winch to lanch. With the winch they can launch 25 or so gliders in the span of just 15 min.

legendskid_44

holy $hit, now just think if that was a powered a/c that hit that hawker. glad everyone was alright, sucks for the a/c owner tho.

FlyJSH

Boy, I guess I have a different perspective as a motorcycle rider. I know many bikers who have been hit by drivers that "never saw" the motorcycle when the biker had the right of way. I was hit from behind while stopped at a red light (by the way my bike's tail light was about 3 inches tall and 18 inches wide -- BIG). See and avoid.... and always assume the schmucks in all the other vehicles are blind.

XtremeF150

Yes, it would affect how high the gliders could fly if we put a transponder in them...However they are out there for enjoyment and most of the other aircraft are out working with hundreds of lives at stake. I realize that birds cause far more damage in the grand scheme of things, but that is because there are so many of them. I have never seen a birdstrike that did that kind of damage. Even so I don't think we can control the birds with a new FAR, we can however attempt to make all other traffic seen. Why do the glider guys get SO upset over the recomendation of putting in a small safety device. I mean we could cut down on weight in the airliners if we removed all the seat belts and other safety equipment. I hate to ruin anyone's fun but new requlations come out every year. How many corporate operators were upset with the RVSM rules a couple years ago. It is not always for your safety but for those you share the sky with.
The next time you are sitting in the back of an airliner think how easy a terrorist could put a glider through it killing everyone on board. I'm sure if they can get those things way up into the flight levels, it will still fly with a transponder on board.

XtremeF150

Bocaflyer

How much does a transponder weigh??? I mean it certainly won't be as significant as a heavy person versus a light person gliding. Install the transponders already!

FlyJSH

Transponder, radar reflectors, tcas, big red flags....

Seems nothing works... at least none of it worked for the 737 and the Embraer Legacy 600

I think it was Chuck Yeager that said his success as a fighter pilot was due to his ability to see the enemy before they saw him. See and avoid.

ryane946

To answer your question, I have not the slightest clue how much a transponder costs. But I have a better question for you. What are you going to hook it up to?? After all, most the gliders I have flown don't even have master switches. Better yet, how much does a transponder cost in relation to a glider?? I wouldn't be surprised if the transponder costs as much or more than the glider itself.


There is a reason why the Federal Aviation Administration does not require gliders to have transponders. Same reason why crop dusters don't need transponders. Same reason why there are all these crazy rules in the FAR's. The FAA makes decisions that are the most efficient for the safe and PRACTICAL operation of aircraft. Why don't Cessna-172's have TCAS??? Because they are too expensive and not needed. Same reason with gliders and transponders.

ThreeGreens

These pic's show just how bad that midair really was....lucky bastar@s!

http://www.ehowa.com/features/glidercollision.shtml