Graeme & Joy Rickert wrote:
Wide range of mostly interesting comments on this subject, plus of
course the usual few offensive statements.
From someone who has not used FLARM but has been a tuggie at comps, I
can
see virtue in total FLARM fitment. There have been occasions when,
despite my best efforts at lookout, the limitations of view from the
Pawnee have placed me a little closer than I had expected to other
aircraft. I have only had two "near misses" requiring serious
avoidance action but that is more than enough. FLARM may have given
me a better and earlier indication of those potential conflicts.
On the other hand, a possible weakness with FLARM is that the pilot
may be seduced into looking in the direction indicated by the system
to identify the particular aircraft and may temporarily reduce overall
scanning for other aircraft either without FLARM or with a fitted
system that had failed.
FLARM needs to be integrated into your lookout scan. The way I do this
is as follows:-
1. FLARM is mounted on the top RHS of my instrument panel, with a
sunshade over it to keep it from overheating in the hot Aussie sun
and to provide a shade for the LEDs to increase their contrast in
bright sunshine.
2. When I do my straight ahead (cruise and instruments) part of the
scan, FLARM infor is taken in. During the rest of the scan, I look
for the traffic that FLARM has alerted me to.
3. If the FLARM alarm sounds, I look where it tells me to look - at
that point I am a max of 18 seconds from a potential collision and
that direction DESERVES my immediate attention! Once that is
sorted out, it's back to whatever scan I should be doing.
FLARM cannot replace your lookout scan - but it most assuredly
supplements and extends it, as far as FLARM equipped gliders and tugs
are concerned.
--
Robert Hart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
+61 (0)438 385 533 http://www.hart.wattle.id.au
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