Mike (both Mikes),
Spot on, thanks.
Radio is most useful at the end of a flight. Whether to report an
outlanding, announce our arrival or fit in to circuit traffic, it's
nearly always in the last 10 mins of flight that it does most good.
Therefore, we need batteries, wiring, and all the rest of good enough
quality that still allows the radio to work after many hours flying.
And if it works at the end of the flight, it will probably work the rest
of the time as well.
Cheers
/Tim/
/tra dire e fare c'รจ mezzo il mare/
On 23/03/2012 16:06, Mike Borgelt wrote:
At 10:48 AM 23/03/2012, you wrote:
The difference in standards comes from a couple of reasons.
The first is that most of the radios we use were designed with the
assumption that a good supply of reliable power was available from
the alternator, and probably little design attention was paid to
transmit performance with depleted batteries running through old
wiring and dicky fuses.
We may have got a "reading you 5" from the glider next to us in the
morning with a fully charged battery but it doesn't mean much in the
circuit after a 5 hour flight.
The second is that a glider radio is less useful for situational
awareness than the radio in a powered aircraft, because powered
aircraft tracks and particularly altitudes are far more predictable.
Also, we don't chat to ATC much. So in fact, a radio in a glider is
less useful and less used for official communication, and so less
respected, maintained, etc....
Then there are an increasing number of pilots who use their radios
like mobile phones. I just switch off when those idiots start. It
improves my safety because I can hear myself think.
Cheers
*Tim*
Tim,
I agree about the distraction of radio in flight on a glider cross
country (or powered aircraft for that matter most of the time) but it
is useful in the circuit and around the airfield as an aid to
situational awareness.
In the emergency situation we're talking about there seems to be a
need for communication as shown by the semaphore procedure so maybe it
ought to be the best and least intrusive communication possible?
An alternative would be to agree on the maximum release height with
the tug pilot before takeoff on the understanding that on reaching
that +500 feet the tuggie will head over the top of the field and
release his end? No airborne comms required. Best to go into/be in
high tow though.
Don't forget also the recent radio use changes at registered and
licensed airfields. You are expected to carry a working radio and use
it. We might not talk to ATC much but there are people in powered
aircraft who may use the field and if one calls and you detect a
conflict you are expected to answer. Gliding doesn't operate in isolation.
I'm afraid the no radio days are gone.
Mike
*Borgelt Instruments***- /design & manufacture of quality soaring
instrumentation since 1978
/www.borgeltinstruments.com
<http://www.borgeltinstruments.com/>tel: 07 4635 5784overseas:
int+61-7-4635 5784
mob: 042835 5784: int+61-42835 5784
P O Box 4607, Toowoomba East, QLD 4350, Australia
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