CAA conspicuity trials

[Nigel Hitchman]

In answer to John Brady's question, no we dont want mode S mandatory! But Im sure you know that. Of course Mode S fittment, doesnt give you anything, you need TCAS or similar too, yet more money! Flarm sounds better, from what people say, I dont know anything about it. Can it detect me in my non radio non transponder Piper Cub? If so great.
I wonder what the mid air collision rate was years ago when the RAF had thousands of aircraft flying from nearby airfields and no electronic aids. Was it much worse, or was it the case that people didnt collide because they were looking out of the window, not at their GPS moving map display or fiddling with their radio/Transponder/EFIS etc.
If Flarm is cheap and it works against any other aircraft then it sound slike a good device, particularly if it helps the gliders when they are thermalling together- which seems to be the most common place for mid airs, or GA aircraft in the circuit.
But to even think about it, it needs to be well less than £500, not require an electrical system and have long lasting batteries.
(I bought an Aware which seemed like a good idea, but hardly ever use it as the battery doesnt last very long at all an hour if Im lucky and anyway I always forget to charge it before I go flying)

[Ian Melville]

Can it detect me in my non radio non transponder Piper Cub? If so great

.
Yes, if you have a Flarm Tx unit

I wonder what the mid air collision rate was years ago when the RAF had thousands of aircraft flying from nearby airfields and no electronic aids.

Mid airs were not unusual during the WW2, IIRC they were quite common.

But to even think about it, it needs to be well less than £500, not require an electrical system and have long lasting batteries

Swiss Flarm units are £594 inc VAT and only draws 55ma at 12v. Not much bigger than a pack of fags. A small 12v 3.3ah sealed battery would keep it going for quite while. Total weight just over 1Kg, 2.2lbs in old money. If you were prepared to only have a run time of 13hrs, you could get it down to under 0.5kg

[Graham Clark]

I have been in touch with one of the Swiss FLARM system designers about the general take-up and consequences.
He writes: “Flarm is most widely used in sailplanes. Since 2004 there have been two collisions between sailplanes. Previously, there was one every year. In one accident, the Flarm warnings were ignored. In the second accident, each sailplane carried Flarm, but one was switched off. “

He continues: “Since 2004 there has been no collisions between a sailplane and a cable (often strung along mountain sides), Previously, there was one a year, half of which accidents were fatal.”

Question from John Brady: If we all had Mode S transponders would the
GA vs GA situation change greatly?

”No, why should it? Mode S helps Air Traffic Control; it provides no direct assistance to the pilot of an aircraft. Air Traffic Control is unable to maintain a constant watch over the entire spectrum of GA-VFR traffic. And GA pilots would probably prefer that they did not. TCAS will never achieve widespread take-up in VFR GA.”

”By contrast, ADS-B would help.”

Personally, I would rather have a direct alert from my Flarm, than trust to luck that a controller is watching carefully over the bit of uncontrolled airspace in which I am flying.

[Trevor Harvey]

Can it detect me in my non radio non transponder Piper Cub? If so great

.

Yes, if you have a Flarm Tx unit

If you have a Flarm unit is the problem!
Can it detect my Emeraude, non transponder equipped, non Flarm equipped, non TCAS equipped, wood & fabric with half a pound of aluminium up front.
It's all very well if everyone has a compatible system. Hence my question, a/c more likely to fit a GPS. When will ALL GPS units be able to display all other GPS units within a given radius as well as it's own position?

[Tom Sheppard]

OK, so I now have to add another kilo of electronica to my Minimax making piloting harder work, (another gadget to monitor, learn, feed and be controlled by,) the cockpit more cramped and at £500, an accessory that costs 12.5% of the overall aeroplane. No, ta. I'll use the most basic rule of Airmanship instead. Mandatory collision avoidance systems won't stop collisions. Avoiding flying your GPS track too slavishly just might.