Agree (mostly) with Mike, but a legal, affordable ADS-B OUT is nowhere in sight.
In the meantime, if the Glider had an ADS-B / Transponder receiver (such as PowerFLARM) he would 'see' the airliner (or Rex) at 10+ miles and could get out of its flight path. Will post some more information on PowerFLARM within the next weeks; it is not yet available in Australia, so don't bug Mark about it (yet). Urs - FLARM -------------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerFlarm is a Flarm with an additional RECEIVER to pick up 1090 MHz signals from Mode A, C , S and ADSB transponders. Other airspace users won't be able to see you unless they have a Flarm receiver and realistically for the heavy metal that simply isn't going to happen. Glider pilots may be able to fit an uncertified Flarm with velcro to the top of the instrument panel but Rex or other airlines sure can't. Even if they were allowed to fit the uncertified equipment the installation would cost heaps for little benefit at the likely closing speeds due to the short range, low power Flarm signals. Even if they got through the heated windscreen with embedded metal film. Avoiding that problem means external antennas. What was that about cost? The airlines quite reasonably can say they have bought and fitted certified equipment for collision avoidance, Transponders , ADSB and TCAS and so should everyone else. Gliding simply isn't going to win this. I doubt any airspace restrictions have ever been avoided by any actions of official gliding bodies anywhere. There may have been some small temporary victories but overall a losing battle. However, in Australia we have actually had a reduction in he inverted wedding cakes over the main centers. Fitting ADSB OUT to let other traffic see us is a powerful argument for further reductions in these. ADSB is best thought of as a super Flarm with range to the horizon. Yes it requires a transponder that is ADSB capable. The Trig and others are already Mode A/C/S transponders that can be upgraded to ADSB OUT with the addition of a suitable GPS datastream. If you fit such a transponder and convince the authorities about the GPS you are using (not all GPS units are equal) everyone with a ADSB IN facility will see you. So will PowerFlarm but if you are transmitting the ADSB signals at 175 watts vs the peanut whistle 100mW of Flarm you really don't need the Flarm. I see there are USB stick ADSB receivers to plug in to a PC for a few hundred dollars. Combination of these with ADSB out makes a super Flarm that the rest of aviation is already using or planning on. Mike
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