No radio aircraft (NORDO)

[pfhoeycfi]

The no radio guys generally know where they are. The ones that scare me routinely fly fully equipped fast airpanes heads down right through the pattern of our airport scattering gliders and towplanes and visiting aircraft as they proceed on their 10 mile final approach to the airport 5 miles past ours. Even with all that automation they have no clue where they are. Our gliders are radio and transponder equipped and our towplanes have adsb.

[builderflyer]

Mandated radios make NO ONE safer or NO ONE a better pilot..

Writing as someone who came within 30 feet of dying twice in the past year, I can easily say your determination is pure bs. In both of these incidents, the other pilots should have been able to see me but somehow didn't and my aircraft's blind spots didn't allow me to see them. And neither of them were on the radio for me to learn of their presence or for them to learn of my presence.

As I said, I'm not one who promotes the passage of new FARs...........I opposed the inverted wedding cake grab of airspace, the requirement for ELTs, the mandatory flight review requirements for current pilots, etc. But the time for a mandatory com radio has long been overdue. There is no longer a valid excuse for any pilot to not own and use a com radio in the flying of their aircraft.

I'm doing what I can to make my Sonex better visible to others. For what they're worth, I've added two more strobe lights for a total of 4. I've used adsb-in for several years now and I've just spent several thousand dollars to have a reliable ads-b out signal. And, probably to your annoyance, I use my com radio as much as anyone in announcing my position in arriving and departing airports with a CTAF.

My approach to flying has kept me accident/incident free for 56 years so, personally, I must be doing something right.

Art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sonex taildragger #95,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jabiru 3300 #261

[GraemeSmith]

But let's be realistic here. ADS-B is primarily a benefit to the commercial aviation segment.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you. The ability to fly freely (for me in New England) continues to be available because ATC can "see" you - even if you are not talking to them. The alternative would be to restrict our flying because they can't see us and allow the Commercial Activity to proceed.

Mandated radios make NO ONE safer or NO ONE a better pilot.

So how do you fly IFR?..... (Said with a smile)

Proficiency, situational awareness, good traffic scans and vigilance do.

AGREED - and keeping the ADSB-IN is part of my scan. I "see" much more traffic and I'll tell you one story where I think it saved me.

2016 - I had early ADSB-IN. Ohio headed west - straight and level @6,500 in a high wing Cessna on a long cross country. CAVU. Clear and a million. I got an alert for an aircraft that was behind me - and also descending onto me. It was getting closer and much more serious - so I broke left at 90 degrees to have a look above and behind me. It was a low wing Piper. It was a classic Low wing descending onto High wing where he could not see me below his cowl/nose bowl and I can't see him above and behind my high wing. Given our proximity when I broke left - I truly believe the ADSB saved the day. See and Avoid did not.

It's also interesting that the Canadians don't completely buy into "See and Avoid" - they have investigated a number of mid-airs where straight and level flight and intervening aircraft structure meant that neither party could see each other.

--

ADSB is a tool. It's as good as the use you make of it. It's part of the toolkit. But not the only tool in the kit. I'm not a slave to it. Before I turn Base to Final - I am taking long hard visual looks along a projected runway centerline looking for traffic making a long final. And a good look ahead for the idiot flying an opposite base leg because they think it's OK to fly right traffic at a left traffic airport. And then one very quick glance at the ADSB-IN before I make my turn.

[Jgibson]

Art;
I commend you for 56 years of accident free flying, but we are BOTH old timers so you have nothing on me. I've had more than my share of close calls, and one crash due to an engine failure AND a knucklehead more concerned with sitting on the runway and playing with his radios than taking off quickly.
Flying is inherently full of risks. Every time we take off, any number of things could end up disastrous. Are radios helpful? Sure. But they will NOT guantee your safety. A Cirrus-type chute would be much more confidence inspiring for me than a radio. Look at the collision statistics and let me know how many of the accident aircraft DIDN'T have radios.
Graeme;
I said I have a full IFR panel in my Arrow. I didn't say I fly IFR. I have radios. I use radios. But I don't bet my life on radios. I use them because I'm forced to use them in restricted airspace. They are almost useless under 5,000 feet because of the incessant chatter on a sunny day with too many airports using the same frequency and too many wanna-be's trying to sound like real pilots.
Keep up 'the quick glance' in the pattern of your ADS-B and hopefully that 'quick' glance isn't the time some wanna be professional pilot who has announced his incorrect position doesn't run into you.
I have no problems with either viewpoints. If you guys want to depend on the technology, jabber and step on each other in the pattern and get frustrated, that's your prerogative. All I'm asking is that we not ask for more regs from the FAA. YOU chose the Sonex, with it's poor visibility forward. We all complain and moan about regs, but are WAY too quick to push the FAA for even more.

[N190YX]

"But let's be realistic here. ADS-B is primarily a benefit to the commercial aviation segment." Beg to differ, that is like saying all Air Traffic Control is primarily a benefit to the commercial aviation segment. There is a surprising amount of random air traffic a pilot is unaware of prior to ADS-B out and when an aircraft is equipped with ADS-B in the pilot is then aware of potential conflicts. As an early adaptor of ADS-B out and ADS-B in in my factory airplane I can attest to that. Like GPS, I would not want to go back to not having it. Writing about the Cirrus that collided with an airplane on final for a parallel runway in an ADSB context is absurb, the Cirrus was attempting to turn base to final at 160 knots and of course overshot the turn and collided with the airplane on final to the other runway. ADS-B cannot help with rediculously poor piloting technique. Secondly, in regard to Big Brother knowing who you are and watching you, I received a "Brasher Warning" ("call this phone number after landing due to a possible pilot violation") when I contacted a control tower for landing after a maneuvering practice flight. I was not communicating with ATCduring the flight but they knew who I was due to ADS-B out. They simply wanted to educate me (not violate me) for a mistake I made by flying over an airport with the parachute symbol on the chart when there was active parachute activity at the time I flew over. Good to know, I will never do that again! At least here in Northern California the FAA is not just out to violate you. I have no complaints and have heard none from other pilots about the service NorCal (local controllers) provides in Northern California and the Reno area. Yes, we are free to fly, but keep in mind there are others exercising their freedom to fly also, the sky is not empty. Generally, regulations are promulgated to solve a problem. Endeavor not to be part of a problem that results in a regulation!