A couple of comments

[Guest Maj Millard]

Great to have all the fancy do -daads if you have the bucks, not everybody has though. Even with all the do -daads, had you not replied to Bris radars' first call, they would have no doubt have immediatly redirected the conflicting traffic away from you, that is thier job, and responsibility.

 

Nobody has any right to 'Reel in' anybody. Plenty of room in the sky for us all, just a matter of working out where everybody is, or may be. Another reason for eyes outside the cockpit.

 

Thing is we do have radar, and good people sitting there 24/7 to keep metal apart. Even without a transponder signal they probabily redirect traffic away from us all the time, without us even knowing, never hurts to give them a call and let them know you'r there either.

 

 

[Guest Cloudsuck]

Nobody has any right to 'Reel in' anybody. Plenty of room in the sky for us all, just a matter of working out where everybody is, or may be. Another reason for eyes outside the cockpit.

Sorry Maj, everyone had the right to an opinion, however, think for a moment about what I am saying. Paragliders and hang gliders in Class C controlled airspace (and restricted military airspace) without a clearance, transponder or VHF airband radio. The potential to have a collision with a 737 with 300 odd passengers on board. On what level do you think that this is ok?

 

 

[Guest High Plains Drifter]

Paragliders and hang gliders in Class C controlled airspace (and restricted military airspace)

In 25 odd years of flying thats the first I've heard of this ?

 

Have they started putting Jato's on hang gliders now ?

 

 

[Guest Cloudsuck]

In 25 odd years of flying thats the first I've heard of this ? Have they started putting Jato's on hang gliders now ?

In 300 odd hours of Paragliding, I saw it on more than 20 occasions.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Obviously i do not condone illegal operation, or uncleared operations into any controlled airspace. I was referring generally to operations OTCA.

 

We did have regular Trike (powered hangglider) traffic into Townsville Class C, which is also a Shared Military traffic area. The trike was VHF and Transponder equipped, and came and went as cleared, with no conflicts, for some years. It used to park at the base of the tower when not in use.

 

That may suggest that the controllers up here are maybe a bit more realistic, and/or flexable than you'r guys down there.

 

Regardless, squarking a TX code or using a radio as required, still does not, and never will, negate the need to look out the window for that unknown traffic with a radio or TX failure (real world-it happens) , or a lost and disorientated solo student, who may or may not be talking to center,(real world-it happens). Big birds, I've seen eagles at 5400 FT, they don't care if it's controlled or not, airliners hit them all the time, and last but not least, miscelleanous weather balloons. None of those are going to show up on TCAS, but could very easily show up on you'r windscreen unannounced. (real world)

 

I have by the way flown many hours in a Tecnam P92 and found them to be a very nice little ultralight, with great visability in all directions.

 

 

[Guest Cloudsuck]

This one for HPD...

 

Jet's close call with 'renegade' hang glider

 

• Jano Gibson
  April 12, 2007
   
   
  

 

 

A Qantas plane was forced to take evasive action after a hang glider reportedly crossed its path, but so far the identity of the hang glider pilot remains a mystery.

 

The incident occurred as a Qantas Boeing 737, which was flying at an altitude of around 8500 feet, flew over Mount Pleasant, about 60 kilometres north east of Adelaide airport, about 5.30pm on February 17.

 

"A hang glider entered controlled airspace without clearance," a Qantas spokesman said.

 

"The Qantas crew noted the hang glider's presence and took appropriate action.

 

"Qantas reported the incident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Air Services Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as is the usual practice.

 

"We have advised our pilots of the incident as a reminder of the importance of scanning outside the flight deck in busy approach airspace."

 

The general manager of the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia, Chris Fogg, said he understood that the two aircraft had come within 300 metres of each other.

 

He said no HGFA members had claimed responsibility for the potentially-catastrophic incident. As such, he said the offending pilot was either a non-HGFA member.

 

Alternatively, he said the offending aircraft was not a hang glider, but something that looked similar to one, like a powered parachute.

 

"To date, all knowledge of HGFA pilots do not show that this was one of our members," Mr Fogg said.

 

"So again, it could potentially be a renegade whose flying outside of the HGFA group or a misrepresentation of the aircraft.

 

"In any case, the airliner is reported to have seen the 'hang glider' and made a correcting course, not a severe evasive action."

 

He said a Virgin Blue pilot had also reported seeing a hang glider-type aircraft at an altitude of 4500 feet.

 

"We are now working with Qantas on an education notice to our members to remind them of airspace requirements and further educate them to the height limitations in the area."

 

A spokesman from the ATSB said it had received a report from Qantas about the incident but had not investigated it further.

 

 

[Guest High Plains Drifter]

Its a worry. NOT an ultralight though, and not a common occurrence. Sounds like the relavent orginisation has taken steps.