PowerFlarm installation in Certified Gliders

[Richard Pfiffner]

I had a inquiry:

I need some advice in installing Power FLARM in my certified HpH304 CZ. So far I’ve had 2 A&Ps reluctant to sign off on the install. Folks keep telling me different stories of how it’s acceptable to install PF in a certified glider without A&P approval. I realize FLARM is mandatory under EASA but that doesn’t translate well here in the USA.

The last recommendation I’d gotten from most recent A&P is that he might be able to install PF if the manufacturer’s TECH NOTES are available and had been used by another A&P to sign off the PF install.

Any thoughts on this issue

Richard

[jfitch]

I'm a bit surprised at this, but perhaps shouldn't be in this litigious society. I thought that PF radiates power only on free bands and below the license limit (around 100 mW). The cell phone in your pocket radiates far more power than that, yet doesn't require A&P approval to carry it and no one thinks twice. What is the reasoning for those A&Ps reluctance?

[Roy B.]

Richard:
It should not come as a surprise that A&Ps are reluctant to work on things they were not trained on or knowledgeable about. I suggest that you tell us the geographic area where the glider/pilot are located and then have this list suggest A&Ps who are glider pilots or who are at least knowledgeable about glider related equipment.
ROY

[Richard Pfiffner]

Connecticut is the state.

Richard

[Darryl Ramm]

The answer as given to the owner involved is to find an A&P who knows what they are doing with gliders. And he's been given some contacts. If an A&P is so lost like this WTF might they do wrong touching a glider.

[Bob Gibbons]

Texas Soaring Assoc has PowerFlarm installed in all 10 club owned
gliders (std type certified) and 3 Pawnee towplanes.

This is what we put in our ships logbooks;

PowerFlarm installed per PowerFlarm Core Installation Manual
FTD-033 No appreciable changes to weight & balance resulting from
installation.
Date: 3/02/2014

Bob

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[Charles Longley]

Get a new A&P familiar with gliders.

[Tony]

If by "PowerFlarm" you mean the discontinued portable unit, velcro & go! Not part of the aircraft...

[krasw]

On Friday, 16 September 2022 at 17:30:03 UTC+3, Richard Pfiffner wrote:
> I realize FLARM is mandatory under EASA but that doesn’t translate well here in the USA.

It certainly is not.

[John Galloway]

.... but it was made mandatory in France from 1st March 2013 for gliders and motor-gliders.

[John Godfrey]

As I understand it, EASA approval is reciprocal with the USA.
So the MCA below should help.
https://flarm.com/shop/easa-minor-change-approval-mca-for-powerflarm-fusion/

[Mark Mocho]

> As I understand it, EASA approval is reciprocal with the USA.

When I was fighting with the FAA over the Pegase 101 life limit, I brought up the "Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement," which supposedly provides reciprocal recognition of aircraft certification, equipment and so on. I was "informed" by the FAA that they "don't pay much attention to that" at the Small Aircraft Directorate. Apparently, the FAA outranks the State Department. Beware the "petty tyranny of the bureaucracy."

[Frank Whiteley]

On Sunday, September 18, 2022 at 6:28:45 PM UTC-6, Mark Mocho wrote:
> > As I understand it, EASA approval is reciprocal with the USA.
> When I was fighting with the FAA over the Pegase 101 life limit, I brought up the "Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement," which supposedly provides reciprocal recognition of aircraft certification, equipment and so on. I was "informed" by the FAA that they "don't pay much attention to that" at the Small Aircraft Directorate. Apparently, the FAA outranks the State Department. Beware the "petty tyranny of the bureaucracy."

If reciprocity were honored, the SZD-54 would hold a US Type-Certificate.