I know what you're going to say, but hear me out...
Its been almost three years and coming up close to 300hrs of low and slow flying in the true to 1946 standards A65 powered Champ. While I am diligent to look outside and not be tunnel visioned on the blue arrows that signify airplanes on foreflight, it seems like most of the flying population has gotten laxed, or dare I say complacent, about looking outside for traffic, and/or building a mental image of airplanes in the sky based on radio calls.
This is all to say, in 2026, it seems like "if its not showing up on the iPad, it isnt there." Which has lead to more than one heated interaction with a Cirrus pilot who tells me I'm not in compliance with ADSB out... and has lead to a few evasive maneuvers on my part to get out of the way of airplanes turning into my direction at close proximity.
At some point you do all you can by following the regs, good manners, due diligence, etc, and you still feel like you're going to get run over by pilots who only see blue arrows on ipads. That, mixed with the recent revelation that an Uavionix tail beacon all by itself with produce enough information to depict the blue arrow, altitude and airspeed on an ipad, albeit squawking 0000.
You can see where I'm going with this. I have no electrical system. I have no plans on adding an engine powered electrical system. I am thinking that a tail beacon mounted somewhere in the champ, powered by a small rechargeable 12v battery (breaker, switch, wires, etc). is all I need to hedge my bets to stay in the sky.
Does anyone have a lead on the taillight housing that affixes to the rudder post, or does anyone have a good idea of where to mount the tailbeacon within the cockpit (maybe mounted to an upright steel tube just behind the pilot seat... I dont carry passengers, the while light of the tailbeacon wont be in my eyes).
Thanks for hearing me out... now you can dump all the judgement and ideas on me. Thanks.
Its been almost three years and coming up close to 300hrs of low and slow flying in the true to 1946 standards A65 powered Champ. While I am diligent to look outside and not be tunnel visioned on the blue arrows that signify airplanes on foreflight, it seems like most of the flying population has gotten laxed, or dare I say complacent, about looking outside for traffic, and/or building a mental image of airplanes in the sky based on radio calls.
This is all to say, in 2026, it seems like "if its not showing up on the iPad, it isnt there." Which has lead to more than one heated interaction with a Cirrus pilot who tells me I'm not in compliance with ADSB out... and has lead to a few evasive maneuvers on my part to get out of the way of airplanes turning into my direction at close proximity.
At some point you do all you can by following the regs, good manners, due diligence, etc, and you still feel like you're going to get run over by pilots who only see blue arrows on ipads. That, mixed with the recent revelation that an Uavionix tail beacon all by itself with produce enough information to depict the blue arrow, altitude and airspeed on an ipad, albeit squawking 0000.
You can see where I'm going with this. I have no electrical system. I have no plans on adding an engine powered electrical system. I am thinking that a tail beacon mounted somewhere in the champ, powered by a small rechargeable 12v battery (breaker, switch, wires, etc). is all I need to hedge my bets to stay in the sky.
Does anyone have a lead on the taillight housing that affixes to the rudder post, or does anyone have a good idea of where to mount the tailbeacon within the cockpit (maybe mounted to an upright steel tube just behind the pilot seat... I dont carry passengers, the while light of the tailbeacon wont be in my eyes).
Thanks for hearing me out... now you can dump all the judgement and ideas on me. Thanks.