Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.

A question for those with transponders fitted

Yes, I always use my transponder to its full potential (ie with ALT)
220
94%
No, sometimes I don't turn it on, or don't select ALT (excluding formation flight and ATC requests) because I forget
11
5%
No, sometimes I don't turn it on because I worry/believe that it will be used to track me if I infringe
4
2%
User avatar
By SteveC
#1559835
matthew_w100 wrote:PS There needs to be an option for "sometimes I have forgotten to change it out of "standby" after having set a code".



That wasn't answering the question that Ian asked. ......
User avatar
By MercianMarcus
#1559837
Irv Lee wrote:I fly with a lot of grass roots pilots who are using checklists they have had for years. Yet to see one of these that says transponder to alt. Some have no mention, others have ON.
....


We exist though. See item 32. :D
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User avatar
By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559838
matthew_w100 wrote:What's "lights" for?


Assuming that's a serious question, it's for... um... lights. Landing and strobing.

Landing lights on all the time is good for conspicuity and bird avoidance (same thing, I suppose) and if LED lights fitted they don't burn out quickly so it is well worth doing.

(My current main aircraft does not have lights, but the mnemonics are universal of course)
User avatar
By Full Metal Jackass
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559840
MercianMarcus wrote:
Irv Lee wrote:I fly with a lot of grass roots pilots who are using checklists they have had for years. Yet to see one of these that says transponder to alt. Some have no mention, others have ON.
....


We exist though. See item 32. :D
Image


That check list could get me a blocking at certain airports I fly from - in particular where heavy metal is landing. If you switch on your transponder to ALT whilst parallel to the runway doing your run-up checks and a TCAS equipped jet is landing, you will cause a TCAS alert to be given which means paperwork....

For that reason they demand, especially if CAT is on final, that the transponder is only switched ON / ALT when you line up on the runway.
User avatar
By Irv Lee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559841
Not sure the grass roots pilots using their old dog eared check lists need much on fadec operation, they just need one biennial instructor to bother to write Alt on their checklist and explain why, and they will use alt.
User avatar
By matthew_w100
#1559843
Dave W wrote:
matthew_w100 wrote:What's "lights" for?


Assuming that's a serious question, it's for... um... lights. Landing and strobing.

Landing lights on all the time is good for conspicuity and bird avoidance (same thing, I suppose) and if LED lights fitted they don't burn out quickly so it is well worth doing.

(My current main aircraft does not have lights, but the mnemonics are universal of course)

Tongue in cheek, but semi-serious. Our lights burn out quickly, and are dim enough that they only aid conspicuity at night. And I've never understood why people turn on landing lights when taking off if they then turn them off on reaching circuit height.
User avatar
By MercianMarcus
#1559845
Full Metal Jackass wrote:...
That check list could get me a blocking at certain airports I fly from - in particular where heavy metal is landing. If you switch on your transponder to ALT whilst parallel to the runway doing your run-up checks and a TCAS equipped jet is landing, you will cause a TCAS alert to be given which means paperwork....

For that reason they demand, especially if CAT is on final, that the transponder is only switched ON / ALT when you line up on the runway.


Yeah. I'm happy to be flexible. :D For example, there's nothing on my checklist about checking the ATIS, but if I'm somewhere that has one I'll do it.

BTW it is a heli checklist so I won't be touching anything bar the cyclic and the collective from the point I first rise into the hover until I'm established in the climb. I can toggle frequency from tower to radar from the collective.
User avatar
By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559848
matthew_w100 wrote:And I've never understood why people turn on landing lights when taking off if they then turn them off on reaching circuit height.


Bird avoidance is one reason taught.
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By rf3flyer
#1559852
Not a poll I can respond to since I don't have a transponder, but if I did I would come under the clause that would allow me to to switch it off as it would be powered from a battery, no power generation. So for the same reason I have been known to switch off the radio and fly segments NORDO, I would certainly conserve battery resources for the times when I thought squawking would be of direct benefit to me.
Rich V, MercianMarcus, insink and 2 others liked this
User avatar
By GonzoEGLL
#1559857
Full Metal Jackass wrote:
That check list could get me a blocking at certain airports I fly from - in particular where heavy metal is landing. If you switch on your transponder to ALT whilst parallel to the runway doing your run-up checks and a TCAS equipped jet is landing, you will cause a TCAS alert to be given which means paperwork....

For that reason they demand, especially if CAT is on final, that the transponder is only switched ON / ALT when you line up on the runway.


I'm not sure this is correct.

TCAS II inhibits any RAs below 1000ft AGL, 'Descend' RAs below 1100ft, and 'Increase Descent Rate' RAs below 1550ft. It should also filter out any transponder returns that are at 0ft AGL.
T67M, Hawkwind, AlanM liked this
User avatar
By Human Factor
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559858
... and a TCAS equipped jet is landing, you will cause a TCAS alert to be given which means paperwork....


No it doesn't. There are inhibitors in the TCAS system.
User avatar
By CloudHound
#1559861
THREAD DRIFT :roll:

I won't be advising pilots not to use lights as part of a bird strike avoidance strategy, but during my time looking after CAP772 (and its predecessor ) at the CAA I never read any scientific papers that conclusively supported the idea.

Whilst helping to run Manchester Airport including duty management of the 'Bird Unit', 99.9% of aircraft struck were showing all of their lights.

Flying light aircraft by day in VMC I've never had a bird strike, but I've seen plenty of species clearly take avoiding action in front of me. Birds have very good eyesight and hearing, so I guess that they've seen me in time to assess the risk to themselves and avoid. Most of my flying has been sub 120 kts so speed of approach must play a part.

The best way to avoid a strike taking off or landing is to encourage the landowner to deter birds from visiting through a habitat management plan. No attractant on airfield = no birds. No it doesn't but it should be the target.
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User avatar
By Dave Phillips
#1559862
That check list could get me a blocking at certain airports I fly from - in particular where heavy metal is landing. If you switch on your transponder to ALT whilst parallel to the runway doing your run-up checks and a TCAS equipped jet is landing, you will cause a TCAS alert to be given which means paperwork....

For that reason they demand, especially if CAT is on final, that the transponder is only switched ON / ALT when you line up on the runway.


Name the airports because the TCAS assertion is absolute tosh. Many 'heavy metal' airports I fly from won't even let you push off stand if the transponder is off/sby.
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User avatar
By T67M
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1559869
SteveC wrote:Always used it. Its fully automatic as its linked to the GNS so I would have to make a conscious decision to turn it off.


This assumes that the automatics work. My transponder is automatic, but one group member said it always failed for them. On investigation it transpired that the sequence you turn on other bits of kit could inhibit the auto-ALT function. I now always check at around 500' just after the flaps have come up.