squawk code TFR intercept ......

[turbo]

did my BFR yesterday in the r-44 and today in the rv6. didn't know there was an intercept code for TFR busting but my helo instructor brought it up and i had never heard of such a thing but we found with google, not finding it in the AIM. there it was, very lucky numbers in vegas but not very lucky in a TFR incursion case,so now you can rock your wings, listen on 121.5, follow the jet the way he is flying and squawk 7777. hope you never need this one. busted

[BobTurner]

Originally Posted by turbo

did my BFR yesterday in the r-44 and today in the rv6. didn't know there was an intercept code for TFR busting but my helo instructor brought it up and i had never heard of such a thing but we found with google, not finding it in the AIM. there it was, very lucky numbers in vegas but not very lucky in a TFR incursion case,so now you can rock your wings, listen on 121.5, follow the jet the way he is flying and squawk 7777. hope you never need this one. busted

You are aware that, legally, you only need one Flight Review biennially? Either the R-44 or RV is sufficient. Not that doing both isn't a good practice.
It used to be that 77xx (where xx are any two numbers) would trigger an emergency with ATC radar. Has that changed?

[snopercod]

A number of years ago, a controller buddy of mine told me there was a special squawk code for drug interdiction. This was in the days when the DEA was sneaking onto airports at night and hacking suspect planes' transponders to emit that code. I don't know if they do that any more. I can't remember the code. It started with a "6" I think.

[aerovin]

Originally Posted by snopercod

A number of years ago, a controller buddy of mine told me there was a special squawk code for drug interdiction. This was in the days when the DEA was sneaking onto airports at night and hacking suspect planes' transponders to emit that code. I don't know if they do that any more. I can't remember the code. It started with a "6" I think.

Off subject, but I don't think they hacked the transponder. They hid a little self contained separate transponder into the target airplane that squawked an additional code that worked just fine. Showed a bit of a weird radar target on a controller's screen (two beacons together).

[greghughespdx]

Yeah, 7777 is for use by an intercepting DoD aircraft when not in contact with ATC. If you squawk 7777, you look to ATC like you are the interceptor, when you are not. I'd think that could quite possibly create more than one flavor of trouble.

[BobRv4]

if the flight is in the R44 you can fly both. You need a bfr in the R44 to be legal per SFar. I also think you need a BFR in a R22 also just not sure on this one.

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by aerovin

Off subject, but I don't think they hacked the transponder. They hid a little self contained separate transponder into the target airplane that squawked an additional code that worked just fine. Showed a bit of a weird radar target on a controller's screen (two beacons together).

I remember reading a story about a mechanic who found one of these in the landing gear bay of a twin during the annual. He was in a bind because he couldn't sign the plane off because it was the cause of a gear problem, he couldn't tell the owner with risking going to jail, etc. I don't recall the outcome of that one.

There was also a case where they ziptied one of these boxes to an airplane's rudder cable.

[Aggie78]

Originally Posted by aerovin

Off subject, but I don't think they hacked the transponder. They hid a little self contained separate transponder into the target airplane that squawked an additional code that worked just fine. Showed a bit of a weird radar target on a controller's screen (two beacons together).

This ^^^^^^

I flew quite a few "Customs Watch" sorties in the mid-80's in the E-3 Sentry aircraft.

Ground agents in foreign countries (Columbia, Mexico etc.) would surreptitiously install the "squawk" box in the target aircraft. Based on the intel received regarding the target's departure, we would launch and then orbit out over the Gulf watching for the aircraft making its way north, vector the appropriate Customs aircraft at them and coordinate all of this with the relevant ATC/NORAD/Law Enforcement agencies.

Interesting mission, that mostly went away once they put the tethered balloons (aerostats) up.

Not RV-related, but thanks for the trip down memory lane...

[bjdecker]

Why would anyone expect "one voice" from our friends in .GOV?

See https://www.faa.gov/news/safety_brie...Procedures.pdf

3. If transponder equipped, squawk 7700 unless otherwise instructed by ATC.



Best course of action is a.) fly the airplane, b.) follow the intercepting aircraft, c.) listen/communicate on GUARD, d.) follow directions...

b