How will this impact airline and military pilots? Don't tell me these guys never make a mistake.The FAA dropped a bomb on general aviation this week with their directive to ATC to report every pilot infraction, no matter how small.
Well...in that case I'll start reporting them. Like the time on Flight Following a controller failed to point out opposing traffic, same altitude, that went whizzing by 200-300 yards away. Or the time a tower controller cleared me for takeoff in the face of traffic on short final. Or...FAA's order this week to violate pilots for every infraction
In fact if this becomes policy I cannot imagine anyone filing an IFR flight plan with their real N number or name.
All the more reason to go VFR and crank up the music.
in current state of invigilation
Huh????????It doesn't matter - they will match you by transponder serial number.
Twenty two minutes from now (9 p.m. eastern on 8-7-08) there will be a live internet chat/show on the FAA's order this week to violate pilots for every infraction. If you are interested in listening into the discussion go here.
...AOPA should be all over this if there is validity to the claims...
After reading a couple of the posts in this thread, I think I figured out why they are doing this.
One poster said that this might be payback for the user fees thing. Then someone else said that if this is true he'll be cranking up the tunes and going VFR.
It will have the very outcome they want: less IFR from GA. Opinions?
Well...in that case I'll start reporting them. Like the time on Flight Following a controller failed to point out opposing traffic, same altitude, that went whizzing by 200-300 yards away. ...
They can look up the Mode C transponder and find you. A friend of mind flew his 1966 C-172 during a presidential TFR in the Houston area. It took them about a week to get the letter to him and pull his ticket for a month.
I'm not sure how they'd trace it to a mode C - I suspect your friend's N-number was called in either by a tower or other witness.
In any event, if this continues forward I think there will still continue to be IFR; it just won't be "official". I could see lots of folks climbing/descending through layers, especially in areas w/o much traffic with the resultant decrease in safety.
I think that tracing transponders is related to some of the info that you provide to the FAA about your transponder when you put it in service. I don't know how so maybe one of the controllers (Alex D.or Jim Cox) or techno guys could let us know.
Same thought here. Mode C gives position but nothing specific on aircraft ID.I just looked up the encoding scheme for data with Mode C, because I didn't trust my memory, and there just isn't anything in there that uniquely identifies an aircraft (which is what I recalled). You don't give the FAA anything when you install a Mode C transponder - Mode S, absolutely! I just put a new Mode C transponder in Louise's -6, and there isn't any setup or "registration" to be done.
They must have used "other methods" to track your friend, and probably spent a lot of taxpayer's dollars to do it...
Best is to turn off the transponder and land at an airport with no tower, FBO, etc. that the FAA can call to get help identifying landing traffic. Wait some minutes, preferably for another aircraft to land. Then takeoff. There's no way they can legally sort out the radar track and ID you.Since this topic is bouncing around, I thought I'd add my 2 cents on how *not* to let the FAA track you back home with ATC radar.
I had this happen to me......Twice in the lst month.
It's a strictly an "advisory" service.
Well, their "advisory service" vectored me into a aerobatic box with the guy doing all kinds of manuvers. Seems to me they just missed me going into the area. When they assign you alt & heading, and get PO'ed if you don't hold that assignment seems to me they should be looking out for where I'm going.
I just looked up the encoding scheme for data with Mode C, because I didn't trust my memory, and there just isn't anything in there that uniquely identifies an aircraft (which is what I recalled).
You are getting the quote confused with me wanting us to be careful so no one gets hurt. Now I just don't want anyone to get caught doing something wrong!I am amused by your rant being followed by "Let's all be careful out there."
Check your registration. They have a number there for Mode S identification. Can't they use this to identify us?
My transponders are OFF until further notice. Look out for me.
If I was a FED, and I read these comments, I'd want to talk to some of you! Please don't be offended, alot of people want little airplanes to go away, so we need to befriend ALL who come in contact with little airplanes. I really like flying my little airplanes as well as the jet, so for that reason I feel compelled to make these comments.
If I was a FED, and I read these comments, I'd want to talk to some of you!
Remember when this country was built on a constitution that created a "Government of the people, by the people, and FOR the people?" Those were the good ol days.
Check your registration. They have a number there for Mode S identification. Can't they use this to identify us?
My transponders are OFF until further notice. Look out for me.
There is nothing in Mode C that can provide "unique" tracking capabilities as you describe. There is more to this story. What they can do is; usually with presidential TFRs there are AWACS tracking local traffic. Those AWACS can "follow" a target very accurately and once that target puts down somewhere, they contact the local staff and inquire about the tail number of the aircraft that just landed. Oh, and the AWACS can do this even with the transponder OFF.I think that tracing transponders is related to some of the info that you provide to the FAA about your transponder when you put it in service. I don't know how so maybe one of the controllers (Alex D.or Jim Cox) or techno guys could let us know. I do know that my friend was on a local training flight at an uncontrolled grass strip on the western side of Houston without radio contact and they still busted him. The sad part is that he is a West Point grad, retired Colonel and Purple Heart recipient with a son in the Army. As they say "that and $ will get you a cup of coffee."
and then there is this in your signature;My transponders are OFF until further notice. Look out for me.
The two items are contradictory."Let's Be Carefull Out There!"
The two items are contradictory.
And that is just one reason I don't feel the need to have Mode S.....Unless I am IFR, I am just another "1200"....
I was telling Louise just yesterday that now that she has her instrument ticket, she should try to file for her daily commute to College Station, even if the weather is good....but now (assuming this actually happens), I am not sure that's good advice. I agree with milt - if this policy is real, and implemented, it would bring the system to it's knees.