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groundloop

(13,541 posts)

4. It's easier to hide from radar if my transpoder is off

Thu Mar 13, 2014, 11:24 AM

Mar 2014

OK, legitimate answers:

ANY piece of electrical equipment can malfunction and being able to turn it off can be a matter of safety (smoke in the cockpit ain't real cool - been there and done that).

Sometimes for who knows why, a transponder will hang up and either quit responding or else send out a continuous signal (which will mess with ATC's radar display), in which case ATC will ask you to recycle your transponder (turn it off then back on).

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Aviation buffs... A question [View all] Lost_Count Mar 2014 OP

Certain airspace requires an encoding altimeter and... santamargarita Mar 2014 #1

I read that the last communication w/the aircraft was when Malaysian ATC was handing the plane off okaawhatever Mar 2014 #8

I'm retired after 43 years. I've seen a lot of accidents... santamargarita Mar 2014 #9

At cruise... There isn't one really. Agschmid Mar 2014 #2

On the ground, all the transponders would drown the air traffic control. longship Mar 2014 #3

Most of the planes I flew in the last 10 years or so santamargarita Mar 2014 #6

Thanks. One thing less on the checklist, eh? longship Mar 2014 #7

It's easier to hide from radar if my transpoder is off groundloop Mar 2014 #4

That was my thought, too: malfunction. Laffy Kat Mar 2014 #5

So you can safely replace components or troubleshoot malfunctioning systems. Angleae Mar 2014 #10