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Can a plane be tracked without a transponder?
Many places in the world do not have primary radar coverage at all, meaning that if a transponder fails – stealth aircraft or not – it will disappear from the radar screen. Controllers will then revert to providing procedural (non-radar) separation, based on position reports transmitted by the pilot.
Can pilots turn off transponder?
It’s rare for a pilot to turn off a transponder during flight, but occasionally there is cause. Pilots used to routinely turn off transponders on the ground at airports so as not to overwhelm air traffic controllers with so many signals in one location.
Are all airplanes tracked?
Currently, planes are largely tracked by radar on the ground, which doesn’t work over much of the world’s oceans. When these planes take off, they are tracked by radar and are equipped with a GPS transponder. All commercial flights operating in the U.S. and Europe have to have them by 2020.
Do military planes turn off transponder?
Yes, they all do and they need to have them. We used the AN/APX-76. A transponder is necessary just to fly in ATC’s airspace, along with its IFF capability in war.
Why do planes not fly over Pacific Ocean?
The primary reason airplanes don’t fly over the Pacific Ocean is because curved routes are shorter than straight routes. Flat maps are somewhat confusing because the Earth itself isn’t flat. Rather, it’s spherical. As a result, straight routes don’t offer the shortest distance between two locations.
Do military aircraft have transponders?
Military aircraft do have transponders that can reply to civil ATC radar and TCAS interrogations. Normally military aircraft operating in civil airspace are visible to civilian ATC and also will trigger TCAS advisories and alerts if they are getting close to airliners.
Is it illegal to turn off transponder?
If it passed inspection, it must be on. If it fails then you may fly with an inoperative transponder (with some exceptions and notifications as described in the FAR). You can’t turn it off and fly legally.
What happens if you turn off your transponder?
If hijackers turn off the transponder it means that they have access to the cockpit already. Everything including the flight recorder has a power switch or circuit breaker.
What is aircraft transponder?
A transponder is an avionic system located on board the aircraft that provides information about the aircraft identification and barometric altitude to the ATC system on the ground and to TCAS on other aircraft.
Can a plane fly over Mount Everest?
Tim Morgan, a commercial pilot writing for Quora says aircraft can fly above 40,000 feet, and hence it is possible to fly over Mount Everest which stands at 29,031.69 feet. However, typical flight routes do not travel above Mount Everest as the mountains create unforgiving weather.
How do fighter pilots pee?
Piddle Packs are small bags male fighter pilots use to pee while in flight. Piddle-packs are the ultimate long road trip solution. They are specially shaped bags with absorbent beads in them.
Do all planes have transponders?
Transponders exist in essentially all air vehicles (including, for example, not only airplanes, but helicopters, blimps, etc.), and some of those, especially in the military, operate in special modes that “regular,” small airplanes do not have.