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Transponders for flight safety?

Asked by: 2822 views ,
Aircraft Systems, Airspace, Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Instrument Rating, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

Are Mode C transponders needed to ensure flight safety?  If Mode C transponder operation was required for all aircraft in flight, would there be any increase in overall flight safety?  I'm curious what you think.

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2 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on Feb 23, 2015

    I routinely fly aircraft with no electrical system (and therefore, not transponder). Those flights have all been conducted safely all over the country.

    I have also flown planes with TIS and ADS-B. Some people get too focused on the gadgets and neglect to look outside.

    There is a regulation which requires looking outside the cockpit and seeing and avoiding other aircraft.

    As far as overall flight safety is concerned, human factors is probably the biggest area for improvement. People still run out of gas and fly in IMC with no training or recent experience. They fly low and hit wires or other obstacles or collide with the ground while attempting to perform aerobatic maneuvers. They lose directional control of the aircraft on the runway because they are not proficient with crosswinds.

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  2. Heather McNevin on Mar 23, 2015

    From a controllers standpoint, it is MUCH easier to see transponder equipped aircraft than nontransponder equipped aircraft. If you don’t have a transponder, I can still see you from the radar, but it is a primary radar return. It shows up on my scope as a small dot, about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. Other things that show up like this can include, trains, trucks, birds, tall buildings, etc.
    If you have a transponder, I can see you with a larger target symbol and an altitude readout (assuming you are broadcasting one). These targets are much easier to see.
    I can give you air traffic services without a transponder if I have to, but it is more difficult on my end.
    If you have an aircraft with an electrical system, get a transponder to increase your aircrafts visibility to ATC and TCAS type systems. Its an added layer of safety. Requiring it for all aircraft is only addressing one tiny area of aviation safety and would likely produce only a similarly small safety improvement. Having a transponder doesn’t relieve a pilot of the need to scan for traffic themselves. Cars all have lights to increase their visibility and safety, but they still get into accidents. Increasing aviation safety won’t come from just one thing, but many things and usually they almost all trace back to the pilot.
    I often fly a J4 cub with no electrical system. It just means I look out the window a lot and take responsibility for myself seeing traffic and being seen by traffic.

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