Hi Gang
My putting a transponder into a US ultralight glider (uncertified
flying machine with only an empty weight restriction of 155 pounds)
might have been a first. So how did I go about it? I called everyone I
knew at the FAA and told them what I proposed doing and why (to avoid
a possible mid air collision with an airliner in the Reno Nevada
area). They all told me, although no one would put it down in writing,
that it seemed a good idea and no one could find anything in the FAA
regs that specifically prohibited putting a transponder in an
ultralight. However in using a transponder in a US registered aircraft
requires that the transponder be certified initially and then every 2
years by an approved FAA mechanic/electrician. I said I would get that
approval and I did. Finally I invited a FAA inspector to come to
Minden and check out the installation and paperwork for the
certification. The comment by the inspector was "I wish more people
would be serious about safety as you apparently are".
I learnt a lot in these discussions about the subculture of the FAA
and how they approach problems. There is an underlying premise that if
it isn't specifically forbidden in the regs and rules then it is
permitted as long as people and property are not put in jeopardy.
Dave