SSA petition to allow transponder to be turned off

This appeared out of the blue, at least to me. If
approved as it stands, it certainly would be an encouragement
to install a transponder. But what is the SSA's position
if the FAA comes back at some future date and says
'Yes, but now that you have pointed out that battery-operated
transponders are available, there is no reason why
ALL non-electric aircraft should not be REQUIRED to
have a transponder installed' ? Like the part 103
ultralights, maybe it is best not to tamper with an
existing favorable exemption.

Ian

At 18:48 21 February 2004, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Check out the SSA website for the complete info on
this petition, and
consider commenting to the FAA (comments due by March
1, via web site,
mail, fax, 'eRulemaking portal'):

SSA Transponder Petition Published
By Dennis Wright
Posted Thursday, February 19, 2004

The SSA petition asks that SSA members be allowed to
operate
transponder-equipped gliders with the transponders
turned off, when the
glider is being operated more than 40 nautical miles
from the primary
airport in Class B airspace and more than 20 nautical
miles from the
primary airport in Class C airspace. Currently, Federal
Aviation
Regulation 91.215[c] requires that all aircraft equipped
with a
transponder and operating in controlled airspace have
the transponder on.

....more on the web site
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change 'netto' to 'net' to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA