Glider near miss with Airliner (emergency climb) near Chicago yesterday?

Guys, I flew fighters for 22 years. The only time I turned my transponder off was in Libyia and during Desert Storm. Can’t say about my fellow fighter pilots but it was not the norm to leave mode C off. I think if you are in an area where military or civilian “fast movers� fly, a transponder is a smart move! It will never make up for good look out doctrine.

Cheers,
Rich

On Friday, October 13, 2017 at 11:34:22 PM UTC-7, Rich Owen wrote:
Guys, I flew fighters for 22 years. The only time I turned my transponder off was in Libyia and during Desert Storm. Can’t say about my fellow fighter pilots but it was not the norm to leave mode C off. I think if you are in an area where military or civilian “fast movers� fly, a transponder is a smart move! It will never make up for good look out doctrine.

Cheers,
Rich

Rich, I don't think any fighter pilots would intentionally turn off their transponder. Radar coverage was good in my area to trigger a nearby transponder for PowerFlarm detection. Perhaps, since the fighter was operating in R2505, it was turned off for a special mission. He had just popped out of the restricted area for a downwind and turn to land at China Lake.

Walt WX

Walt, when you’re about to bomb someone you turn off the ATC version of the transponder. Any electronic emmisions can help a bad guy shoot you down!!

On Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 12:47:31 PM UTC-7, Rich Owen wrote:
Walt, when you’re about to bomb someone you turn off the ATC version of the transponder. Any electronic emmisions can help a bad guy shoot you down!!

That's a good reason to turn off a transponder! Agreed ...

On Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 1:34:22 AM UTC-5, Rich Owen wrote:
Guys, I flew fighters for 22 years. The only time I turned my transponder off was in Libyia and during Desert Storm. Can’t say about my fellow fighter pilots but it was not the norm to leave mode C off. I think if you are in an area where military or civilian “fast movers� fly, a transponder is a smart move! It will never make up for good look out doctrine.

Cheers,
Rich

Thats strange from my experience. I only flew fighters from the late 1980s to the middle 2000s but every place I flew only lead turned on their transponder. So one out of 4 aircraft had it on. The other aircraft where often 1-2 thousand feet off in altitude and 1-2 nm miles spread and 2 miles in trail of each other.

Once in the MOA or IR/VR route the transponder was turned off by all players. It was turned back on by lead when getting a IFR clearance back to base..

When intercepting civilian aircraft flying through a MOA we where advised to ensure the mode c function was off as to not set off TCAS alerts on the aircraft being intercepted.

On Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 2:37:12 PM UTC-7, JB Gunner wrote:
On Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 1:34:22 AM UTC-5, Rich Owen wrote:
Guys, I flew fighters for 22 years. The only time I turned my transponder off was in Libyia and during Desert Storm. Can’t say about my fellow fighter pilots but it was not the norm to leave mode C off. I think if you are in an area where military or civilian “fast movers� fly, a transponder is a smart move! It will never make up for good look out doctrine.

Cheers,
Rich

Thats strange from my experience. I only flew fighters from the late 1980s to the middle 2000s but every place I flew only lead turned on their transponder. So one out of 4 aircraft had it on. The other aircraft where often 1-2 thousand feet off in altitude and 1-2 nm miles spread and 2 miles in trail of each other.

Once in the MOA or IR/VR route the transponder was turned off by all players. It was turned back on by lead when getting a IFR clearance back to base.

When intercepting civilian aircraft flying through a MOA we where advised to ensure the mode c function was off as to not set off TCAS alerts on the aircraft being intercepted.

I'm concerned as a glider pilot with that practice... of turning off a fighter transponder in a MOA. How common is that practice.. addressed to any other fighter pilots out there? Most of my glider cross country occurs in a MOA. Sure would like to see fast movers on my PowerFlarm PCAS and in the near future through ADS-B out 1090ES