New Transponder Code (1202) for Gliders (Effective Feb 9, 2012)

Yeah Mike...that is part of the problem. What the controller will see
is a limited data block on his radar scope and the actual code is not
really all that important except that should a controller specifically
look at the code you are squawking, he is a bit more informed when
issueing you as traffic to other aircraft he is working. For example,
"United 123, traffic twelve o:clock eight miles, northbound one-two
thousand four hundred, decending, altitude unverified, possible glider
traffic."
The good news is that some glider orgs have developed a Letter of
Agreement with local ATC facilities for specific codes while in their
airspace. The bad news is now the FAA has random facilities which are
not really in compliance with JO 7110.66D. How they will deal with
that remains to be seen but I'm guessing (by virtue of having spent 25
years in ATC) they will do nothing but publish the new order in Feb.
of next year which will include the code change.
I suspect the best way to deal with the the code specific ATC
facilities is to squawk the specific code until this is all sorted
out...if it ever is.
As a retired pilot for SkyWest Airlines(I seem to have been doing a
lot of retiring over the past few years) I can tell you that being
able to see traffic on a TCAS set sure made life easier but then I
would worry about the traffic I didn't see.

Bill Hill

On May 24, 7:13*am, zulu wrote:
*I can tell you that being
able to see traffic on a TCAS set sure made life easier but then I
would worry about the traffic I didn't see.

I think you were in a very small minority if you worried about traffic
not painted on TCAS and not reported by ATC.

From my observation of flight test and line crews most do not even
consider the possibility there could be other traffic out there and
they certainly spend no time looking for it. (Before you line pilots
that are also glider pilots jump on me - I said most, not all).

On a recent test flight a TA in a head on situation received no
attention at all until it turned into an RA. That incident was in a
glider hot spot but was not glider traffic.

Andy