Squawk Code Question

Finally, a place for sport pilot instructors and/or wannabees to talk about instructing.

Moderator: drseti

Flocker
Posts: 635
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Atlanta GA; Home Airport: PDK

Squawk Code Question

Post by Flocker »

Had a unique experience today flying into KCSG. I flew VFR without flight following until I was 15NM out. At 15, I made the call to CSG tower. They assigned me a squawk code. This was a first. I dialed it in and we landed without issue. Just curious, why would the tower assign a discreet squawk code? I fly in and out of one of the busiest Class-D's in Georgia and have never been given a squawk code by the tower. Any idea on why they did this?
Last edited by Flocker on Mon Sep 16, 2013 6:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
Aviation Real Estate Broker
FlyingForFun
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:41 pm

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by FlyingForFun »

Delete
Last edited by FlyingForFun on Mon Sep 16, 2013 11:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Flocker
Posts: 635
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Atlanta GA; Home Airport: PDK

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by Flocker »

FlyingForFun wrote:When you fly into PDK, do you contact Atlanta approach first? If not, you probably should. They will give you a code and vectors then hand you off to the tower. Well, they may not necessarily give you vectors. Of course you do if you go through the class B.
Not necessarily. Either way, the only time I've been given a squawk code is from TRACON/Approach. Never from a tower.
For what it's worth, the airport wasn't busy at the time we landed.
Aviation Real Estate Broker
User avatar
drseti
Posts: 7227
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:42 pm
Location: Lock Haven PA
Contact:

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by drseti »

Not all towers have BRITE RADAR installed. those in Class C, ARSAs, or TRSAs generally do, but so might some other Class Ds. This one obviously does, so a squawk code makes sense.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Flocker
Posts: 635
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Atlanta GA; Home Airport: PDK

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by Flocker »

drseti wrote:Not all towers have BRITE RADAR installed. those in Class C, ARSAs, or TRSAs generally do, but so might some other Class Ds. This one obviously does, so a squawk code makes sense.
After researching "Brite Radar" - it now makes sense. Thanks!
Aviation Real Estate Broker
CTLSi
Posts: 783
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 7:38 pm

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by CTLSi »

......
Last edited by CTLSi on Mon Dec 01, 2014 11:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
FlyingForFun
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:41 pm

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by FlyingForFun »

Delete
Last edited by FlyingForFun on Mon Sep 16, 2013 11:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CTLSi
Posts: 783
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 7:38 pm

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by CTLSi »

......
Last edited by CTLSi on Mon Dec 01, 2014 11:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
FlyingForFun
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:41 pm

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by FlyingForFun »

Delete
Last edited by FlyingForFun on Mon Sep 16, 2013 11:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
CharlieTango
Posts: 1000
Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2006 10:04 am
Location: Mammoth Lakes, California

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by CharlieTango »

FlyingForFun wrote:...His only question was why did the tower give him the squawk.
We might need to ask the controller on this one. Sometimes Van Nuys Tower will give me a code to squawk yet they apparently don't have radar.

In 2000 Jim Carey's Gulf Stream had a mid-air approaching Van Nuys and a contributing factor was the wrong code being squawked by the King Air. The report implies that its SoCal approach has the radar and advises Van Nuys tower. I guess when they give me a code they pass it along to SoCal and get help from SoCal on traffic?

The ‘Invisible’ King Air

King Air N1801B’s apparent invisibility to Van Nuys Tower resulted in no small part from its transponder being set to 0226 rather than the tower-assigned 0220. The pilot had previously mistaken “6” in the transponder display’s far-right segment for “0” when told by Los Angeles Center to switch from 4626 to 1200 and contact Van Nuys Tower.

Code 0226 was assigned to LAX Tower traffic, and “because the Beech was outside Los Angeles’ airspace, the ATC computer automation software placed the Beech’s radar target display in ‘suspend’ status,” the NTSB report explained. As a result, N1801B’s target was displayed without its altitude and aircraft identification data block, making it impossible for SoCal Approach to pass on accurate information to Van Nuys Tower.

Only when the ATC conflict alert activated 1 min 14 sec before the collision was the Beech’s mode-C altitude and aircraft data displayed. SoCal, which had no previous contact with the King Air, only then was able to identify it. By that time, both N162JC and N1801B were talking on 119.3 MHz, VNY’s Tower frequency.

The NTSB report said the King Air pilot later told an FAA inspector that the Honeywell Bendix/King KT 76 transponder “…installed in a low location and to the right of the center avionics rack…was [in] a difficult location to reach across from the pilot’s seat to set…and read the characters at the same time.”
Flocker
Posts: 635
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:16 am
Location: Atlanta GA; Home Airport: PDK

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by Flocker »

FlyingForFun wrote:His only question was why did the tower give him the squawk.
Exactly. Please substitute "dialed it in" for "accepted" in my previous post.
Aviation Real Estate Broker
User avatar
MrMorden
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:28 am
Location: Athens, GA

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by MrMorden »

I didn't get a code, but flying into AHN over the weekend on initial call up I was asked to ident.
Andy Walker
Athens, GA
Sport Pilot ASEL, LSRI
2007 Flight Design CTSW E-LSA
User avatar
FastEddieB
Posts: 2880
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 9:33 pm
Location: Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by FastEddieB »

One more thought...

...rather than speculate, it's pretty easy to come up with the phone number of any ATC facility.

Why not call them? The few times I have called with a question, I've always found them polite and forthcoming.
Fast Eddie B.
Sky Arrow 600 E-LSA • N467SA
CFI, CFII, CFIME
[email protected]
CTLSi
Posts: 783
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2013 7:38 pm

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by CTLSi »

......
Last edited by CTLSi on Mon Dec 01, 2014 11:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
drseti
Posts: 7227
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2009 6:42 pm
Location: Lock Haven PA
Contact:

Re: Squawk Code Question

Post by drseti »

<thread drift>
Years ago, I was flying a vertigo training simulator, based upon the cockpit of a USAF T-38. In the sim, the transponder was at the very bottom of the avionics stack, behind the center stick, just inches off the floor. After having me put the aircraft into a steep (3g) turn, the sim instructor (playing ATC) gave me a transponder code change: "blue eagle five, squawk 2234 and ident."

The first time I did this, the act of leaning way forward to reach the transponder put my inner ear into equilibrium limbo, and I was inverted before I knew what was happening.

The second time I flew the scenario, I was ready. When I got the transponder code change, I replied "unable." :wink:

</thread drift>
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
facebook.com/SportFlying
SportPilotExaminer.US
Post Reply