ADS-B out used by the FAA to watch you?

[SkyDog58]

And, I see now that they are expanding the low level spraying program to fill in the "gaps" using the Zika Virus cover story.

Oh, so you've been read in as well? Just keep it under your hat. Don't want to alarm the masses.

 

[kontiki]

I've seen airliners change their flight ID to funny phrases. It shows up on my GTN750 traffic page as well as tracking sites such as flightradar24. So why can't general aviation do it?

I believe flight ID is used to track the flight plan (it replaced transponder 4096 codes) when management of code assignments became too cumbersome in European air space.

Realize that at any given time there are probably substantially more than 5000 IFR flights in progress at any given time. Fast airplanes crossing the airspace of 10 countries in just a couple hours, overcame methods when NAS providers were assigned blocks of 4006 codes to issue to traffic.

The only way to change the 24bit ICAO code that identifies the registration in every mode S broadcast is to usually to rewire the pin programming straps at the transponder.

Some operators do probably have connectors that can be swapped out with different jumper settings if they have a lot of fleet changes, but I've never seen any practical justification.

It could probably be done with airplane personality modules top, but still changing the registration in a mode s broadcast requires a configuration change.

 

[bnt83]

I
The only way to change the 24bit ICAO code that identifies the registration in every mode S broadcast is to usually to rewire the pin programming straps at the transponder.

Some operators do probably have connectors that can be swapped out with different jumper settings if they have a lot of fleet changes, but I've never seen any practical justification.

It could probably be done with airplane personality modules top, but still changing the registration in a mode s broadcast requires a configuration change.

You're thinking typical Collins & Honeywell transponders in Part 25 airplanes. Typical part 23 aircraft transponders do not have wired straps like that and these 24 bit codes are easily entered or changed using the Setup/Configuration pages.

(section 5.2.12 http://www.mstewart.net/Downloads/GTX330_IM.pdf)

section 6 http://www.trig-avionics.com/library/TT2x-00560-00-AM.pdf

 

[kontiki]

You're thinking typical Collins & Honeywell transponders in Part 25 airplanes. Typical part 23 aircraft transponders do not have wired straps like that and these 24 bit codes are easily entered or changed using the Setup/Configuration pages.

(section 5.2.12 http://www.mstewart.net/Downloads/GTX330_IM.pdf)

section 6 http://www.trig-avionics.com/library/TT2x-00560-00-AM.pdf

You are correct, thanks for the heads up. Makes sense too, part 25 gear is huge and heavy. ARINC specs have pros and cons.

 

[bnt83]

You are correct, thanks for the heads up. Makes sense too, part 25 gear is huge and heavy. ARINC specs have pros and cons.

Personality modules are just starting to make their way into part 23 airplanes as well. The GTN series for example, that module kit was around $400 (if bought separately). G1000 has probably had them for a decade.

 

[Lindberg]

Damn, there are a lot of tinfoil hats out there.

If the FAA cares to bust you for something, they can do it right now. They have this fancy tool called "radar." It has coverage nearly everywhere. Even if you turn your transponder off. To hide from it, you would have to fly REALLY low, and then they would see you disappear. This would ATTRACT attention because it looks like a crash.

Surveillance is a safety feature. Don't get too stuck on a word. It's also used to monitor ground movement on large airports. Not to bust people for whatever, but to keep them from banging into stuff and anticipate problems like runway incursions or traffic jams, even when the Mark I Eyeballs can't work (poor weather).

That may be correct in a few places, but it certainly isn't correct as a rule. Approach here was unable to see me at all when my transponder malfunctioned within the mode c area. Which tells me that I could have flown right through B airspace and wouldn't have been spotted by anyone except other planes.

 

[Sundancer]

ATC radar isn't exactly fire-control quality of resoloution - not really built to find targets that don't want to be seen. . .