Re: Radar contact before squawk

[David Brooks]

Ooops, wrong newsgroup (since this is a VFR question). Putting that right.

"David Brooks" > wrote in message
...
> I learned something Friday night while getting in some night solo time. I
> called Whidbey Approach for a few minutes of flight following and possibly
> clipping their Class C, and the controller annonced radar contact, and
then
> issued a squawk. I hadn't given my position (I wasn't too sure where I was
> anyway :-) ). He apparently didn't find it necessary to talk to me after I
> popped up with the discrete code.
>
> I was probably the only VFR target in his entire airspace, so there was no
> ambiguity. Still, question for the controllers, is it standard procedure
to
> announce radar contact to an untagged target?
>
> -- David Brooks
>
>

[David Brooks]

"Brad Z" > wrote in message
news:%Su7c.56442$_w.905441@attbi_s53...
> I've gotten that as well, usually when I've provided a specific location
and
> altitude during quiet periods were there is no ambiguity. Usually they'll
> say "radar contact, standby for squawk code" while they enter me into the
> system for a flight following.
>
> The fact that you didn't provide a position at all is interesting, but
> perhaps there was no other VFR traffic in his sector. Were you flying at
> 4am or something? If its a rental, maybe he recognized the "N" number to
be
> associated with a particular departure airport. Or maybe he's psychic.get
in

Whidbey Appoach airspace is comparatively small, and I wasn't kidding that I
was almost certainly the only VFR target around, although it was 8pm on a
clear Friday. Nobody but me and an IFR practice were talking to him anyway.
It's a rental so you're right, he could have known where I was heading from.
50% of the time it's a trainee behind the mike, so I may have jumped to an
unfair conclusion...

>
> "David Brooks" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I learned something Friday night while getting in some night solo time.
I
> > called Whidbey Approach for a few minutes of flight following and
possibly
> > clipping their Class C, and the controller annonced radar contact, and
> then
> > issued a squawk. I hadn't given my position (I wasn't too sure where I
was
> > anyway :-) ). He apparently didn't find it necessary to talk to me after
I
> > popped up with the discrete code.
> >
> > I was probably the only VFR target in his entire airspace, so there was
no
> > ambiguity. Still, question for the controllers, is it standard procedure
> to
> > announce radar contact to an untagged target?
> >
> > -- David Brooks
> >
> >
>
>

[John Bishop]

It's no surprise he knows where you are. In the UK the emergency frequency
controllers know your position by triangulation of the radio signal. Last
time I tested it, they gave me my position within four seconds after I
called them. This was without me giving any indication of my location.

Most serious radio facilities have this facility here, and I am sure they
had it also at Whidby, it's a busy bit of airspace.

John

"David Brooks" > wrote in message
...
> "Brad Z" > wrote in message
> news:%Su7c.56442$_w.905441@attbi_s53...
> > I've gotten that as well, usually when I've provided a specific location
> and
> > altitude during quiet periods were there is no ambiguity. Usually
they'll
> > say "radar contact, standby for squawk code" while they enter me into
the
> > system for a flight following.
> >
> > The fact that you didn't provide a position at all is interesting, but
> > perhaps there was no other VFR traffic in his sector. Were you flying
at
> > 4am or something? If its a rental, maybe he recognized the "N" number
to
> be
> > associated with a particular departure airport. Or maybe he's
psychic.get
> in
>
> Whidbey Appoach airspace is comparatively small, and I wasn't kidding that
I
> was almost certainly the only VFR target around, although it was 8pm on a
> clear Friday. Nobody but me and an IFR practice were talking to him
anyway.
> It's a rental so you're right, he could have known where I was heading
from.
> 50% of the time it's a trainee behind the mike, so I may have jumped to an
> unfair conclusion...
>
> >
> > "David Brooks" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > I learned something Friday night while getting in some night solo
time.
> I
> > > called Whidbey Approach for a few minutes of flight following and
> possibly
> > > clipping their Class C, and the controller annonced radar contact, and
> > then
> > > issued a squawk. I hadn't given my position (I wasn't too sure where I
> was
> > > anyway :-) ). He apparently didn't find it necessary to talk to me
after
> I
> > > popped up with the discrete code.
> > >
> > > I was probably the only VFR target in his entire airspace, so there
was
> no
> > > ambiguity. Still, question for the controllers, is it standard
procedure
> > to
> > > announce radar contact to an untagged target?
> > >
> > > -- David Brooks
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[Newps]

KP wrote:


>
> DF is hasn't been used in US ATC facilities for probably 30-40 years. It
> may have hung around a little longer in FSSs.


The AFSS's here and in North Dakota still have DF capability.