Ramy wrote:
Here is a stunning article from one of the passengers of the corporate
jet:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/business/03road.html

No words about any collision warning. Very odd.

Yes, it does sound odd. Here's a question for those who know about these
planes, Brazilian airspace and/or Mode ES transponders:

- Would both the 373 and the Embraer be fitted with mode ES
transponders and TCAS systems?
- is there secondary radar coverage in that pert of Brazil?
- if a mode ES transponder is not receiving interrogation pulses,
does it still output the periodic squitter burst?
- would squitter bursts still be output if the secondary radar is
filtered so it doesn't interrogate the transponder?

Relevance to us: given that the CAA is trying to get Mode ES
transponders fitted to all gliders, etc. are there any situations when
am operational mode ES transponder is active but not sending information
and so would be invisible to TCAS or PCAS receivers? I'm thinking
particularly of cases when its in an area of poor radar coverage or is
being filtered out.

It seems to me that this could be quite a common situation for
transponders in gliders being flown at low altitudes in remote hilly
areas such as western Wales or the Scottish Highlands.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |