danlj wrote:
And then there's the fact that some of us are essentially
invisible to ATC even with a transponder: when we thermal, we're
relatively stationary to radar, which then puts us in "coast" mode,
and removes our blip from the display.

In the USA, the radar will not remove your transponder blip from the
screen because you are circling; if the blip is from primary mode radar
(no transponder), it may be removed. Radar does know the difference
between clutter and a transponder!

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
* Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org