On Mar 5, 2:54*pm, JS wrote:

* As previously suspected, military aircraft do not use transponders,
so they get your position verbally *from ATC but your current
transponder-based collision warning systems will do nothing.
Look out the window,
Jim

What gives you the idea that military planes do not use transponders?
All US (and probably most of the rest of the worlds) military aircraft
have transponders and are required to use them when out of restricted
airspace - mil flights are usually on an IFR flight plan with a
specific assigned Mode 3 squawk until they are in their exercise
airspace and can cancel - and then usually will leave one or modes on
(typically, a USAF jet has modes 1, 2, 3, C, 4, and S).

In addition, fighters can interrogate and detect other transponders
(think super-TCAS), while transports probably all have TCAS or
equivalent - remember, most airspace is not owned by the military, so
we have to share!

Where you can have a problem is with military aircraft on LLTRs - they
may be too low to detect your transponder until too late - so know
where the local LLTRs are and be careful near them. Same for active
MOAs - worth a check with center to find out if a MOA is hot - lots of
Guard and Reserve units train on weekends.

Looking out the window, of course, is always a good thing!

Cheers,

Kirk
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