On Nov 25, 9:06*am, 150flivver wrote:

There was no reason to cancel flight following. *If anything, flight
following is more important if you experience equipment malfunctions.
A transponder problem is way down on my list of "serious" problems. *I
suggest she learn how to use the equipment installed in her aircraft
or at least read the manual.- Hide quoted text -

Yes, we all learn from that experience :-) I am sure she will be
looking for the Xponder manual. In my plane, I have the analogue
flavor, really nothing to learn as everything is on a knob.

Reason for cancelling flight following (my rational) was that an
improperly mode C reporting Xponder was worse then no Xponder.
Doesn't do Center any good to see us at an altitude we were not at.
Since we were in a busy sector of KJAN, troubleshooting while with
them wasn't a viable option. Since we didn't know how to turn off
Mode C, I figured shut the thing down.

We just made a very decisive decision and stuck with it. Not sure I
would do anything different with the circumstances. As a passenger,
one doesn't expect to "get involved" and that is all I was.

I don't think one can get flight following without an Xponder can
you? I did learn you can get it with Mode A and the pilot gives
altitude reports along the path from the comments on the video.

You are right, Xponder is not a serious problem in our situation. We
didn't consider it a serious problem or we wouldn't have left KMBO.

It **could have been** a more serious problem had we been inside
Charlie or Bravo airspace.