New Nationwide Squawk Code

our local Jump planes were using 1201 and 1202 in an agreement with the
local TRACON.

Guess they are going to get Bumped.

BT

"CindyB" wrote in message
...

Fred:

Thanks for posting, but don't everybody jump the gun.

SSA had started this request for a national code, about EIGHT YEARS
ago.
Following the NTSB recommendations following the Hawker incident, the
FAA
finally got off the dime. They had told usin Feb 2009 this was
underway -
but NOT that it had been published and hit the streets.

Local soaring organizations should CONTACT their local ATC friends to
inquire as
to what the local ATC would now like to do..... keep their current
agreement,
or switch to using the nationally assigned VFR code. There may be
local
advantages to having the local agreements continue.

Please COORDINATE locally, to not make for any confusion in local
relationships.

An article has been posted to the SSA website, to further elaborate on
this
nice new development. Please consider fully the implications and
obligations
of using the glider code, and using see-and-avoid regardless. Having
a transponder
on and working, is not full protection from mid-airs.

Why didn't SSA 'know" about this coming active?
Because a few of us don't have the hours in the dark of night to read
ALL the
continuing flow of federal publications, and still be able to get to
work in daylight.
(Maybe I am qualified to be a congressional representative? ;-) )
And, the Feds didn't drop us a phone call to advise us.

Kind of like the same favorable change in data plate requirements.
SSA asked for it, repeatedly.
When it finally got shoveled off someone's desk, they were done
and no one told SSA about it.

Thanks for helping us find things as they enter the real world.

Cindy B
SSA Governmental Liaison Committee


SO, from now on your transponder should be set to squawk 1201 anywhere
in the US (including the Reno airspace, where we have used a different
squawk code by agreement between PASCO and the controllers.)



Please use 1201 squawk code in your glider transponder.

Fred LaSor
SoaringNV
775 790-4314
Minden, NV

Thanks for breaking this news, Fred.

I’m also surprised the SSA wasn’t on top of this. Did the RNO
controllers mention any other changes to the PASCO procedures that we
have been using in the Reno area for the past few years?

Michael Mitton

On 4/2/2010 2:59 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:


It's not at all obvious, as Cindy points out, that ATC everywhere is now
expecting all transpondered gliders to be on 1201 instead of 1200. It
could be they have not been informed, nor had any training in what to
expect from a 1201 coded aircraft, or how to respond to a 1201 code
aircraft that contacts them on the radio. It may cause them grief if
their radar display software hasn't been upgraded to treat 1201 as VFR,
and starts issuing collision alerts.

I'm staying with 1200 until I hear ATC is ready for 1201!



A soaring pilot contacted an approach controller at the tower in our
area today, and he said NOT to use 1201 because their computer is not
programmed to handle it.

Hi Gang and Fred
If I am flying my motor glider say in the San Francisco Bay Area to
San Jose in the self powered mode should I use 1200 or 1201. Think
about it? My Stemme is a glider (axillary powered) by FAA rules and
according to this ruling I should squawk 1201. How would ATC
interpretate this? That I am an unpowered glider surely? No I will use
1200 so that they know I have power.
I wish we had a more active involvement in this decision making -
the SSA does not seem to me capable of doing a good job here. Gliders
are considered below the radar and not worth consideration by most of
the flying community - a pity.
Dave





On Apr 2, 10:42*am, Fred wrote:
SoaringNV is sponsoring a Minden Wave Camp this week. *As part of our
camp we have invited the tower controllers from Reno TRACON to talk to
us about communication with them, something we do for every camp. *We
learned, quite inadvertantly, that a nationwide transponder squawk
code has been assigned to gliders: 1201.

SO, from now on your transponder should be set to squawk 1201 anywhere
in the US (including the Reno airspace, where we have used a different
squawk code by agreement between PASCO and the controllers.)

Please use 1201 squawk code in your glider transponder.

Fred LaSor
SoaringNV
775 790-4314
Minden, NV

On Apr 2, 10:42*am, Fred wrote:
SoaringNV is sponsoring a Minden Wave Camp this week. *As part of our
camp we have invited the tower controllers from Reno TRACON to talk to
us about communication with them, something we do for every camp. *We
learned, quite inadvertantly, that a nationwide transponder squawk
code has been assigned to gliders: 1201.

SO, from now on your transponder should be set to squawk 1201 anywhere
in the US (including the Reno airspace, where we have used a different
squawk code by agreement between PASCO and the controllers.)

Please use 1201 squawk code in your glider transponder.

Fred LaSor
SoaringNV
775 790-4314
Minden, NV

Does this mean that when the engine quits in my 150 I should
immediately change my squawk for 1200 to 1201? H...

I know your comment was intended as a joke; however, I would suggest when the 150's engine quits you squawk 7700.


"Haven" wrote in message ...
On Apr 2, 10:42 am, Fred wrote:

Does this mean that when the engine quits in my 150 I should
immediately change my squawk for 1200 to 1201? H...

Dave asks a good question here. He and I discussed this in the hangar
before he posted it, and I didn't have a good answer then. After
giving it more thought I tend to lean in favor of 1200 because he is
flying in airspace where gliders are not a common experience (into and
out of San Jose's busy airspace) and he can maneuver differently than
I am able to do in a Duo Discus -- which I wouldn't fly into San Jose
or the Bay Area in any case.

But I'd be interested in other thoughts on this question.

Fred LaSor
SoaringNV
Minden, NV

Does this mean that when the engine quits in my 150 I should
immediately change my squawk for 1200 to 1201? *H...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Only if you start climbing (thermaling or wave)

Dave:

It irks me a bit that you would sling rocks at SSA on this topic.

We wouldn't have this option of a nationwide, glider TXP code if it
weren't
for SSA asking for it.

If you want to fault us for not knowing when FAA finally enacted this
(eight years after the request began, and through several followup
inquiries,
and them enacting it in a publication where we didn't quite expect),
then
perhaps that makes you feel better.

And like many things legislative for gliders, all soaring pilots will
benefit from this whether or not they happen to be SSA members.
If folks find value from our efforts, maybe they will please renew
their
memberships in SSA.
I appreciate that someone(anyone) shared the information that this did
hit the street, as I don't spend every dark night trolling through
new federal publications . . . .

IMMEDIATELY - SSA provided informational guidance to members
through a news item on their web page. And the same guidance was
sent out to SSA Directors to share into the local levels.

I think it is appropriate that you use 1200 when you are 'acting' like
a powered piece of air traffic. When you transition to a soaring
activity and are more distant from downtown, you might like to
switch to a 1201 code use to enhance our 'visibility' as a
sailplane operation in the entire aviation/ATC community with your
very capable machine.

That would be an additional service to soaring.
(Now I'm headed back out to fly some wave lift.)

Sincerely,
Cindy B
Region 12 SSA Director



On Apr 2, 8:59*pm, kd6veb wrote:
Hi Gang and Fred
* If I am flying my motor glider say in the San Francisco Bay Area to
San Jose in the self powered mode should I use 1200 or 1201. Think
about it? My Stemme is a glider (axillary powered) by FAA rules and
according to this ruling I should squawk 1201. How would ATC
interpretate this? That I am an unpowered glider surely? No I will use
1200 so that they know I have power.
* I wish we had a more active involvement in this decision making -
the SSA does not seem to me capable of doing a good job here. Gliders
are considered below the radar and not worth consideration by most of
the flying community - a pity.
Dave

I think Cindy and the other unpaid volunteers are doing a great job.

However, why is the SSA relying upon unpaid volunteers for this type of
work? Can't the SSA hire a professional with contacts at the FAA to
deal with the FAA? Maybe pay AOPA to use one of their people part time?

The SSA has no problem paying employees to fulfill tee shirt orders, but
no money to pay someone to deal with the FAA?



On 4/3/2010 12:30 PM, CindyB wrote:

Dave:

It irks me a bit that you would sling rocks at SSA on this topic.

We wouldn't have this option of a nationwide, glider TXP code if it
weren't
for SSA asking for it.

If you want to fault us for not knowing when FAA finally enacted this
(eight years after the request began, and through several followup
inquiries,
and them enacting it in a publication where we didn't quite expect),
then
perhaps that makes you feel better.

And like many things legislative for gliders, all soaring pilots will
benefit from this whether or not they happen to be SSA members.
If folks find value from our efforts, maybe they will please renew
their
memberships in SSA.
I appreciate that someone(anyone) shared the information that this did
hit the street, as I don't spend every dark night trolling through
new federal publications . . . .

IMMEDIATELY - SSA provided informational guidance to members
through a news item on their web page. And the same guidance was
sent out to SSA Directors to share into the local levels.

I think it is appropriate that you use 1200 when you are 'acting' like
a powered piece of air traffic. When you transition to a soaring
activity and are more distant from downtown, you might like to
switch to a 1201 code use to enhance our 'visibility' as a
sailplane operation in the entire aviation/ATC community with your
very capable machine.

That would be an additional service to soaring.
(Now I'm headed back out to fly some wave lift.)

Sincerely,
Cindy B
Region 12 SSA Director



On Apr 2, 8:59 pm, wrote:
Hi Gang and Fred
If I am flying my motor glider say in the San Francisco Bay Area to
San Jose in the self powered mode should I use 1200 or 1201. Think
about it? My Stemme is a glider (axillary powered) by FAA rules and
according to this ruling I should squawk 1201. How would ATC
interpretate this? That I am an unpowered glider surely? No I will use
1200 so that they know I have power.
I wish we had a more active involvement in this decision making -
the SSA does not seem to me capable of doing a good job here. Gliders
are considered below the radar and not worth consideration by most of
the flying community - a pity.
Dave

Haven wrote:
On Apr 2, 10:42 am, Fred wrote:
SoaringNV is sponsoring a Minden Wave Camp this week. As part of our
camp we have invited the tower controllers from Reno TRACON to talk to
us about communication with them, something we do for every camp. We
learned, quite inadvertantly, that a nationwide transponder squawk
code has been assigned to gliders: 1201.

SO, from now on your transponder should be set to squawk 1201 anywhere
in the US (including the Reno airspace, where we have used a different
squawk code by agreement between PASCO and the controllers.)

Please use 1201 squawk code in your glider transponder.

Fred LaSor
SoaringNV
775 790-4314
Minden, NV

Does this mean that when the engine quits in my 150 I should
immediately change my squawk for 1200 to 1201? H...

Depending on your altitude, 7700 might be more appropriate.