Mode S code?

I was looking at the FAA N-number database. Everything seems to have a
mode S code, even a friend's balloon that doesn't have a transponder.
Can anybody explain that?

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:22:56 GMT, "William W. Plummer"
wrote:

I was looking at the FAA N-number database. Everything seems to have a
mode S code, even a friend's balloon that doesn't have a transponder.
Can anybody explain that?

It's probably easier to assign a code to *everything* that has an N-number.
After all, the FAA may eventually require all aircraft to carry a
transponder. Plus, if your friend's balloon is eventually decommissioned
and the N-number reassigned, the Mode S code is already established.

Ron Wanttaja

"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:22:56 GMT, "William W. Plummer"
wrote:

I was looking at the FAA N-number database. Everything seems to have a
mode S code, even a friend's balloon that doesn't have a transponder.
Can anybody explain that?

It's probably easier to assign a code to *everything* that has an
N-number.
After all, the FAA may eventually require all aircraft to carry a
transponder. Plus, if your friend's balloon is eventually decommissioned
and the N-number reassigned, the Mode S code is already established.

I may be wrong, but isn't the S code unique for an aircraft? If an aircraft
changes its N number, does the S code change too? If an N number is
reassigned to another aircraft does the S code change?

--
-Greg /X
S code: 53171652

G. Burkhart wrote:
"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:22:56 GMT, "William W. Plummer"
wrote:


I was looking at the FAA N-number database. Everything seems to have a
mode S code, even a friend's balloon that doesn't have a transponder.
Can anybody explain that?

It's probably easier to assign a code to *everything* that has an

N-number.

After all, the FAA may eventually require all aircraft to carry a
transponder. Plus, if your friend's balloon is eventually decommissioned
and the N-number reassigned, the Mode S code is already established.


I may be wrong, but isn't the S code unique for an aircraft? If an aircraft
changes its N number, does the S code change too? If an N number is
reassigned to another aircraft does the S code change?

My guess is the S code is unique to the transponder, not the plane.

William,

My guess is the S code is unique to the transponder, not the plane.


Actually, the S code is programmed into the transponder in setup mode
and can be changed any time. The code is issued by the aviation
authorities for an aircraft registration number. Or, in the case of
airline flights, the actual flight number is programmed into the
transponder, which, as you can imagine, changes quite a bit.

With our German GTX330 installation, the LBA (German FAA-equivalent)
issued a hex code upon installation for our aircraft which was then put
into the transponder.


--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

"William W. Plummer" wrote in message news:cxSJc.104956 I may be wrong, but isn't the S code
unique for an aircraft? If an aircraft
changes its N number, does the S code change too? If an N number is
reassigned to another aircraft does the S code change?

My guess is the S code is unique to the transponder, not the plane.

The Mode S goes with the aircraft. Each aircraft registration has a mode S. It's
constant whether the N number changes or what transponder is in the aircraft.

Ron,

Each aircraft registration has a mode S. It's
constant whether the N number changes


What's the difference between N number and aircraft registration in
the above quote?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

"Thomas Borchert" wrote in message ...
Ron,

Each aircraft registration has a mode S. It's
constant whether the N number changes


What's the difference between N number and aircraft registration in
the above quote?

You can change the N number. The Mode S is tied to the aircraft itself (the
model and serial #).

Ron Natalie wrote:
"Thomas Borchert" wrote in message ...

Ron,


Each aircraft registration has a mode S. It's
constant whether the N number changes


What's the difference between N number and aircraft registration in
the above quote?


You can change the N number. The Mode S is tied to the aircraft itself (the
model and serial #).

So the Mode S number bound to the airframe. Is that the Airworthiness
Certificate? It's all sort of strange because you can replace your
transponder, a wing, radios, fuel tanks, the engine... just what is the
"aircraft"? One view is that it is the file card-size plate that
identifies the aircraft. But I thought that has the N-number on it.

Let me guess: the aircraft is the same as the N-number and that cannot
be changed. The Mode-S number is simply a reflection of the N-number.
Removing the transponder from a plane probably requires the technician
to zero the Mode-S number in the transponder. Installing a transponder
requires the tech to lookup the Mode-S number based on the N-number

"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
news:3xhLc.132243$IQ4.127452@attbi_s02...
Ron Natalie wrote:
"Thomas Borchert" wrote in message
...

Ron,


Each aircraft registration has a mode S. It's
constant whether the N number changes


What's the difference between N number and aircraft registration in
the above quote?


You can change the N number. The Mode S is tied to the aircraft itself
(the
model and serial #).

So the Mode S number bound to the airframe. Is that the Airworthiness
Certificate? It's all sort of strange because you can replace your
transponder, a wing, radios, fuel tanks, the engine... just what is the
"aircraft"? One view is that it is the file card-size plate that
identifies the aircraft. But I thought that has the N-number on it.

Let me guess: the aircraft is the same as the N-number and that cannot
be changed. The Mode-S number is simply a reflection of the N-number.
Removing the transponder from a plane probably requires the technician
to zero the Mode-S number in the transponder. Installing a transponder
requires the tech to lookup the Mode-S number based on the N-number

The dataplate is the airplane. All the rest is just part numbers. A tail
number can be and often is changed and is not tied to a specific serial
number/data plate. The data plate does not have the N number engraved on
it.