ATC IssuesA place where pilots may enter the 'lions den' that is Air Traffic Control in complete safety and find out the answers to all those obscure topics which you always wanted to know the answer to but were afraid to ask.
Is it true that when you atribute a transponder code starting with 7 other than the emergency ones it means amongst yourselves that this is a "dangerous" flight , like pilots with poor english , etc?
Blissbak but in reality I don't get to choose the transponder codes I assigne (most of the time), the system does it for me and they start with a 7 often enough.
codes starting 7 are frequently assigned by the computer
....and 7701 is one such routine ORCAM SSR code. Care required with selection...
So, to answer OP's question: no, a transponder code starting with 7 other than the emergency codes does not mean "a dangerous flight , like pilots with poor english , etc"...
You boring lot! Could have kept A320 dangling for a few days surely. Anyway the real secret code we assign to let all our ATCO colleagues know about the potentially dangerous flight is all 4096 of them
Are you guys from Europe? I forgot to say that I`ve heard it happens in Europe . My question came because I have a friend who flies for a chinese company and as we know their english is quite poor. And then he was saying that very often their are given codes starting with 7 because this is an unoficial way to let your coleagues ATCOs know a flight which requires special atention were on its way.
I heard that and didn`t believe that much because I had the idea codes were given by computers at Eurocontrol.
In the UK for the moment the computer at Swanwick assigns the SSR code according to the Uk SSR Code Assignment Plan. That plan is published in the UK Air Pilot ENR 1.6 available on line. In the not too distant future the code will be assigned by a computer in Europe.
If controllers are genuinely concerned they're dealing with a bit of a muppet, they'll coordinate that by voice line to the next agency. Coalface controllers - the ones you talk to - don't assign codes (at least, not for IFR scheduled flights), that's done well before you taxi in most ATC systems.
Coalface controllers - the ones you talk to - don't assign codes (at least, not for IFR scheduled flights), that's done well before you taxi in most ATC systems.
That's true. All of our LOCAL codes are allocated by the controller....and EVERY ONE of them starts with SEVEN...oooerrrr
Woodwork.....yes, several times I've warned receiving sectors about some flights. Good practice I thought, but you have to be careful how you put it. Me to the TMA "watch out for this kraut, he's a bit of a pillock" may have been factually correct, especially as he undershot at his destination and removed some of the approach lights; but it doesn't look too good in print (R/T transcript) on the subsequent report!
I once allocated 0469 to an RAF Wessex helicopter. It was about 10 minutes before he told me he was unable to select it. I had visions of him sitting wrenching at the switch all that time!!
