How many VFR aircraft in class E will have non functioning transponders from either faults or finger problems?
Can't really tell if the transponder is not working properly ... a no-mode C radar track could be anything from A015 to F180/F245!
This non-incident certainly highlighted the need to look for non-mode C radar tracks ... and now that I'm looking .... there's lots more than I thought ... and lots appearing in the path of RPT traffic.
How hard is it for a controller to say to a 73 " unverified traffic 10nm ahead 12 O'clock "? ( and even " altitude unknown" )
If you've got lots of time to scan for VFRs ... not that hard ... but makes separating difficult when the IFRs divert in the middle of a tight traffic sequences ... its no longer air traffic
control ... and this is happening more than you might think!