[QUOTE=Howard Hughes;2916357]Could I also add, it would be nice if aircraft fitted with Transponders
turned them on, even where there is no radar coverage in class G!!
QUOTE]
In the not too distant past over the North Western portion of the Indian Ocean....A Saudi B747 missed an An124 by the skinniest of margins.
(he called it as roughly the distance from the holding point to the runway centreline)
Both were travelling in the same direction, same level, off Radar, A class airspace.
The captain of the Saudi was very unimpressed to say the least.
Reasons? Bombay ATC had lost the plot, and the Antonov had his transponder switched...OFF.
Many of the Eastern European companies used to do the same.
The Saudi guys had no warning of the other jet until it was almost too late. Luckily the Antonovs nav kit wasn't as accurate as the Boeings or it could have gone horribly wrong.
If I had a dollar for every time I have had to ask heavy jets to switch the transponder on, I could retire in luxury
So this is a good point for all to remember, not just the weekend warriors.