Frank,
Ozbusdriver was not implying VFR flight at 290.
And what is the statistical evidence that VFR are a threat at those lofty heights or in class E airspace where transponders are mandated, of which you are a vocal and irritating critic.
Ask the two 737 crews during NAS 2b what statistical evidence there is now about VFR in E.
As for whether a radio/ transponder is working or not, it should manifest itself on the M/R. Shouldn't it?
Yes it will. But the whole point of E airspace is you don't need a radio, and given the continued opinings of Dick Smith over the years, the first opportunity to not use it will be grasped. Also, an aircraft could be flying around for months outside radar coverage with a dud transponder and nobody would be any the wiser.
let alone comprehend what is being said or reply with any coherent advice as to their ability to know where they are in relation to a spinning planet.
Amply demonstrated by the pilot in the Tobago. I don't criticise him for that; after all, he was just doing what he was told by the NAS Implementation team - "shut up unless you're about to get creamed". I think it is unreasonable to have the outcome of a confliction assessed only by one side of the conflict pair, the VFR. If I know about him then I too can check that what he is doing is not actually going to threaten me. Do you believe that in the Tobago incident things would have got to the point they did if the 737 crew had been aware earlier of where the Tobago was?
It takes two to have a midair. To have one of the two in the dark as to the whereabouts of the other, when one is RPT, is not acceptable.
The other issue is that in E, I very much doubt the ability of most VFR pilots to accurately work out what is going on simply from the transmissions between ATC and the IFR. Once again, that's not their fault: they are not given enough info to work out what
is going on.
All these problems are created by the system. Now Captain Courageous, the mighty 7oh Sled, might say that the designers reckon "she'll be right" and the Big Sky theory will keep us apart, but that's not good enough for me, or my 115 punters, especially when there is no skin off the VFR's nose for being in the system.