Squawk or Squawk and ident

[dwshimoda]

Hi all,

Firstly, I've done a search and found numerous discussions that are similar, but they all appear to relate to commercial traffic, not private pilots. I'm hoping you ATCO's can answer my question and I can therefore make your life a tiny bit easier, or at least stop pi55ing you off!

When I transit Class D, or enter a MATZ, I'm nearly always given a squawk. Occasionally I'm asked to ident, but not always. Upon selecting the squawk shoud I be automatically identing, which I do currently, or does that cause an annoying blip or something for you guys that is distracting?

I seem to spend half my flight time transiting Luton currently, and don't want to keep annoying them!

All answers greatly appreciated.

DW

[spekesoftly]

Only squawk 'Ident' when instructed by ATC. Otherwise you might cause an aircraft to be mis-identified (i.e. confusion with another a/c), that had been told to Ident.

[5milesbaby]

We validate you by seeing the new squalk issued being selected. If you already have a squalk issued we use the ident feature instead. At Swanwick we will ask you occasionally to ident if the computer hasn't captured your track as the ident tells the computer where you are for it to start its tracking feature.

[dwshimoda]

5milesbaby,

That makes it a lot clearer for me. Will amend by actions accordingly.

Thanks for the reposnse.

DW

[Evil J]

And much is down to the individual controller, some people will ask for a squawk with ident some (like me) just ask for the squawk. Personally I think the ident is unecessary as seeing the discrete squawk is enough, if it callsign converts before I see the code I just use the cursor to temporarily de-select the code and check it - maybe some of the...ahem..older generation of people I work with (no names almost prof) perhaps dont know that can be done!!:E :E

[VectorLine]

There was a TOI issued some time ago that said we (NATS ATCOs) must not instruct change of squawk and ident at the same time. Something that might upset the fragile NAS system.

A change of squawk can be issued but if ident is required it should be issued after the number change