Stansted Transponder Mandatory Zone Consultation goes live

[PiperCubFlyer]

NATS Stakeholder Consultation starts on Monday. A copy of the consultation document is available here. (http://idisk.mac.com/pipercubflyer-Public?view=web)

[Jim59]

Where did you find out about the consultation?

From where can the original documents be downloaded?

Thanks

[PiperCubFlyer]

Via GATCO as an identified stakeholder. The document will also be available at Airspace developments - NATS (http://www.nats.co.uk/text/52/airspace_change_proposals.html) but is not there yet. Presumably after Monday when the consultation officially starts.

[NorthSouth]

I may be missing something but

(a) it seems highly anomalous to propose mandatory transponders below Stansted's CAS when they're not mandatory in the CAS above or inside it. What this will mean if implemented is that non-transponding aircraft will be prohibited from the Stansted CTR. Assuming the same logic is applied round other CTRs it will achieve by the back door what the Mode S proposals have so far failed to achieve.

(b) this proposal seems to be saying that the long-standing policy of deemed separation between IFR traffic inside a CTA and unknown primary-only traffic (apparently) beneath is inadequate and should be abandoned. But there has been no discussion of this as a general principle. Mandatory transponders would mainly address the risk of vertical infringement of a CTA from below. But the figures in the consultation document show that they have no idea whether this is a significant risk. 78.5% of Stansted infringements were by transponder-equipped aircraft but it gives no breakdown of how many of those were vertical infringements. The infringement stats probably do understate vertical infringements by primary-onlies (since you don't know unless it causes an airprox) but the only way to gauge how much they're under-reported is by looking at the proportion of infringements by Mode C equipped a/c that were vertical infringements. Without those data the proposal looks very weak on justifying evidence.

NS

[Minesapint]

Are you suggesting that transponders are not mandatory in UK controlled airspace?

[Radarspod]

If you are flying VFR in some controlled airspace (Class D?) then you don't need one...much to my surprise also. Thankfully the CAA transponder carriage rule changes are addressing this.

RS

[NorthSouth]

Are you suggesting that transponders are not mandatory in UK controlled airspace? Yes. No requirement for transponders for any aircraft flying VFR in any controlled airspace below 10,000 feet, with the partial exception of the Scottish TMA above 6,000 feet.