Ident on departure - LTMA
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Joined: Jun 2017
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From: London
Ident on departure - LTMA
Can anybody tell me why the London TMA ATCOs always ask for an ident, even though passing altitude may be given? Is it something to do with the systems in Swanwick, a habit, or is there a different reason?
Always been intrigued by this, so cheers for any responses!
Always been intrigued by this, so cheers for any responses!
Joined: Nov 2005
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
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From: Wildest Surrey
Even though your callsign is 'automatically' paired with your transponder code, the controller still has to positively identify you by observing you reacting to his instruction to 'squawk ident'.
Do not 'ident' until the controller tells you to.
Do not 'ident' until the controller tells you to.
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: I wouldn't know.
Interesting, in most other areas, especially in the rest of europe, pilots do not have to ident. Checking in with callsign, altitude passing and cleared altitude (usually the first SID stop altitude) is enough.
Joined: Nov 2005
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 12,458
Likes: 368
From: Wildest Surrey
It could be they are 'fed' with departure times which they can correlate with the aircraft's label appearing on their displays; this is an alternate way of identifying a departing aircraft provided it is carried out within 1nm of the end of the runway. Departures from LTMA airports often do not make 2 way contact immediately hence it is not done.
