Radar Contact: Dealing with Air Traffic Control Without A Transponder

There are two types of radar used in air traffic control: primary and secondary. Primary is commonly referred to as skin paint. Radio waves shoot out from a rotating radar antenna, bounce off the skin of whatever they hit, and return to the antenna. These only determine a targets location via its range and bearing from the antenna. The distance that location changes in the time between antenna sweeps is used to calculate its speed.

Key Takeaways:

• When an aircraft's transponder fails, Air Traffic Control (ATC) loses crucial secondary radar data like altitude and squawk code, requiring them to rely solely on primary radar for basic location.
• ATC employs several methods to identify aircraft without a functioning transponder, including coordination with control towers for departures, matching primary targets to pilot-reported positions and headings, or instructing the pilot to perform an "identifying turn."
• Once identified, managing these flights requires pilots to continuously report altitude changes and ATC to use manual, verbal handoffs between sectors, increasing coordination effort but ensuring continued service.

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