Transponder inop for months (Alaska)?

[JimNtexas]

I was recently in Alaska and took a sightseeing flight from Fairbanks to Coldfoot on a Navajo.

The pilot was young, had spikey blonde hair and an iPod. But he seemed very competent and I never had any worries that we might not get there and back.

The Navajo was in good order except for one glaring thing. The transponder was removed and according to the 'inop' sticker didn't need to be replaced until September.

What's up with that? Is it some kind of Alaska thing or is it in general possible to sell tickets on a non-transponder airplane for months at a time?

I'm not criticizing the pilot or operator, I'm just wondering how this is possible. I know there isn't much radar up there, but geeze the bigger faster airplanes probably have TCAS even in Alaska. Certainly from what I saw nobody is shy about flying in marginal VFR up there.

It's not like a transponder costs a mint by airplane standards.

 

[jbDC9]

It's not like a transponder costs a mint by airplane standards.

No kidding; your pic shows a Garmin 430/530 combo in the panel, and those two boxes aren't cheap. Seems kinda silly that they can't cough up 800 bucks for a serviceable used unit to plug the hole.

 

[treefifeniner]

I was always curious about this as well. I've been to southeast AK on a few occasions and flew as a passenger aboard a caravan and a 206. Both of those pilots never even turned their transponders on. (Flew out of JNU). But at least they had transponders.

 

[avbug]

The sticker shows a Category D MEL item; it's a deferred maintenance item, given 120 days. Does that mean they'll be flying it like that for 120 days? No. But when a DMI sticker is put on place of the inoperative item, the effective dates need to be recorded, and are.

You folks assume too much.

What value is a transponder when there's nobody to see the reply? This is exactly the case in much of Alaska. Think about it. They're engaging in a legal operation authorized by their MEL and OpSpecs. It's not simply an arbitrary, haphazard decision.

You didn't happen to see a DMI sticker on the pilot's original-issue, Mark 1, see-and-avoid eyeballs, did you?

 

[JimNtexas]

A little thin skinned are we?

I never doubted that they were legal to fly, and I explicitly stated that 'I'm not criticizing the pilot or operator'.

I just wanted some clarification about the rules for this kind of thing. Thanks for providing that.

 

[Rally]

I think the real interesting thing is a a HO doing 200 knots over the ground. What did it have a 100 knot tailwind?

 

[FlyFlyFly]

Does the aircraft have ADS-B onboard?

 

[Kaudbron]

They should didn't they all get it for free or for a greatly reduced price.....in Alaska they call it Project Capstone
I heard stories of guys using it for holding in IMC and just using the MX20 display for traffic awareness on a VFR clearence.... could be just a story though

 

[drinkduff77]

I think the real interesting thing is a a HO doing 200 knots over the ground. What did it have a 100 knot tailwind?

??

The ho's I flew cruised at 185 kts. Although looking at the fuel flows in those pics he's probably descending with the power pulled back, which isn't very good practice.

 

[JimNtexas]

Does the aircraft have ADS-B onboard?

No, I asked about that. Both the flights I took, one from Fairbanks and one from Anchorage said the same thing, that ADS-B did not go to Anchorage or Fairbanks because 'we didn't kill enough of our passengers'.

 

[r1830]

In 1999 before Capstone was introduced in Bethel, as a Part 121 operator we were required to have a transponder and TCAS in our aircraft. Most all the other carriers based out there were VFR Part 135 so most aircraft did not have or require a transponder to be installed. Those that did have transponders hardly used them which made our TCAS almost worthless. The introduction of Capstone and ADS-B was a great improvement to the overall safety and most the operators installed theat equipment.

Radar coverage in the state of Alaska is spotty, there are spots were we are not in radar contact until 17,000 feet. A lot of VFR operators don't serve airports that require a transponder and therefore don't have one installed because it is just dead weight.

 

[avbug]

A little thin skinned are we?

Nope. Nothing invested in the question or the answer. Take it or leave it.

 

[JimNtexas]

Nope. Nothing invested in the question or the answer. Take it or leave it.

You're answer was a good partial answer to the question, but the overall tone ('you people'.... 'did you see....') was that of a person who is ass-uming way too much.

Your answer gives 'we people' the impression of someone who is protesting a bit too much.

 

[avbug]

You people? You introduce that which does not exist, and therefore post based on your imagination.

I made no assumption. You assumed cost was an issue. JbDC9 assumed the same thing. Other than that, by the time I posted, there was only one additional poster to address, so yes, you folks who posted, who assumed cost was the mitigating factor in the decision.

Given that you witnessed and photographed a MEL DMI sticker identifying the missing component and providing relief for it's presence, and given that a Category D has a known period, you had your answer before you ever posted. Assumptions that the transponder might not be in place for the full DMI period is presumptuous at best; you have no idea how long the aircraft might be operated without the transponder. Most certainly there is no reason to suspect, and no reason indicated, that cost might play any factor in the matter. Such assumption therefore, is unwarranted.

Seems you may be a little thin skinned yourself. You got your answer. Stop embarassing yourself, and be happy.

 

[JimNtexas]

You people? You introduce that which does not exist, and therefore post based on your imagination.
...

I stand corrected. You said 'You folks need to...'.

I stand by the rest of my comments on this thread.

Your OP was needlessly defensive and childish.

 

[avbug]

Very well, then. Keep right on embarassing yourself.

Did the USAF not teach you to think for yourself?

What a shame.

 

[Frozen Ronin]

With the mix of ADSB/Capstone/Chelton and transponders out here, it's kinda messy when you come up against the heavies with TCAS. The TCAS has no idea you're out there when you're on the 'stone, and vice versa. All TCAS sees is transpoders. All us Capstone guys are on the same page, and a great read it is, with the traffic and terrain display on either the Garmin or the Chelton unit. It'll be nice when the push comes for a complete transition over to ADSB (a 10 year plan? can't remember).

Anchorage pipes in the transponder aircraft into the ADSB fliers through the use of ground based transmitters. That was a mess while they sorted out those that were flying both with transponders AND the captstone units. Double vision on the screen was crazy! That's been tempered down from what I understand, I never get that far north anymore to see how it is now.

The answer to most questions from 'experienced' aviation folks, coming up to raise an eyebrow at those of us flying every day in AK, is that it's different, for a lot of reasons. Don't just assume something's wrong just because it's different. The exemptions and exceptions in the regs up here are enough to make an initial/new hire class pretty interesting!

Fly safe,

Ronin