[Scan-DC] Mil Log from a couple days ago.. Presidential secret trip activity?

Tue, 02 Dec 2003 12:27:17 -0500

To expand even further on Ed�s email:

In civil aviation it�s called Mode �3� or Mode �C�.  
In addition to 7700 and 7600, a squawk of 7500 
means �no radio�. And, a squawk of 1200 means the 
pilot is flying VFR.  Sometimes a controller may 
say �Squawk VFR� or �that aircraft is a 1200 squawker� 
to another aircraft.  It�s the same thing.

In military aviation there is also �Mode 1�, �Mode 2�, 
and �Mode IV�.  Mode 1 is a military-only two-digit, 
pilot changeable used to distinguish friendly 
aircraft, usually a flight of 4 air-to-air fighters 
(e.g. a four-ship of F-15s), from other four-ships on 
Combat Air Patrol (CAP).  Mode 2 is a military-only 4-
digit code that is set before takeoff and cannot be 
changed in flight.  It is most commonly used by 
USAF/ANG air defense aircraft to identify them to 
ground controllers.  It is also used by the USN and it 
directly correlates to the air wing and 3-digit 
aircraft side number.  Example: 2104 would be an F-18 
with side number 104 of Carrier Air Wing 2.

Mode IV is a little different and involves loading 
crypto.  Simply, when Mode IV is interrogated by a 
radar station (ground or airborne [AWACS]) or by air-
to-air fighters, it will return as a �friendly� or 
nothing.  Mode IV is designed for use in combat where 
a quick ID of aircraft is needed.  I hope this is 
informative and helpful

Rick
Former AWACS guy

--- Original Message ---
From: "Ed Tobias" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Mil Log from a couple days 
ago.. Presidential secret trip activity?

>A little further explanation, in case you haven't 
been in a pilot's seat.
>Aircraft flying under instrument rules are assigned 4-
digit transponder
>codes, so they can be identified on radar.  So, when 
ATC tells a pilot to
>squawk "1234" he's instructing him to dial that 
number into the transponder.
>The number might be changed if the aircraft flew from 
one ATC sector to
>another.
>
>It used to be, if I remember correctly (I haven't 
flown in 20 years), that
>if a pilot dialed a squawk of 7700 it indicated an 
emergency and 7600 a
>hijack.
>
>Ed
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: <[email protected]>
>To: <[email protected]>
>Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2003 7:39 PM
>Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Mil Log from a couple days 
ago.. Presidential secret
>trip activity?
>
>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 14:49:06 -0500 "Emissary" 
<[email protected]>
>> writes:
>> > The majority of the traffic was logged within 5-
10 min after turning
>> > on my
>> > radio.. This was all logged over a period of an 
hour or so.. Very
>> > unusual
>> > for me to hear so much.. at one time..
>> ....
>>
>> >     CESSNA 99137/ Enroute to "practice area" 
squawking military
>> >     REDHAWK 729/ SQUAWKING Military Code enroute 
to Practice Area"
>> >     REDHAWK 732/ " "
>>
>> What is this "squawk" thing? I hear it all the 
time - "squawk", followed
>> by a four-digit number.
>>
>> Sure, I could look it up, but that would be work.
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