Transponder obligation and identification obligation in airspace
According to German Air Traffic Control (DFS ), certain rules apply to the transponder obligation and recognition obligation in airspace. Both obligations are intended to make airspace safer by preventing collisions.
Transponder obligation and identification obligation
An aviation transponder is an electronic device that communicates via radio frequency interrogation. It provides important information for air traffic control (ATC) and the collision avoidance systems (ACAS) of other aircraft.
A secondary surveillance radar and an ACAS system interrogate the information from the transponder and thus make the airspace clearer. The transponder transmission therefore ensures the detection of other flying objects.
To which airspaces does the transponder and identification obligation apply?
All aircraft, whether gliders, free balloons or even hang gliders, must be equipped with a transponder in the following airspaces.
Class C and D airspaces, with the exception of the control zones, are affected. It therefore applies from 2,500 ft to 10,000 ft, which corresponds approximately to 762m to 3,048m.
Furthermore, this obligation applies in the Transponder Mandatory Zone (TMZ), which prescribes the use of a transponder with automatic altitude transmission.
The transponder requirement also applies to uncontrolled airspace at night. It also applies to motor-powered aircraft, excluding gliders, above 5,000 ft above sea level (normal zero), i.e. at the 1524 m limit.
Marking at night
To ensure that air obstacles are clearly visible to pilots at night, they must be made visible accordingly. Wind turbines or other tall buildings such as towers or chimneys must be visible in accordance with the regulations. To this end, the Federal Republic of Germany has followed international recommendations and implemented a General Administrative Regulation on the Marking of Aviation Obstacles (AVV). This specifies exactly how objects that protrude into the airspace must be secured.
The on-demand night-time marking (BNK) of wind turbines is currently only possible if the technical equipment of the aircraft is independent. A BNK transponder solution is fundamentally ruled out according to the current status of the AVV.
The experts Strauß and M. Rossol from the IT service provider b.r.m. will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
