X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com From: "Doug Lomheim" Received: from omr-a020e.mx.aol.com ([204.29.186.66] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 6.1.5) with ESMTPS id 8018204 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Sat, 26 Sep 2015 02:25:15 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=204.29.186.66; envelope-from=dlomheim@aol.com Received: from mtaout-maa02.mx.aol.com (mtaout-maa02.mx.aol.com [172.26.222.142]) by omr-a020e.mx.aol.com (Outbound Mail Relay) with ESMTP id 83F613800087 for ; Sat, 26 Sep 2015 02:24:40 -0400 (EDT) Received: from [192.168.1.4] (x4db28352.dyn.telefonica.de [77.178.131.82]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by mtaout-maa02.mx.aol.com (MUA/Third Party Client Interface) with ESMTPSA id EC64938000081 for ; Sat, 26 Sep 2015 02:24:39 -0400 (EDT) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_397D917E-B360-4704-8AC0-96FB22529105" Subject: "Mode C" operations (Flying Related, Off Rotary Eng Topic) Message-Id: <54A1247D-900E-4DC6-97E5-95A921D1B265@aol.com> Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2015 08:24:38 +0200 To: flyrotary@lancaironline.net Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 8.2 \(2104\)) X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.2104) x-aol-global-disposition: G DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=mx.aol.com; s=20150623; t=1443248680; bh=gM7w456RN9a0YCzxscgMv35ZMPm765t51kucVGGfXwo=; h=From:To:Subject:Message-Id:Date:Mime-Version:Content-Type; b=XBW1x0GyaAcFym8CGRJHUZrMn1289Ew3yl41pNuudH7dmvfzGwCVtCQWe4kwGBf2A pV2kX6+Kf5iBFi06S/h/02t4eQ/CX2xmgY1kPHbKgZ77vtzgbXBueuiT1xmfhIK9cW oMsxEAcO2pWp31UNrc+vns2Iiqr4wZx8lPJwLajk= x-aol-sid: 3039ac1ade8e56063a274139 X-AOL-IP: 77.178.131.82 --Apple-Mail=_397D917E-B360-4704-8AC0-96FB22529105 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 It has always been interesting to me how few pilots really know that the = transmitted altitude from both encoding and =E2=80=9Cblind" encoding = altimeters, are always referenced to 29.92 inches of mercury; and = therefore are not effected by the pilot adjusting the local pressure = setting. This fact came out a few years ago when I participated in an = AWACS Red Flag exercise, where I went as a Reservist on the active duty = mission planning cell. Even though I was a =E2=80=9Cstaff puke", but = still talked them into letting me fly one mission =E2=80=9Cin the = seat=E2=80=9D as the Mission Crew Commander; and on that flight I was = amazed to see how this Mode C operational issue could cause so many = problems for the crew. =20 The basic issue came about since the E-3 was assigned to orbit =E2=80=9Con= the range=E2=80=9D, vs. in a standard FAA controlled E-3 orbit. = Therefore the E-3 pilots had to set and fly their orbit altitude = referenced to the =E2=80=9Crange altimeter=E2=80=9D, vs. the setting in = 29.92 (upon passing 17,999 ft.). The effect of this non-standard = procedure resulted in the E-3's altitude (on our scopes) displaying 200 = feet too low (due to the altimeter setting being about 2/10ths higher = than referenced 29.92). =20 So instead of our system displaying the normal =E2=80=9C290=E2=80=9D on = our scopes (for flight level 290), it instead displayed =E2=80=9C288=E2=80= =9D. Frantic calls immediately went up to the flight deck from the = Senior Director, who wanted to confirm that they were really flying at = 29,000 ft.! The flight deck confirmed this fact, and felt a little = miffed that a =E2=80=9Cback-end guy=E2=80=9D would ever think he = didn=E2=80=99t know how to fly his assigned altitude, etc. The Senior = Director then contacted the Air Surveillance Officer (ASO) and told him = the IFF equipment must be messed up, since the E-3=E2=80=99s altitude on = the scopes was displaying too low based on the altitude the the pilots = were flying at! The ASO said his equipment checked out good, but he = would check with the RADAR Tech. to see if he was showing any faults, = etc. =20 =46rom my perspective, it was amazing to see how much confusion this = little event caused among the crew, and how much =E2=80=9CSA=E2=80=9D = (situational awareness) it sucked out of the team, at a time when a/c = were starting to check in, and everyone needed to be focused on the = upcoming mission. Instead they were clogging up the internal voice nets = to discuss a MODE C issue that didn=E2=80=99t really exist! It soon = became clear that my active duty buddies had flailed long enough, and = that they weren=E2=80=99t going to solve the issue on their own, so I = had to step in and explain how MODE C worked, and that this was = completely normal, and the IFF system was also working as it should! = The mission could therefore continue=E2=80=A6so let=E2=80=99s get on = with it! =20 Upon landing, our Aircraft Commander still didn=E2=80=99t believe that = his manipulation of the altimeter setting in the cockpit, DID NOT have = an effect on what was transmitted through Mode C to the FAA centers, = etc. He had been taught at pilot training that he could fly below his = minimum altitude blocks and keep ATC from knowing it by adjusting his = alt. setting. I therefore asked him to perform a simple google search = of the FAA's web site; and there he found a couple of articles that = explained how Mode C works, and therefore confirmed that what I had = already told him was true. =20 All this just shows that even though we taxpayers spend a couple million = dollars training each military pilot; there are still some important = bits of information that get overlooked, and aren=E2=80=99t necessarily = included in the syllabus=E2=80=A6 :) Fly safe out there! Doug RV-9A / 13B (on-hold for a few more years) =20= --Apple-Mail=_397D917E-B360-4704-8AC0-96FB22529105 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 It has always been interesting to = me how few pilots really know that the transmitted altitude from both = encoding and =E2=80=9Cblind" encoding altimeters, are always = referenced to 29.92 inches of mercury; and therefore are not effected by = the pilot adjusting the local pressure setting.  This fact came out = a few years ago when I participated in an AWACS Red Flag exercise, where = I went as a Reservist on the active duty mission planning cell. =  Even though I was a =E2=80=9Cstaff puke", but still talked = them into letting me fly one mission =E2=80=9Cin the seat=E2=80=9D = as the Mission Crew Commander; and on that flight I was amazed to see = how this Mode C operational issue could cause so many problems for the = crew.  

The basic issue came about since the E-3 was assigned to = orbit =E2=80=9Con the range=E2=80=9D, vs. in a standard FAA controlled = E-3 orbit. Therefore the E-3 pilots had to set and fly their orbit = altitude referenced to the =E2=80=9Crange altimeter=E2=80=9D, vs. = the setting in 29.92 (upon passing 17,999 ft.).  The effect = of this non-standard procedure resulted in the E-3's altitude (on = our scopes) displaying 200 feet too low (due to the altimeter setting = being about 2/10ths higher than referenced 29.92). =  

So = instead of our system displaying the normal =E2=80=9C290=E2=80=9D&nbs= p;on our scopes (for flight level 290), it = instead displayed =E2=80=9C288=E2=80=9D.  Frantic calls = immediately went up to the flight deck from the Senior Director, who = wanted to confirm that they were really flying at 29,000 ft.!  The = flight deck confirmed this fact, and felt a little miffed that = a =E2=80=9Cback-end guy=E2=80=9D would ever think he = didn=E2=80=99t know how to fly his assigned altitude, etc. =  The Senior Director then contacted the Air Surveillance Officer = (ASO) and told him the IFF equipment must be messed up, since the = E-3=E2=80=99s altitude on the scopes was displaying too low based = on the altitude the the pilots were flying at!  The ASO said = his equipment checked out good, but he would check with the = RADAR Tech. to see if he was showing any faults, etc. =  

=46rom= my perspective, it was amazing to see how much confusion this = little event caused among the crew, and how much =E2=80=9CSA=E2=80=9D= (situational awareness) it sucked out of the team, at a time when a/c = were starting to check in, and everyone needed to be focused on the = upcoming mission.  Instead they were clogging up the internal = voice nets to discuss a MODE C issue that didn=E2=80=99t really = exist!  It soon became clear that my active duty buddies had = flailed long enough, and that they weren=E2=80=99t going to solve = the issue on their own, so I had to step in and explain how MODE C = worked, and that this was completely normal, and the IFF system was also = working as it should!  The mission could therefore continue=E2=80=A6s= o let=E2=80=99s get on with it!    

Upon landing, our Aircraft Commander still = didn=E2=80=99t believe that his manipulation of the altimeter setting in = the cockpit, DID NOT have an effect on what was transmitted through Mode = C to the FAA centers, etc.  He had been taught at pilot training = that he could fly below his minimum altitude blocks and keep ATC = from knowing it by adjusting his alt. setting. =  I therefore asked him to perform a simple google search = of the FAA's web site; and there he found a couple of articles that = explained how Mode C works, and therefore confirmed that what I had = already told him was true.  

All this just shows that even though = we taxpayers spend a couple million dollars training each = military pilot; there are still some important bits of information that = get overlooked, and aren=E2=80=99t necessarily included in = the syllabus=E2=80=A6  :)

Fly safe out there!

Doug
RV-9A  / 13B (on-hold for a = few more years)

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