Feature Request VFR conspicuity code

[Alexander Arlow]

Hello Juha,

we recently stumbled upon the issue that VFR flights that have Mode-S in their Equip will always get the Squawk 1000 conspicuity code when within our Mode-S area since it seems all other SSR-rules are ignored once the plugin thinks the mode-s rule would apply. Would there be any chance to implement seperate conspicuity codes for VFR (7000) and IFR (1000)? 

Kind regards,

Alex

 

[Jonathan Hougaard (1457572)]

Are you completely sure 7000 is used for mode-S correlation of controlled VFR flights? Wouldn't they instruct the VFR flight to set 1000? Is Mode-S correlation really used at lower levels as well - not only above FL100?

[Juha Holopainen]

A1000 was meant to be assigned to IFR GAT flights only (as that's what most references I've found indicate), but it appears that the flight rules and GAT/OAT checks are done only after the code had already happily assigned the mode S conspicuity code. I will fix that. But I'm also interested in whether capable VFR flights are assigned A1000 in some areas, I don't see any reason why it couldn't be done. As A7000 is not really an assigned code, but rather a lack of one, I don't think making the plugin assign it makes sense.

[Alexander Arlow]

4 hours ago, Jonathan Hougaard said:

Are you completely sure 7000 is used for mode-S correlation of controlled VFR flights? Wouldn't they instruct the VFR flight to set 1000? Is Mode-S correlation really used at lower levels as well - not only above FL100?

Yes I am sure, I work with Topsky in RL and we handle VFR regardless of altitude by squawking 7000 and using mode-S readout only; except for areas that have bad mode-S coverage at low altitude.

2 hours ago, Juha Holopainen said:

A1000 was meant to be assigned to IFR GAT flights only (as that's what most references I've found indicate), but it appears that the flight rules and GAT/OAT checks are done only after the code had already happily assigned the mode S conspicuity code. I will fix that. But I'm also interested in whether capable VFR flights are assigned A1000 in some areas, I don't see any reason why it couldn't be done. As A7000 is not really an assigned code, but rather a lack of one, I don't think making the plugin assign it makes sense.

Just to make sure - my request was only in regard to flight rules, not to OAT/GAT state. I can not go into too much detail since I am bound by commercial in confidence, but in our setup Topsky does assign 7000 to all VFR flights and we keep them squawking that unless other procedures dictate otherwise. It would be nice if, somehow, we would be able to have squawks assigned to VFR with a rule or by any other means when they are mode-S equipped according to flightplan. It seems that whatever rules I create, the MODE_S area supersedes them all.

[Juha Holopainen]

Beta 11 includes some changes to the squawk allocation logic. For IFR GAT flights eligible for the mode S conspicuity code, it will be assigned when there is no current ASSR, or the current ASSR is a discrete code. If the current ASSR is the mode S conspicuity code, a discrete code will be assigned.

By default a VFR flight will always get a discrete code, but a specific "VFR mode S conspicuity" code may be set up using the "Airspace_ModeS_Code_VFR" setting.