Squawk 1200?

Groundpounder

Groundpounder

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Emerson Bigguns
Hey ATC'ers, if I am on flight following with a discrete transponder code, and you cut me loose to go to CTAF, but do not specifically say "squawk VFR", do you expect me to stay on my assigned squawk till I am on the ground?
 
If they say "radar services terminated, squawk VFR, frequency change approved" then squawk 1200. If they don't, keep your code until you land.
 
"Radar Services Terminated", "Squawk VFR" and "Frequency Change Approved" are three separate and very distinct instructions and one does not mean the other.
 
Groundpounder said:
Hey ATC'ers, if I am on flight following with a discrete transponder code, and you cut me loose to go to CTAF, but do not specifically say "squawk VFR", do you expect me to stay on my assigned squawk till I am on the ground?
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I dunno. I never let the situation happen. Either said squawk VFR, or if I wanted you to stay on the code you were on I would say so. There is a thing in the AIM that tells you to just do it in some situation. I don’t have time to go looking for it right now.
 
Shawn said:
"Radar Services Terminated", "Squawk VFR" and "Frequency Change Approved" are three separate and very distinct instructions and one does not mean the other.
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I never implied that it did if your post was directed at me. However I've heard and said same and usually they're all said at the same time. I used commas, not periods.
 
Timbeck2 said:
I never implied that it did if your post was directed at me.
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No, not at all. My point was that many plots think of that as just one instruction cuz that is typically what they hear vs three separate instructions then are caught off guard not knowing what to do if one or more is left out of the transmission for whatever reason.

At my home field, it is common to keep your squawk all the way to the the ground even after canceling FF. Airspace can be busy and even though they are no longer talking to you ATC knows your intentions when advising other aircraft.
 
In Canada we are required to keep our assigned code until landed, unless instructed otherwise (low likelihood). Some of you may be visiting us again ... some time in the near future. Thought this might help.
 
They’re supposed to tell you to squawk VFR / 1200 but if they didn’t say, I’d just stay up your code. Just don’t depart on your next flight with the old discrete code. ;)

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Shawn said:
...At my home field, it is common to keep your squawk all the way to the the ground even after canceling FF. Airspace can be busy and even though they are no longer talking to you ATC knows your intentions when advising other aircraft.
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Same on this side of the hills. At the end of my last flight, nobody told me to squawk VFR, so I switched it after exiting the runway at Palo Alto.
 
Shawn said:
No, not at all. My point was that many plots think of that as just one instruction cuz that is typically what they hear vs three separate instructions then are caught off guard not knowing what to do if one or more is left out of the transmission for whatever reason.

At my home field, it is common to keep your squawk all the way to the the ground even after canceling FF. Airspace can be busy and even though they are no longer talking to you ATC knows your intentions when advising other aircraft.
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Do they tell you to keep your code? Or is that just the custom there and the locals just do it?
 
luvflyin said:
Do they tell you to keep your code? Or is that just the custom there and the locals just do it?
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They generally tell us to keep the code, but if they do not then you are still required to keep it until you have landed. When you think about it, you get free extended flight following when under radar coverage ... and any potential future incursions :)
 
luvflyin said:
Do they tell you to keep your code?
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Sometimes explicitly, yes....sometimes I get "Squawk VFR", other times I do not...I just simply do what they instruct. Point being one or the other of those two instructions does not necessarily mean the third...and if ever unsure at least query ATC rater than just make an assumption.
 
Thanks all. The local atc has started saying "keep your squawk till the ground" at my home drome. They hadn't in the past, and I have been guilty of squawking 1200 when I terminated with them. Guess I shouldn't have been doing that.
 
Groundpounder said:
Hey ATC'ers, if I am on flight following with a discrete transponder code, and you cut me loose to go to CTAF, but do not specifically say "squawk VFR", do you expect me to stay on my assigned squawk till I am on the ground?
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There are some places where you must keep your discrete code even after landing. For example, the Washington, DC SFRA.
 
I was going through Canada back from Alaska. I was given a code from the tower ,after I cleared the tower control area ,they gave me a frequency change so I changed my transponder to 1200. Wrong choice as I was met by border patrol on landing in the states.
 
Velocity173 said:
They’re supposed to tell you to squawk VFR / 1200 but if they didn’t say, I’d just stay up your code. Just don’t depart on your next flight with the old discrete code. ;)

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ive been curious of this situation, so maybe at ATC can help. I keep my code right until shutdown at my base. Sometimes I'll forget to put the transponder on standby after shutdown. So what happens next time I start up, squawking an old transponder code? Curious what comes up on there screen, if anything.
 
jason gula said:
ive been curious of this situation, so maybe at ATC can help. I keep my code right until shutdown at my base. Sometimes I'll forget to put the transponder on standby after shutdown. So what happens next time I start up, squawking an old transponder code? Curious what comes up on there screen, if anything.
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It can be a problem. They will have dropped the track on you making that code available to be assigned to another plane. If the Radar is receiving replies from two airplanes on the same discrete code there are warnings on the Radar. They differ depending on the type of Radar, but they are there and the Controller takes actions to ensure they don’t misidentify a target. A bigger problem could be if the other planes transponder is not being interrogated and/or not replying, they could misidentify the other plane they are talking to as you.
 
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jason gula said:
ive been curious of this situation, so maybe at ATC can help. I keep my code right until shutdown at my base. Sometimes I'll forget to put the transponder on standby after shutdown. So what happens next time I start up, squawking an old transponder code? Curious what comes up on there screen, if anything.
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What kind of transponder do you have?
 
Unless you are specifically told to change your squawk code, why would you?!?! Excepting 7700, 7600, and 7500 of course...
 
So Tuesday, I was going back into the home airport, from the same direction as last time, they said squawk 1200 when he cut me loose to CTAF.
 
I think part of this depends on the type of airspace you are near, maybe in. If your destination is near the edge(could be under) a Class C for example, better chance of keeping the squawk.

If the airport is out by it’s lonesome, more likely told to squawk VFR.
 
It’s mostly controller preference. I used to allow a VFR to stay up their code if they were just doing a drop and go. Technically I still had no authority to override this though.

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