Mandate the carriage and operation of Mode S transponders on all powered aircraft conducting international flights.
The CAA says that they need to do this so the UK can become compliant with ICAO practices which recommend that all aeroplanes and helicopters conducting international flights should carry and operate pressure-altitude reporting SSR transponders. In common with all other European states the UK has filed a difference on this but the CAA now wants to comply as part of this proposal.
Aircraft without transponders would be able to fly in class G airspace within the UK FIR or within the FIR of our neighbours right up to the boundary but would not be able to actually cross it. Such aircraft from Europe could fly legally within the UK but will not be able to cross the FIR boundary to get here. The UK will be closing its borders to these aircraft.
Clearly there is no safety case for UK GA here. The ICAO recommendation is designed to increase safety in parts of the world where adjacent countries’ ATC systems do not speak to each other and commercial flights have to arrange their own handover and separation. The Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and Central Africa are just some examples of this where transponders are critical to safety. A light aircraft flying VFR to or from France or Ireland is not relevant to this.
The suggestion that special corridors for non-transponding aircraft could be established is ill considered. Such corridors did once exist but were removed because they greatly increase the risk of mid-air collision over the sea which would inevitably lead to the death of those involved.
It is of note that the CAA has currently filed 603 specific differences to ICAO recommendations but it is now proposing to remove just this one.
Option 1 - Option 2 - Option 3 - Option 4