Hypotheticals

[INT21]

Not sure where to place this. So please feel free to move.

Hunck, (I think it was Hunck) responded to a post of mine..

..It's another one of your hypothetical questions. Let's be honest - it's not going to happen. ..

I would disagree. Not in the specific case, but I would suggest that ALL possibilities and advancements come from some initial hypothetical assertion. Where else would they come from ?

Some one, somewhere, says 'But what if (x) should happen ? And responding, 'it's highly unlikely' is not a sound reason for not considering.

The question could fairly have been asked about the Malaysian Airways plane that disappeared. 'What if someone switches of the transponder ?'

Possibly the considered response would have been ' Who would want to do that, and why'. But apparently it happened. So the answer is to make it so that the transponder can only be accessed from outside the plane. Too late for the people on board.

And, if you consider that the (hypothetical) idea of things appearing out of nowhere etc is widely discussed here. would it be reasonable to say, no, won't happen; how could it.'

 

[escargot]

So the answer is to make it so that the transponder can only be accessed from outside the plane.

Like only being able to open the doors on a car with the fob from outside? We've seen how well THAT works.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Like only being able to open the doors on a car with the fob from outside? We've seen how well THAT works.

Usually, there's at least one lock left on a car when they do that. Just in case there's a battery failure.

 

[INT21]

Like only being able to open the doors on a car with the fob from outside? We've seen how well THAT works.

No dear, Not quite what I had in mind.

There is no requirement to switch off the transponder when the plane is in the air. Why would there be ?

Any work required on this device will have to be carried out on the ground.

Another option would be to have a device built in that transmits a 'Help, someone if fiddling with me' signal (on it's own battery supply) if anyone tries to turn it off.

 

[hunck]

My response was in reply to your post along the lines of 'China could, as a one party state, decide to go green in a big way with renewables etc'.

Yes it could but it doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon. It's along the lines of 'wouldn't it be good if humanity in general took a bit more care of the environment' or 'if wealth was spread more widely rather than accumulating for a few', 'if there was less corruption amongst the powerful', 'we were a bit less war-like'. Yes it would, but again..

In the case of the Malaysian aircraft, hypotheses/speculation/theory is all we have in trying to answer a mystery. Quite a lot of facts are known but as to the why & where..

So nothing wrong with hypotheses.

 

[EnolaGaia]

...There is no requirement to switch off the transponder when the plane is in the air. Why would there be ? ...

Transponders are not automatically 'on' at all times, and any requirement to switch the transponder 'on' is set by applicable air traffic control (ATC) standards and regulations in the area of operation.

At major airfields in well-regulated ATC areas, transponders are often expected to be warmed up on "stand-by" until the taxiing plane queues up for takeoff. ATC in the tower uses the transponders to monitor and control ground traffic.

Once aloft transponders can be turned off if the aircraft is flying under VFR (Visual Flight Rules). Silencing transponders is a means for de-cluttering traffic displays and radio frequency chatter.

Transponders can fail. The radio signals to / from them may be lost due to interference or insufficient signal strength. The loss of transponder responses can be caused by multiple factors other than someone deliberately switching it off.

In other words, the notion that a deliberate onboard action terminated transponder functions is itself a hypothetical or an assumption.

 

[INT21]

Aren't all hypotheticals an assumption ?

I was involved in a real life mystery involving a transponder not long ago.

A member on another site I visit noticed that, when using Flighttracker there was on plane that wasn't moving but always showed an altitude of 300 Ft.
Some slouthing turned up that it was parked up on an airfield (in Scotland) that was 300Ft above sea level. Looks as if someone forgot to turn the transponder off.

Once aloft transponders can be turned off if the aircraft is flying under VFR (Visual Flight Rules). Silencing transponders is a means for de-cluttering traffic displays and radio frequency chatter....

...In other words, the notion that a deliberate onboard action terminated transponder functions is itself a hypothetical or an assumption.

A hypothetical, yes. But as it can happen it should immediately draw attention. Perhaps it sould be a requirement that the pilot informs ATC that he is going to go silent.
Add an automatic squark at, say. ten minute intervals to reasure ATC that the system is working.

INT21

 

[INT21]

A quick tongue in cheek hypothetical for those amongst you with a nervous disposition.

Tomorrow, 29 Oct, there is going to be a rock 6 Metre in diameter passing between the Moon and Earth.

Suppose that they got the sums just a teeny bit wrong ?

INT21

I'm not joking, look it up on Spaceweather.