Depends on where you want to fly. Where you need a transponder is defined by FAR 91.215. You can look it up online so I won't repeat it here, but the basic gist of it is over 10,000' MSL excluding airspace at and below 2,500' MSL, and within other airspace as designated in the reg that is too much to type here.
As a practical matter, depending on where you live and where you are based you can likely be fine without a transponder. I live in Jacksonville and have flown to Gulfport, MS without having to bother with restrictions, if I wanted to go as far as New Orleans a transponder would be a concern. Other than that, Orlando and Atlanta are the other areas in my range where I would need a transonder. I could land at Jacksonville International without a transponder with no problem though. You can get a waiver to fly into airspace and land without a transponder. The first time I did this I flew into Sanford within the Orlando Mode C area to visit Colin Rainey. I simply called Orlando approach on the phone, gave them my information and expected time, and they gave me an authorization number that was good all day, simple and pain free. Aside from the fact that you may not need the transponder it is nice to have. On my XC to Gulfport and back I tried to get flight following. With very few exceptions, most centers would not give it to me when I told them I had a transponder. Several of them said it was not possible because they could not see me on radar and some said they could see me, but would not give it to me without the transponder(probably depends on controller workload and laziness). I tried to do a touch and go at Daytona Beach once without a transponder when they were very busy and they said no. On another occasion they let me do it, but told me to get the transponder working before I came back. For some reason they had a problem with the touch and go, but said a full stop would have been fine. Go figure. One other thing to consider is that a KR does not show up very good on radar, or at all on TCAS, without a transponder. That thought crossed my mind plenty of time cruising along 2,000' over the clouds at 9,000'. I have seen jets pass under me and have heard controllers tell jets in my area that there is traffic at "altitude unknown" at their 1:00 position and 5 miles knowing it was me. Those are the times that you wish you had a transponder. Also, if you get a transponder you will need an altitude encoder. I don't know of any situation where you are required to, or would want to, have a transponder, but not Mode C. -----Original Message----- From: krnet-boun...@mylist.net [mailto:krnet-boun...@mylist.net]On Behalf Of Timothy Bellville Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 9:12 PM To: KRnet Subject: KR>Transponder Can anyone tell me if I need a transponder in my KR2 due to the fact that it has a battery ignition and some elec. instruments and strobe? Thanks Tim _______________________________________ to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
