Is it common for MIL aircraft to operate w/o ADS-B running

A Cal National Guard Blackhawk just passed overhead (maybe 500ft AGL) here in Orangevale.
Based on heading, it appeared headed for Mather Field where Cal Guard has a detachment.

It did not appear on the adsbexchange map. I was surprised since I thought what with SMF 18 miles away and
McClellan 9 miles away, and Sac Executive 16 miles away ADS-B would be required.

Obviously, I don't know very much about this topic. Thanks for your forbearance!

 

The answer is "depends". Depends on age of bird, equipment, and if the have approval to run without the parrot on.

 

Thanks. And also Thank You for the informal term for ADS-B!

 

British bombers returning from missions in Europe had a problem: German aircraft would join with the returning aircraft formations and sneak into England for surprise attacks. The solution? A radio transponder system the British called the "Parrot". The Americans had a name for it too, "Identification Friend or Foe", or IFF.

In the mid 1940s, radar was pretty unsophisticated, which caused a problem for the Parrot. The original Parrot transponder was so powerful, it masked radar screens, covering everything up on radio operators screens.

To solve the problem, radio operators would have Allied aircraft turn their Parrot transponder on at certain times to identify themselves. When they wanted pilots to turn their transponder on, they would say "squawk your Parrot". And that is where the term "squawk" originated from.

When radio operators wanted pilots to turn their transponders off, they would say "strangle your Parrot".

Transponders back then (and still today) have the option of numbers 0-7. That's because each number can be represented by only three bits, or three 1s or 0s.

In 70 years, very little has changed for the transponder. The original system had two numbers (0-7), for a total of 64 different code combinations. Today's system has 4 numbers, for a total of 4096 different code combinations. Basically, the only thing that's changed are two more knobs stuck in the middle of the transponder.

Mode-C transponders translate altitude into a 4096 code, starting at -1,200' pressure altitude (0400), all the way up to 126,700' pressure altitude (0042). So no matter what altitude you're flying (almost), your transponder can tell ATC what altitude you're at, within a 100 foot increment.

Transponder radio signal travels at the speed of light. A transmission only takes 20.75 microseconds, which means your transponder signal is spread across 3.35 NM.

From the google.

 

The real answer is they've only recently been required to turn it on, and they are people too. They just forgot. Everyone has done it.

 

Real answer is that the aircraft was below ads-b altitude coverage. Therefore it didn't needed to display, the aircraft was probably vfr or radar below 1000' and sqwaking and talking to local ATC.

 

Do you mean the low altitude prevented the signal from reaching anyone's receiver?

 

No, Basically it's is the case that the aircraft was at allitude which did not need to apply ads-b, because it was within general visual flight regulations and working a radar on local area coverage. I.E the pilot was talking to a controller.

 

Ohhh I didn't realize, so ADS-B isn't required below a certain altitude? So they're flying without any sort of transponder on, just voice contact with ATC?

 

To clarify, a transponder is a radar signal, so it's not that aircraft is without a transponder. But it's not using a ads-b signal. I suggest that you look at something like youtube(flight systems). It would be a better palace to learn from. You'll receive a better continuity.

 

Yeah, sorry, I don't know what a good catch-all term is for "automated radio signals from an aircraft providing identifying and/or positional information". I've been reading a lot on Wikipedia, the FAA, and various sites but a lot of the information isn't clear. At least from the perspective of someone listening for signals from planes.

 

The answer to your question is a definite yes! There's an army reserve H-60 & AH-64 group (at least a two dozen of them) down at Conroe airport in Texas. I seen these helicopters all the time, and I haven't seen more than a dozen them listed on ADS-b in the last 12 months. And I've seen at least 100 of them in that time; personally observed them including regularly flying over my property at less than 300 feet. They more often than not fly with no ADS-b connection to the internet.

 

The 64s in east Texas don't have adsb capabilities. They do output something that the website recieved because if you search thier tail numbers they come up but with no history. I'd love to find out what outputs even that limited data. The conroe 60s are in the same boat. They don't have the software upgrade, and the military has a hall pass on getting everything in compliance for a few years. Go figure the government has rules to be late on its own rules. But it has nothing to do with them being sneaky.

 

Sean, thanks a lot. I'm terribly suspicious of the activities out of Conroe airport, especially the Black Hawk and Apache helicopters. They've flown over my property dozens of times at treetop level over the past 5 years, and I'm sick of it. I raise axis deer, and axis deer don't need things like that. They are spooky enough as it is.

Combined with the fact DHS is operating out of Conroe doing things I personally believe are of the most criminal nature. I have a list of questions I'd like President Trump to ask the folks running the DHS office in Conroe.

They are at it right now! Flights out of Conroe at 7:34 am.

 

Sean, what about the 60s? I see more of then than the 64s. And they regular operate over private property below the FAA minimum of 500 feet. I can understand the military ignoring most things of a civil nature.

 

Believe me, the 60s out of Conroe are doing things they should not be doing. I've experienced it too many times. Last night I had 2 helicopter overfly my residence in formation. They were not listed on any internet source. They had to be 60s because they were less than 300 feet in altitude and sounded like 60s. I'm sick of it. It happens at least once a month, and I live in the middle of nowhere.

 

If you owned axis deer, you'd understand. I've had a couple run headlong into a fence and break their necks from things like this. That's $400 each. They are just spooky animals that don't need helicopters at 300 feet.