My wife and I went on a little cross country to the Portland area for Sat. night. On the way north, Seattle Center passed me to Cascade approach as we were using flight following. So, I change frequency's and let Cascade approach know I am "with them at 5500." The controller comes back and asks me what category my PA22/20 was. I tell him that I did not copy to buy some time as I don't know what he is talking about. He comes back and asks "are you type alpha or uniform?" I still don't know what he is talking about. He is getting a little fed up with me and says "what navigational equipment are you using?" I thought that telling him I was using a GPS was a little elementary so I tell him weakly that "I am VFR." He has had enough and says "nevermind."

I use flight following fairly often and have never been asked this question, at least not in this way. What am I missing?

Highroad

Look at a flight plan form. There is usually a section that defines, in phonetics, what type and or combination of navigation / communication equipment the plane has.

You should only have to figure it out once, unless you change planes.

Nufffornow

Chris C.

He asked you what your equipment suffix was. If you are using GPS say "slant golf". If you only have a transponder, mode C and VOR nav then you are slant alpha.

highroad,
Cascade approach was asking you if your aircraft was was DME equipped. Typically when you file a flight plan, not that you have to do that in order to get flight following, you would indicate after your aircraft type with a suffix ie. PA-22-20/U (or whatever your special equipment is, based on the list below). As you can see, a /U aircraft would be equipped with a Mode C transponder only whereby a /A aircraft would not only have an operating Mode C transponder but also equipped with DME. He apparently was going to give you some type of advisory or clearance that would have required DME. I fly a fair amount in the Willamette Valley and typically find Cascade approach quite helpful. I hope this answers you question.
drifter

/X No transponder
/T Transponder with no Mode C
/U Transponder with Mode C
DME
/D No transponder
/B Transponder with no Mode C
/A Transponder with Mode C
TACAN only
/M No transponder
/N Transponder with no Mode C
/P Transponder with Mode C
Area navigation (RNAV with LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS)
/Y No transponder
/C Transponder with no Mode C
/I Transponder with Mode C
Advanced RNAV with transponder and Mode C
/E Flight Management System (FMS) with DME/DME and IRU positioning update
/F FMS with DME/DME position updating
/G Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
/R Required Navigational Performance (RNP)
Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM)
/J /E with RVSM
/K /F with RVSM
/L /G with RVSM
/Q /R with RVSM
/W RVSM

Thanks guys.
I have not filed a flight plan since my solo cross country
Looks like I am /U. I have a ARNAV-50 in the panel but the card is way out of date and I don't really know how to use it so......but if I was using the ARNAV, looks like I would be /A?

http://www.gofir.com/general/rvsm/aircr ... suffix.htm

OK what designation for transponder with mode C and GPS.Does the GPS qualify as DME so /U ?

Bill

It depends on weather you're gps is ifr approved they can be en route or approach approved. Either can be used to replace adf/dme equipment for the purpose of ifr navigation.

Mike

From what I can tell, /U is Mode C and no DME. The list in Drifters post left this out although in his text this is what I get. Also, if you check the link that I posted it agrees with /U being mode C and no DME.

Tell them "needle,ball,airspeed,& stopwatch-- and ready for anything you can throw at me". When he stops laughing, he'll probably give you an easy transition and then leave you alone.

Eric

I prefer the "cat" "duck" and "whiskey bottle" form of IFR navigation, tell them that's what you got and use someone elses N Number

If you are VFR then any type of GPS qualifies you to say that you are slant golf. Don't get hung up on any type of IFR regs.

Bonanza Man wrote:If you are VFR then any type of GPS qualifies you to say that you are slant golf. Don't get hung up on any type of IFR regs.

I don't think so. /G implies enroute and terminal GNSS capability and you shouldn't include it unless you have that legal equipment capability. There is no code that indicates VFR-only GPS, nor should there be.

That being said for a normal VFR flight plan it matters little what suffix you put in there, as ATC won't ever see your plan. You don't have to put one at all.

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:

Bonanza Man wrote:If you are VFR then any type of GPS qualifies you to say that you are slant golf. Don't get hung up on any type of IFR regs.

I don't think so. /G implies enroute and terminal GNSS capability and you shouldn't include it unless you have that legal equipment capability. There is no code that indicates VFR-only GPS, nor should there be.

That being said for a normal VFR flight plan it matters little what suffix you put in there, as ATC won't ever see your plan. You don't have to put one at all.

The controller asked because he was inputting that info into his computer, we do that every day. There is no harm in telling a controller you are slant golf with a VFR only GPS when you are flying VFR. It's not like I'm going to give you a clearance.

Bonanza Man wrote:It's not like I'm going to give you a clearance.

Ok. I'll always defer to someone who does it everyday over some dry FAA guidance

But what good comes of telling a controller that you have a VFR GPS? I'm genuinely curious.

Bonanza man,
Thanks for your input. Good to have a professional on board

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:

Bonanza Man wrote:It's not like I'm going to give you a clearance.

Ok. I'll always defer to someone who does it everyday over some dry FAA guidance

But what good comes of telling a controller that you have a VFR GPS? I'm genuinely curious.

Well, the controller needs to put in an equipment suffix. Most of us just assume you have a GPS and put you in as a slant golf. It is irrelevant if it is an IFR GPS when you are VFR. I have two GPS's in the plane. One that could be IFR, a GX55, and a VFR only portable. I always say I'm slant golf if I'm asked.

Bonanza Man wrote:

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:

Bonanza Man wrote:If you are VFR then any type of GPS qualifies you to say that you are slant golf. Don't get hung up on any type of IFR regs.

I don't think so. /G implies enroute and terminal GNSS capability and you shouldn't include it unless you have that legal equipment capability. There is no code that indicates VFR-only GPS, nor should there be.

That being said for a normal VFR flight plan it matters little what suffix you put in there, as ATC won't ever see your plan. You don't have to put one at all.

The controller asked because he was inputting that info into his computer, we do that every day. There is no harm in telling a controller you are slant golf with a VFR only GPS when you are flying VFR. It's not like I'm going to give you a clearance.

Bonanza Man,

Correct me if I am wrong.....but aren't the nav. equipment designators meaningful only for IFR flight? Seriously ....I fail to understand the purpose of entering the information into "the computer" for a VFR flight. As you said.."It's not like I'm going to give you a clearance." Thanks for your contributions.

Bob

z3skybolt wrote:

Bonanza Man wrote:The controller asked because he was inputting that info into his computer, we do that every day. There is no harm in telling a controller you are slant golf with a VFR only GPS when you are flying VFR. It's not like I'm going to give you a clearance.

Bonanza Man,

Correct me if I am wrong.....but aren't the nav. equipment designators meaningful only for IFR flight? Seriously ....I fail to understand the purpose of entering the information into "the computer" for a VFR flight. As you said.."It's not like I'm going to give you a clearance." Thanks for your contributions.

Bob

To a controller there is little difference between a VFR or IFR flight plan. The data is all the same. And we're talking about the actual controller working the planes, not the AFSS guy working a PC. As a controller I want these things and these things only, whether you're IFR or VFR. N number, type and equipment suffix, altitude and route. If you're IFR you have a requirement to provide ATC with fuel on board, alternates and all that other crap. The controller does not want or need that and won't do anything with that information. You're right the nav info is only relevant for an IFR flight but whether you're IFR or VFR that info has to be put into the computer at the radar scope. Me personally I just assume everyone is slant golf if you're VFR.

Correct me if I am wrong.....but aren't the nav. equipment designators meaningful only for IFR flight? Seriously ....I fail to understand the purpose of entering the information into "the computer" for a VFR flight. As you said.."It's not like I'm going to give you a clearance." Thanks for your contributions.

My take on this is when your aircraft has turned into a glider with the windshield covered with oil it probably is not the best time to try to communicate w/ ATC what navigation devices you have on board.

If ATC has the appropriate info, they will be better equipped to give you help.

If it is severe clear and all things are running as they should, it probably makes very little difference in VFR.

TD

Bonanza Man wrote:
To a controller there is little difference between a VFR or IFR flight plan. The data is all the same. And we're talking about the actual controller working the planes, not the AFSS guy working a PC. As a controller I want these things and these things only, whether you're IFR or VFR. N number, type and equipment suffix, altitude and route. If you're IFR you have a requirement to provide ATC with fuel on board, alternates and all that other crap. The controller does not want or need that and won't do anything with that information. You're right the nav info is only relevant for an IFR flight but whether you're IFR or VFR that info has to be put into the computer at the radar scope. Me personally I just assume everyone is slant golf if you're VFR.

Interesting, thanks. I don't think I've ever been asked for my equipment suffix when requesting VFR flight following, wonder what they've been entering on my behalf

I wanna be RVSM