How to respond to “Ident” request?

15 Answers

1. 
   

   
   

   Ron Klutts on Jan 25, 2013

   Just push the IDENT, saying your doing is useless as he can see if you did it as fast as you can say it. And I’ve seen pilots take more time to say then do it causing a delay. If you just immediately IDENT its much faster.

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2. Best Answer
   
   

   
   

   Gary Moore on Jan 25, 2013

   so……..if you say nothing – how does the controller know that the correct aircraft responded to the “ident” request?

   I think you should always acknowledge any request…

   +6 Votes 8 Votes  2 Votes

3. 
   

   
   

   Chris Carlson on Jan 25, 2013

   how does acknowledging the request make the controlling any more confident that the ident on his screen is coming from that aircraft?

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4. 
   

   
   

   Brent on Jan 26, 2013

   With some exceptions, the AIM states that all callups should be acknowledged. My approach is to respond to ident requests, unless the frequency is extremely busy. AIM 4-2-3 includes: “You should acknowledge all callups or clearances unless the controller or FSS specialist advises otherwise. There are some occasions when controllers must issue time critical instructions to other aircraft, and they may be in a position to observe your response, either visually or on radar. If the situation demands your response, take appropriate action or immediately advise the facility of any problem. Acknowledge with your aircraft identification, either at the beginning or at the end of your transmission, and one of the words ‘Wilco,’ ‘Roger,’ ‘Affirmative,’ ‘Negative,’ or other appropriate remarks; e.g., ‘PIPER TWO ONE FOUR LIMA, ROGER.'”

   Just for kicks, I timed myself saying, “THREE FOUR FIVE, IDENT,” and it took less than two seconds. I can multitask by reaching for the ident button at the same time, so I don’t understand how skipping that step is much faster.

   @Chris: the controller’s additional confidence comes from the fact that he can verify that the the call sign he heard matched the one he expected, as opposed to someone else on the frequency responding to a request that was not meant for them.

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5. 
   

   
   

   Jim F. on Jan 26, 2013

   It’s not required. Some controllers or centers will have their preferences, but those are not mandated by regulations.

   If you don’t confirm verbally, the controller will still know the correct A/C did indeed IDENT because each A/C will be on a unique code. (Unless they have a 1200 IDENT, which I’ve never heard of, and not sure if they ever do.)

   As for Brent’s AIM citation, it’s not regulatory unless there is a corollary in the FARs. And even if there is, I don’t see how the simple action of IDENTing when instructed wouldn’t fulfill the requirement to “acknowledge”. Seems that pushing the IDENT button would constitute the acknowledgement, as it doesn’t specify it must be done verbally.

   Also Brent: Even though the few seconds doesn’t/won’t inconvenience you, it very easily may inconvenience the controller. What if immediately after he tells you to IDENT, he transmits to another A/C on a different freq. (that you can’t hear), at the same time you are verbalizing the IDENT. Now the controller head somebody (you) transmitting, but didn’t hear the entire transmission; He then has to take time to ask who the last transmission was and figure out what happened. This is obviously at very large inconvenience and can tie up the freq. quite a bit. Again, just because you’re not inconvenienced doesn’t mean it won’t affect somebody else.

   All that being sad, unless the freq. is busy, it really generally wouldn’t hurt much to verbalize it as well, but it is definitely not required.

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6. 
   

   
   

   Elliot Block on Jan 26, 2013

   You ought to respond.

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7. 
   

   
   

   Mark Kolber on Jan 26, 2013

   I agree with those who said there is no need to do anything but push the “IDENT” button in response to acknowledge the instruction.

   OTOH many pilots feel the need to say more than necessary (listening to the radio provides plenty of evidence of this). If you happen to fit into this category and feel the need to also acknowledge the instruction verbally, there’s no harm and no foul.

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8. 
   

   
   

   John D. Collins on Jan 26, 2013

   My preference is to respond. Usually when a controller asks an aircraft to “ident” it is for purposes of verifying radar contact for the first time. If you don’t answer, from the controllers point of view, if the ident isn’t seen, is it because you didn’t hear the instruction or because your equipment failed. It is also important to use your N number or the abbreviated 3 character form in the acknowledgement, or the controller might not know who got the instructions wrong.

   It is my experience that when a controller asks you to ident, they are focused on communicating with you. A typical exchange goes something like this:

   Pilot: “Charlotte, Bonanza 1234N”

   Controller: “Bonanza 1234N, say request”

   Pilot: “Charlotte, Bonanza 34N, 4500 VFR, Position 40 west CLT 270 radial, request flight following to Rock Hill”

   Controller: “Bonanza 34N, Charlotte altimeter 29.92, squawk 1234”

   Pilot:: “Altimeter 29.92, squawk 1234, 34N”

   Controller: “Bonanza 34N, ident

   Pilot: “Ident, 34N

   Controller “Bonanza 34N, radar contact 35 west of Rock Hill.

   My point is that one rarely gets an ident out of the blue and it is a part of the radar identification dialog and the controller is not normally talking to other aircraft at the same time.

   +2 Votes 3 Votes  1 Votes

9. 
   

   
   

   Bob Watson on Jan 26, 2013

   I’m with the group who responds verbally when appropriate. When everything works; i.e. you heard the request, your transponder is on and functioning, and the controller sees the IDENT indication on the scope, then a verbal response is redundant. When something doesn’t work, a verbal response (or lack thereof) helps troubleshoot the problem more quickly.

   Responding verbally lets the controller know you heard him/her and will (or won’t) comply. The IDENT indication on the controller’s scope confirms that everything works. If you reply and the controller doesn’t see an indication, then the controller might suggest “reset transponder” (i.e. turn it on). If you don’t reply and they don’t see an IDENT, they might call again and repeat the request.

   In any case, not responding has the potential to take up more time and cause a moment of unnecessary confusion if something isn’t working. However, the deciding factor for me, is because reading back almost all of a controllers’ instructions is a habit, it’s harder for me not to repeat a “squawk ident” instruction than it is to repeat it, so I do–if almost unconsciously.

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10. 
    

    
    

    Bill Trussell on Jan 26, 2013

    Wow Seth this question sure generated a lot of opinions. One more for the pile!

    First, there is no harm in responding to the request as John has suggested above although I am sure he would agree that the controller should be the first to abbreviate the aircraft call sign as he/she is the only one in a position to know if there are any similar call signs on the same frequency at that time.

    Also of interest is the technical limitations of the IDENT function. First, depending upon whether you are in a En Route or Terminal environment, the radar sweep rates are different with Terminal being faster. Thus, once you have pushed the button, it may take some time for the secondar radar return to “blume” on the screen, perhaps several seconds. This is what the controller is looking for in order to pick you out of a lot of other returns on the screen. Not responding verbally now relies on the sweep rate, as well as a timer in the transponder which adds that one bit in the data stream that serves the IDENT function. Under the right conditions it is possible for the controller to miss the IDENT display on the screen and assume there is a malfunction or a lack of understanding. If you acknowledge the request then you are in effect saying ” you asked for it, here it is” and perhaps the controller will delay any temptation for additonal distractions until the blume shows up, thus simplifying the exchange.

    I have done this one both ways with similar success but my background forces me to pick nits at times on the technical side. Nice to know that this function goes away in a ADS-B environment so we will not have to worry about it post 2020!

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    JB on Jan 28, 2013

    Sometimes an IDENT request is made while en-route, with nobody around. I asked the controller about this one time and he said it is a courtesy confirmation to the last Center Controller that the handoff was successful. It just may be a “technique” that some controllers use.

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12. 
    

    
    

    Seth Cassaday on Jan 28, 2013

    Thanks everyone, This is my first post and wow what a great responce. I conclude it is a technique issue and I choose the respond with at least the word “ident” and my call sign.

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13. 
    

    
    

    Vanessa Edwards on Feb 10, 2013

    I am an air traffic controller and CFI; hopefully i can provide some insight on the issue. In my experience as a controller, its about a 50/50 split on folks responding or not. Most controllers don’t have an expectation either way. If you answer, great, if not, whatever. Personally when I fly I don’t answer, I just hit the button.

    Here is a blurb regarding radar ID with the ident feature from the FAAO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control:

    5−3−3. BEACON IDENTIFICATION
    METHODS
    When using only Mode 3/A radar beacon to identify
    a target, use one of the following methods:
    a. Request the aircraft to activate the “IDENT”
    feature of the transponder and then observe the
    identification display.

    As you can see, all the controller has to do is observe the ident…no requirement here for a response.

    If the radar identification process is questionable, there is direction for ATC on how to handle it:

    5−3−5. QUESTIONABLE IDENTIFICATION
    a. Use more than one method of identification
    when proximity of targets, duplication of observed
    action, or any other circumstances cause doubt as to
    target identification.

    Again, no requirement for a response.

    The “double-check” comes to the pilot in the form of the requirement for the controller to state the position in most cases:

    5−3−6. POSITION INFORMATION
    Inform an aircraft of its position whenever radar
    identification is established by means of identifying
    turns or by any of the beacon identification methods
    outlined in para 5−3−3, Beacon Identification
    Methods. Position information need not be given
    when identification is established by position
    correlation or when a departing aircraft is identified
    within 1 mile of the takeoff runway end.

    I.E. Radar contact, 3 miles west of Newberg VOR.

    Hope this provides some insight on the ATC side of the “to answer, or not to answer” debate.

    Tailwinds!

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14. 
    

    
    

    Dave M on Feb 13, 2013

    “Unless they have a 1200 IDENT, which I’ve never heard of, and not sure if they ever do”

    Happens all the time in my neck of the woods. My home airport (class D) is under a Bravo shelf, nestled between another Delta and a Charley, and fairly close to a busy Alert area. Often when returning from the alert area, under VFR, tower will ask us to IDENT while squawking 1200 if there are other aircraft nearby. This allows them to positively identify us and provide us with traffic alerts outside of their airspace.

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15. 
    

    
    

    JTX on May 07, 2013

    When flying with a designated transponder code it doesn’t make a difference, because the CTA will know when you press ident.
    Still it’s good airmanship to readback since you can sometimes fly class G airspace with code 7000 (this on europe).

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