Use of Mode A/C Transponders to access the Stansted TMZ

John Brady · Post by **John Brady** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:08 am

You may have seen the news item in the April Magazine about the end of the exemption allowing free access to the Stansted TMZ for aircraft with Mode A/C.

The LAA wrote to the CAA over a year ago making a case to extend the exemption on safety grounds but in February this year they turned it down; the exemption would end on 31 March but Mode A/C would be accepted during the Olympic period as it will be in the Restricted Zone. They would publish an Information Notice (IN) reminding pilots about the end of the exemption.

However, on the day the LAA magazine was mailed out an IN was published allowing Mode A/C to continue to access the Stansted TMZ until 13 September. You can see the IN here.

It is a pity we could not give you that news when the magazine was prepared.

John Brady

Post by **John Dean** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 1:24 pm

Thanks for that info John - it's good to know that you keep on top of all these problems.

It seems very odd that the CAA did not just agree to renew this exemption when you first asked as we were told that the reason for the TMZ stubs at Stansted was so that ATC could operate in a "known environment". Surely a Mode A/C transponder can provide that just as well as a Mode S?

Why not make the exemption permanent?