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Aviation vocabulary · Navigation & Instruments

Transponder

Meaning in aviation, with examples

/trænˈspɑːndər/nounCommon term

In aviation, transponder means: A radio device on the aircraft that answers signals from ATC radar by sending back a code and, usually, the aircraft's altitude and identity.

In Turkish: transponder, cevaplayıcı

How it is used

Pilots set the code given by ATC (the squawk) and switch the transponder on before entering the runway. Modes include Mode C (altitude) and Mode S (selective, with more data). Collision avoidance systems (TCAS) also rely on it.

Example sentences

  1. Fastair 345, check your transponder; we are not receiving your altitude.

  2. The engineers replaced the transponder before the aircraft was released.

Common collocations

  • transponder code
  • set the transponder
  • transponder failure
  • Mode S transponder
  • squawkTo set a four-digit code on the aircraft's transponder so that controllers can identify it on radar. As a noun, the code itself.
  • air traffic controlThe service that guides aircraft on the ground and in the air to keep them safely apart and moving in an orderly way. Controllers give instructions and clearances by radio.
  • altitudeThe vertical distance of an aircraft above mean sea level, usually given in feet. Height, by contrast, is measured from the ground or the airport.

More terms: Navigation & Instruments

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