lawstudent said:
Thank you - so is that what a transponder is connected to or something separate?
Derryn Hunch can give you much better information than me!
The transponder is separate. I'm not an expert but from what I understand, the transponder is located in the cockpit. The ACARS has two parts to it. One
Is located in the cockpit, the other is in an electronics hatch outside the cockpit. In this flight the transponder in the cockpit and the ACARS in the cockpit were both turned off. The ACARS portion remaining transmitted the pings that let the military know it was still flying until at least 8.11am.
You're pretty much right Fruity
They are two separate systems, transponder is a simple "switch" in the cockpit that can be set as different "frequencies" or "off" - it is in all GA registered and Military aircraft.
The ACARS System is totally different and would require a little more knowledge to switch off - and a good deal of forethought to have switched it off. It's not something someone would just do in a spare of the moment event... someone has put some thought to it.
It's not that I'm suggesting it's overly difficult, its more a case of most people would not have immediately thought of it without prior knowledge and again I don't believe a pilot in the heat of the moment would not have done this as a suicide thing when, if he was really *that* suicidal and wanting to make a point, he could have just pranged the plane there and then, rather than fly it on for 7hrs before crashing it etc..
I'm getting to the point with this whole case where I am reluctant to make any further calls on what may or may not have happened, initial posts back 6 threads ago sum up my position that is:
"I believe they know where this plane is, was and always have - military radar knew it and there are multiple systems on board that relay this information, aside from ACARS and the Transponder. They're playing games for some reason..."
"The USA diddn't spend $2Billion on each of their stealth bombers just to see a commercial airliner fly like a ghost through international airspace undetected"
"In a day and age where purpose built for silent operations and stealth aircraft and nuclear submarines go to great lengths not to be detected, but within minutes, can be - in a day and age where Kim Jong and his mates let off a few firecrackers in the back yard to celebrate another day of oppression and we know how many they let off and what type they were and what colour they were - They sure as hell know where an aircraft the size of a 777 that is flying in an area of growing military tensions around countries that are already super paranoid at just under the speed of sound is..."
Happy to answer technical questions re: aircraft, aircraft systems and general military capability's in the region - but I'm reluctant to come up with any solid answers on what "I" think may or may not have happened here... the situation is very dynamic now with the facts being reported in MSM either complete fabrications or based on what I believe are false to start with and are hence only going to lead to skewed answers....
Alert, but not alarmed