Actually, I think that “squawk conspicuity” is a misnomer, and not only because it is so hard to pronounce.
If I am not mistaken, in the UK, a “conspicuity code” has a diffferent meaning than “2000/7000, as appropriate”. Conspicuity codes are are those non-2000/7000 (but not individual) codes given for example by London FIS to make flag these on everybody’s radar screens as “talking to London Information”, without them getting a particular service.
2000/7000 etc. are standard squawks.
So why didn’t they chose the term “squawk standard”?
Why make things even more complicated, what’s wrong with squawk 7000 or squawk 2000? It takes less time for a controller to say and is easier to pronounce.
The 2000 is described here but I have never met anybody who uses it. In the UK, in Class G, you set 7000 and if you are drilling a hole in some cloud you still set 7000. Basically all flight in Class G is on 7000 – unless you are receiving some service and they assign you a different code.
Now, if you were in Class E, then setting 2000 would immediately expose your flight as illegal if you were not on an IFR clearance. Obviously this is why the UK doesn’t use Class E (generally) – an ATC desk you have the extra workload there, and a 24/7 radar desk costs roughly £1M/year.
In UK Class G, telling ATC you are IFR doesn’t change the service level you get at all, so it is not worth the energy to change the txp code. It can improve your chances of getting a transit of some bit of Class D, but then you won’t be on 2000; you will set whatever the Class D unit gives you. Good radio talk also helps with transits.
gallois wrote:
Why make things even more complicated, what’s wrong with squawk 7000 or squawk 2000? It takes less time for a controller to say and is easier to pronounce.
Because a controller, upon for example releasing an aircraft from a zone transit, can’t know whether the aircraft intends to proceed VFR or IFR. Remember this is totally in the head of the pilot in the UK. No flightplan required for IFR in the UK, so the controller wouldn’t even from there (even if he had access to them).
Hence, the controller wouldn’t just have to say “squawk 7000” OR “squawk 2000”. He would have to say something like “squawk 7000 or squawk 2000, as appropriate”, which is long. Also, this would still leave any listening squawks out of the equation.
In practice, as a pilot, I agree with Peter. Always setting 7000 will do no harm. To the contrary, if you set 2000 and then somehow forget about some airspace E on your way (which is now spreading in the UK) you have just comitted a self-denunciation…
But that (jut setting 7000 and forgetting about it) can of course not be the official position of ATC, so they have to make a “broader” statement.
Our posts crossed; I had just edited mine about the 2000 / Class E / self-denunciation 
I have just checkout what the UK AIP says… here. ENR_1_6_ATS_SURVEILLANCE_SERVICES_AND_PROCEDURES local copy
Turns out I was wrong. 7000 is the general conspicuity code, whereas others (like 1177 for aircraft in contact with London FIS) is an “other” conspicuity code. Lots of other very special use other conspicuity codes there. So yes, if the releasing controller wants to remain as non-committal as possible, he will will have to remain very unspecific.
What is also interesting is that the AIC (from February 2020) which introduced the obligation to use squawk 2000 for uncontrolled IFR in the UK (local copy still here) has already vanished again from the list of current AICs, And the AIP itself (as linked above) still says something entirely different wrt to squawk 2000…:
Code 2000. When entering United Kingdom airspace from an adjacent region where the operation of transponders has not been required; or by Mode S transponder equipped aircraft on the aerodrome surface when under tow, or parked and prior to selecting OFF or STDBY – unless otherwise instructed by ATC.
The table in section 2.6 is out-dated. But the text in section 2.2.2.1 is correct. (yes UK CAA and NATS describe themselves as world leading)
boscomantico wrote:
What is also interesting is that the AIC (from February 2020) which introduced the obligation to use squawk 2000 for uncontrolled IFR in the UK (local copy still here) has already vanished again from the list of current AICs, And the AIP itself (as linked above) still says something entirely different wrt to squawk 2000…:Code 2000. When entering United Kingdom airspace from an adjacent region where the operation of transponders has not been required; or by Mode S transponder equipped aircraft on the aerodrome surface when under tow, or parked and prior to selecting OFF or STDBY – unless otherwise instructed by ATC.
They’ve moved it now to CAP413 where it should be. Although it is even more interesting:
Copy of the AIP at https://www.aurora.nats.co.uk/ says what you just quoted. BUT!
Copy of the AIP on Eurocontrol EAD says:
2.2.1 e) Code 2000. When:
i. entering United Kingdom airspace from an adjacent region where the operation of transponders has not been required;or
ii. when operating within United Kingdom airspace in accordance with IFR and is either not receiving an ATS or has not received a specific instruction from ATS concerning the setting of the transponder; or
iii. unless instructed otherwise by ATS, Mode S transponder equipped aircraft on the aerodrome surface when under tow, or parked and prior to selecting Off or STBDY.
There is also an older site at http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com, which contains even more outdated info.
It is a mess!
boscomantico wrote:
have just checkout what the UK AIP says… here
That link is for the January 2019 AIRAC. So clearly out-of-date.
How did you get to that link?
