Course Description

DESCRIPTION: OVERVIEW: This course is one of five sections of an overall Pulse Radio Training Curriculum. The total curriculum is designed to provide training to meet FAR 145.59 Ratings, Sub paragraph (d) section 3 Radio Class 3 - Radar equipment. An electronic system operated on radar or pulse radio frequency principles. 

There are five overall sections that makeup the total Pulse Radio Curriculum: 

Section 1- Weather Radar 

Section 2- Transponder systems

Section 3 - Distance Measuring Equipment 

Section 4 - Radio Altimeter Systems 

Section 5 - Advanced radar systems of TCAS, GPWS, TWAS and ADS-B


Transponder Familiarization Course Content

The purpose of this course is to provide the technical training required for the initial and recurring technical  training required by the FAA for FAR 145 and 121.  

Section 1- Overview of the National airspace system. Starting with the origins of air navigation and air traffic control to the history of surveillance radar to how the airspace air traffic control system operates today to include Mode A/C and s to the ADS-B system required in January of 2020.

Overview of aircraft transponder installations in an aircraft. This section covers system components and controls to include instructions about how the system operates. This section covers cockpit controls and indications.

Section 2 - This section will cover the ground based radar message for the up-link format (UF) messages for transponder interrogations. 

In this section we will cover the description of the Mode A, C and S signal for both the uplink and downlink formats.

This is section we will cover the operation and requirements for the new ADS-B mandate. 

Section 3 - Transponder system testing and and aircraft certification. This section starts with a system operational test and then covers the system test and certification using FAR 43 appendix E and F. 

We will learn to perform the certification for FAR 43 Appendix E and F  with both ATC 600 ramp tester, a typical static system tester and a more modern system tester the IFR 6000. 

Section 4 - Final exam- this section will test your knowledge of the course. The student will have access to a included E-book and the applicable Advisory Circulars and Federal Air Regulations. 


Lead Instructor/ Author

Bruce Bessette

Bruce is an NCATT Senior Instructor who has over 36 years of avionic and maintenance experience. Starting with the US Air Force then America West then Southwest Airline Bruce worked for the Federal Aviation Administration as an Aviation Safety Inspector. While there he performed certification and surveillance of FAR 145 Repair Stations, FAR 121/135 Air Carrier and performed over 100 aircraft accident investigations. He had been instrumental in assisting in the converting all sizes of Repair Station to the new FAR 145 Standards. In addition to these assigned duties, he would volunteer his time with the FAA FAST Team and put on many public presentations on varied subjects such as GPS certifications, Repair and Alteration processes and the RSVM standards. He was instrumental in establishing the Greater Southwest IA Symposium and has made a point to provide a presentation for the last 21 years. After retiring from the FAA, he became an instructor at Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ and developed the avionics program. When accepting the teaching position, he discovered that there were very few textbooks in Avionics in general and none about the NCATT AET certificate. In the eight years since the Avionics program began, Bruce addition to honing his classroom skills, he has written numerous textbooks that help support the field of Avionics. These books include an NCATT AET review textbook and companion workbook. Since the start of the program, most all of his students have gone on to great jobs at companies such as Bombardier, Universal Avionics, Alaska Airlines, SkyWest and Mesa Airlines just to name a few.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to the Transponder Familiarization Course

  • 2

    Chapter 1 - The National Airspace System

    • Section A - Start of the Aviation Air Traffic Control System

    • Section B - Origins of Aircraft Transponders

    • Section - Ca Using the Transponder System (General Aviation)

    • Section - Cb Modern Glass and Air Carrier Transponder Operations
  • 3

    Chapter 2 - Transponder System Operations

    • Section A- The Radar Radio Signal

    • Section B - The Aircraft Downlink Data, Mode A and C

    • Section C -Mode S Transponder Data

    • Section D - ADS-B System Description
  • 4

    Chapter 3 - Certification and Rules

    • Chapter 3 Section A Transponder and Altitude Reporting

    • Chapter 3 Section B Performing the Appendix E Test

    • Chapter 3 Section C Performing the Appendix F Tests

    • Chapter 3 D -Testing Mode A, C and S with the IFR 6000 ramp tester.
  • 5

    Chapter 4 - Final Review and Test

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