Message posted by Joerg (Webmaster) (Member since 10/17/2000) on September 16, 2024 at 16:49:37 PST:
I am not an aircraft mechanic, but I am pretty sure that the 6-digit hex code can be programmed in the transponder. For civilian aircraft the code is tied to the N-number and part of the FAA record for a given aircraft. If the aircraft is sold and registered with a different N-number the transponder must be programmed to the hex code that corresponds to that new N-number. If the transponder is swapped out it must be programmed to correspond with the aircraft's N-number. I assume the same goes for military aircraft. There is no publicly accessible register but there are "unofficial" online look-up sites that uniquely match a military hex code to a military registration. Flight tracking sites index flights by the hex code of the aircraft's transponder. With the hex code for a given flight I can look up that flight later. That is why I asked for the hex code.
In Reply to: Re: NASA's X-59 on FlightRadar24 posted by Chorer on September 16, 2024 at 13:17:29 PST:
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