squawk
The four-digit transponder code a controller assigns an aircraft so its radar return can be identified.
Also written
squawk code
Codes are octal, so each digit runs 0 to 7, giving 4096 possibilities. A few are reserved and mean something on their own: 7500 hijack, 7600 radio failure, 7700 general emergency. "Squawk 4271" is an instruction to set that code; "squawking 7700" is how an emergency shows up on a tracking site before any news does.
Nearby in Aviation
- special livery — A one-off or limited paint scheme applied to a single aircraft rather than the whole fleet.
- spoilers — Panels on the upper wing that rise to destroy lift and add drag, in flight for descent and on touchdown to plant the aircraft.
- stall — The loss of lift that occurs when a wing exceeds its critical angle of attack.
- TAF — A coded forecast of the weather expected at an aerodrome, typically covering the next 24 to 30 hours.