Transponders - what info is sent to the ground?

[Canuck]

Hi guys. Questions directed at folks that are pilots and/or in the air traffic control business. With all the theories floating around about the missing Malaysian 777, I started surfing for information about transponders but Air traffic control in general.
Does the transponder broadcast information to the ATC that can be used to identify the aircraft? Aircraft type, flight number, tail number, airline etc? Or is this all done over VHF. How does a pilot know when they have moved from one control area to another? Who contacts whom first (pilot or ATC)?
Would it have been possible for the "pilots" of MH370 to suddenly pop up in Indian airspace, transponder on, pretending to be another airline and aircraft? Like one that regularly flies that route KL to Dubai or Europe. Then they would have been able to fly through at un challenged.

[Ian Warren]

One other thing that maybe also added into the equation and this happens very regular is a reflection of specific radio/electronic beams and signals, hence why two theory's were the aircraft went is now in dispute, was an old problem , not sure with today com,s and Sat links be its food for thought, why the US of A now believe it was sending over the Indian Ocean and Malaysian, all the spook gear they have .. Chinese Sat's picking up ghost images is a good example .

[deeknow]

IANACPOA : I am not a commercial pilot or ATC

QUOTE (Canuck)

How does a pilot know when they have moved from one control area to another? Who contacts whom first (pilot or ATC)?

Pilots will know from experience and charts when they are approaching a boundary, and they are contacted by ATC first when handed off from one area to the next.

[Splitpin]

Good reply deeknow .... i learnt a lot .
Cant get to grips with this whole thing , today you cant hide a thing ....they track your phone , your bank card , you can be snapped from above and they can see what your reading , yet a very large aircraft has just vanished .
Looking at the maps , he had fuel enough for KL to Bejing ....so if you draw a circle starting at KL and ending at Bejing , the circle takes in most of Asia , western Oz , all of Indonesia and India . Its unclear what the engine data is (as to how long it flew before that was lost ...conflicting reports) .... i may be wrong .
It would be great for the families to get some closure on this , one way or another.

I had a big debate with a friend today about this ... and i guess , any theory is valid at the moment, but i (myself) dont think pilot suicide is an option .... i tend to go with the piracy thing . I wonder who or what was on that flight that may have been of interest to a third party , im sure thats being looked at right now .
Sorry if i sound like a conspiracy theorist , but so is everyone else until they find it.

Very strange indeed .

[Ian Warren]

With the tech these days why is the populus not have access to track and record every aircraft .. more people enthused people track aircraft as a hobby and not an at of terrorism/piracy but for the fun .. fact is millions watch .. its going to be the answer in the future , every aircraft with a pax load should carry this tech.

[Canuck]

Thanks Deeknow!