Do not request departing military turboprop/turbojet aircraft (except transport and cargo types) to make radio or radar beacon changes before the aircraft reaches ___ feet above the surface.

• A. 2,000
• B. 2,500
• C. 3,000
• D. 1,500

Answer: (B)

The situation tests when a controller should ask a departing military turboprop or turbojet to change its radio or radar beacon. Waiting until the aircraft has reached two thousand five hundred feet above the surface provides a safety buffer during the critical initial climb. At this altitude, the aircraft is typically established on its departure path, radar contact is more stable, and there’s less risk of confusing the radar picture with rapid, low-altitude beacon changes.

If changes were requested earlier, near the low-altitude climb, radar returns can be unstable and the controller’s sequencing becomes more prone to confusion or misidentification. By waiting until two thousand five hundred feet, the change can be made with the flight more predictable and safely integrated into the airspace structure.

The other altitudes would place the change either too close to the airport environment or unnecessarily delay it, increasing the chance of disruption or miscommunication. Therefore, two thousand five hundred feet is the appropriate threshold.