HI there, What does that mean? I have lots of questions this week… Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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moin,
the “squawk” is a 4-digit number, transmitted by ATC, which you insert into the “transponder”.
ATC can then identify you.
Gruß
Dieter
The short answer:
The transponder is a radio transmitter on every aircraft. It broadcasts a signal that’s picked up by ATC. Part of that signal is your transponder code (aka “squawk code”) and in most cases, also your altitude.
The purpose is so that ATC can identify your aircraft and altitude on their screens. Without it, they would just see a radar blip and know nothing about it.
When ATC asks you to ‘squak’ they want you to press the ‘ID’ button on the transponder, it highlights your aircraft on the radar screen for them…only press it for a second or two.
That isn’t correct. “Squawk 1234” means to just dial 1234 into your transponder. The ATC radar will show the controller that number in the tag associated with your plane.
If the tell you, “squawk 1244 and ident”, you should put in the code first, and then press and release the Ident (or ID) button on the transponder. On their radar, it will cause your plane and tag to flash, go bold, change colors, or do something else to get their attention.
Never press the Ident button unless ATC tells you to!
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Unless they are flown by convicts. In that case they have none, and some lucky souls have two. 
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I love that you’re asking all these questions, Peter, so many are glad to answer. Keep firing away!
I don’t know where the expression “squawk” comes from, but it means to enter the 4-digit code that air traffic control gives you into your transponder. Your transponder broadcasts a radio signal specific to your airplane, with the squawk code, that shows up on their radar display. That’s how they identify your specific plane. The controller sees a blip on their radar screen with your squawk code (they literally see the code they gave you) and they know that’s you.
Short story: it’s a way for ATC to identify and follow you on their radar screen.
What airplane have you been flyng?
I have been flying the FBW A320 and thanks guys for the replies and information.
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In FS2020 I always squawk ‘7700’, just because I can…
ATC never picks it up… so I fired ATC.
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75 - taken alive
76 - technical glitch
77 - goin’ to heaven
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‘Squawk’ is a throwback from when the equipment (transponder) was known as the ‘Parrot’ because it just repeats the code ‘Parrot’ fashion.
In real terms there are basically 2 types of air traffic radar, Primary radar sweeps an area (around 6 seconds for a full 360 degrees) and sends out a signal that returns by bouncing off your aircraft, the radar knows its direction and the time taken for the signal to return which gives your direction and range but not altitude.
Secondary radar uses the specific code you’ve been allocated (your squawk) to receive the signal from your aircraft which identifies you as that return, combined with your altitude from the read out on your transponder.
Combining the 2 will give position and altitude and enable the controller to give separation between ‘contacts’
‘Squawk Ident’ means the controller is asking you to momentarily press and release the IDENT button which will cause your tag on the ATC radar display to increase brightness or be highlighted for a short period of time to stand out from all the other symbols on the display.
ATC will have a list of codes for their use so with practice you get used to what codes you’ll be asked to squawk along a regular route.
I was lucky when flying police that the aircraft had an allocated squawk that didn’t change and just showed the Police callsign on the radar, so that ATC could see us coming before we even arrived on frequency.
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I didn’t know that. Thanks! 
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UK version
75 - Still alive
76 - Box of tricks
78 - Nickolas Cage
HA!
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What are the codes for?
From the original WW2 Identification Friend or Foe system (IFF) which was developed under the code name ‘Parrot’. Actually, squawking originated in the early days of radio and the homemade boxes were sometimes called ‘squawk boxes’. Don’t ask me how I know this… LOL!
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7500 - I’ve been hi-jacked!
7600 - Radio out
7700 - Emergency / Mayday
And in the US, 1200 is the code for VFR flight. It’s 7000 in Europe, right?
And by the way, I was taught to change the numbers from right to left so that you never accidentally hit 7500 or 7700 even briefly. I sets off all kinds of alarms on ATC radars!!!
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1200 for VFR in Australia .
I think here you put the transponder to Standby on the ground and ON when flying VFR in uncontrolled airspace and set it to ALT (Altitude) when in controlled airspace or IFR - but I have not flown real time for 10 years or so, do not quote me on that .
Ok, seems like a lot of folks are not answering this part of the question well… what are the codes for…
There are the codes that mean emergency, as others have listed… And there is the standard (in U.S. 1200 which is a VFR flight operating outside of a an airport controlled area (Bravo, Charlie or Delta).
However, if you are IFR you’ll be assigned a code. And if you are VFR in radar controlled space (bravo, charlie or delta) you’ll most likely be assigned a code.
The code is any group of 4 numbers (excluding the reserved emergency numbers). So for instance upon initial contact with a controller they may assign you a code, lets say 4345… You dial that into your transponder, when you do, the radar at their location now can tell which blip on the screen is actually YOU because it will return that code… They can then cross reference that with your aircraft data – I believe they still call this a ‘tag’ in ATC lingo. Your tag contains all the relevant info… Aircraft type, registration or call sign, and in mode C (altitude reporting transponder) it will contain your altitude.
So now, when the controller looks at your blip, he knows exactly who you are, where you are going and what alt you’re at.
the IDENT button on your side is used only if the controller requests you to IDENT, you tap that button and your blip on his screen will momentarily get brighter. This is used to draw his attention to your blip… Can be a real time saver if he’s got 15 blips on his screen, rather than looking for the one that changed, he’ll see you light up and gives him a quick idea which one is you.
Thats the shorthand laypersons version of what it does. Hope that helps.
(EDIT) – I should add that the emergency codes will generally cause your tag to light up RED on the radar screen to indicate some sort of emergency and help the controller know you have an issue… For instance no-radios, hijack, etc… You MUST be very careful in real world to never even roll past an emergency value, because even if it is in there momentarily you might light up on the controllers station and cause a bit of a scare.
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