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>>>IF a small plane is flying over a residential neighborhood..is it ALWAYS on someone's radar? Or, just if it's around an airport (and picked up by airtraffic control)?

I actually don't know. I'm very obediant when it comes to the laws of gravity.

HOTD, can you answer that?

Just asked a retired pilot friend and except for flying really low (under the radar like drug dealers on the border) all planes are on someone's radar, at least as a blip on the screen. Radar also "overlaps"; Seattle radar overlaps with Portland radar, etc.

>>>IF a small plane is flying over a residential neighborhood..is it ALWAYS on someone's radar? Or, just if it's around an airport (and picked up by airtraffic control)? HOTD, can you answer that?

I am not sure what the issue is here, but there are lots of places where there is no radar coverage, or where there is definately not good radar all the way to the ground due to terrain or even city ground clutter. The ATC centers would adjust their radars to not see ground clutter, or even lower traffic that is not their concern. Better to only divide one's attention to what one needs to see. So, in the realm of many sight-seeing and VFR traffic that is within a thousand feet or two.... they may or may not be seen.

Also... VFR and uncontrolled traffic does not send a unique 'ping'... Planes who are not required to be tracked all ping the same VFR code 1200... ATC can see them, assuming they are high enough, and direct their controlled traffic around them, but they do not ~watch~ or keep track of where they are going. Only if they are entering airspace that is controlled, such as an Aiport Traffic Area, would they pay a lot of attention to a plane that is not in contact.

Just to add to that.... VFR planes are not required to even have their transponders ~on~, though most ~do~ as a smart practice to help themselves to be seen. An aircraft without a transponder over a rural area may not be seen until he is quite high.... more than a few thousand feet.