AIR AMBULANCE HAS XPONDER INOP. GNDS THE FLT.

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I AM SENDING THIS FORM IN HOPE THAT THIS MAY SOMEDAY BECOME AN UNHEARD OF SIT FOR PLTS TO BE CONFRONTED WITH. I AM A PLT FOR AN AIR AMBULANCE COMPANY 'LIFEGUARD' TYPE OF TRANSPORTS. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY WE TOOK OFF FROM OUR HOME BASE ARPT ON A LIFEGUARD FLT TO AN ARPT WITHIN THE 'BUSY' NE AIRSPACE. THE ONLY THING ON THIS TRIP WAS THAT THE XPONDER WAS INOP (UNKNOWING OF THIS FROM THE BEGINNING). WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT OR CONFLICT WE COMPLETED THE FIRST LEG OF THIS DAY-LONG TRIP. AFTER REACHING OUR FIRST DEST; I CONTACTED THE COMPANY DISPATCH; INFORMED THEM OF THE INOP EQUIP AND THEY THEN SENT ANOTHER ACFT TO COMPLETE THE REST OF THE TRIP. THIS IS WHERE THE CONFLICT BEGINS. THE COMPANY DIRECTOR OF OPS ARRIVED AND INSTRUCTED ME TO COMPLETE THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WITHOUT THE XPONDER. I WAS TOLD THAT WE (PLTS) ARE EXPECTED TO FLY THESE AIRPLANES WITH SOME THINGS NOT WORKING ALL THE TIME. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAS NO MEL. THE WX WAS TOTALLY IFR EVERYWHERE; AND I WAS EXPECTED TO COMPLETE THIS TRIP WITHOUT QUESTION. THIS 'GET THE JOB DONE' MENTALITY IS CRAZY. PLTS ARE AFRAID; FOR FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOBS; THAT IF THEY DON'T FLY AIRPLANES WITH EQUIP NOT WORKING; SOME OTHER PLT WILL. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THE TRIP MUST GET DONE. I'M UNDER THE OPINION THAT FLYING AIRPLANES IFR ON BAD WX DAYS WITHOUT A XPONDER IS DANGEROUS AND STUPID; NOT TO MENTION AGAINST REGS. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT GETTING THE JOB DONE IS IMPORTANT; BUT SOMETIMES PLTS NEED TO DRAW THE LINE. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY; THE DIRECTOR OF OPS FINISHED THE TRIP AND I FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO AN ARPT WITH AN AVIONICS SHOP TO HAVE IT FIXED. TIME AND TIME AGAIN; I'VE SEEN PLTS FLY MARGINAL EQUIP BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID TO UPSET OWNERS WHO COMPLAIN AIRPLANES ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO FIX. WELL; I THINK THEY CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO FIX THEM. THIS 'GET THE JOB DONE' ATTITUDE OF OWNERS AND MGMNT HAS GOT TO END AND THE ONLY WAY I SEE THIS HAPPENING IS THROUGH PLTS STANDING UP FOR WHAT THEY KNOW IS RIGHT; TOGETHER.