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to many upcoming NextGen and SESAR programs, intended to benefit all national airspace users. There is an FAA early-install rebate program contemplated (the proposed September 1, 2016 start date was delayed) but only available to US fixed-wing, single-engine piston aircraft, first registered before January 1, 2016. Operators equipping for ADS-B fall into many different buyer categories and for some, late adoption is the clever option examples being an owner who is looking to sell without any additional equity in the aircraft, and an owner who may upgrade to a different aircraft sometime between now and 2020. Late adoption would further apply to an owner that suspects the need to dispose of the aircraft before the deadline, due to ongoing volatile corporate finances. What is not clever, however, is to hold out for lower pricing. Even if the equipment price comes down, the installation costs will go up. Holding out also increases the risk of logistic issues, including schedule delays and increased downtime once work is underway.
Free ADS-B In Services
In a fit of sensibility, why not add ADS-B In during the installation of ADS-B Out, and save on the downtime? While the future requirement is for ADS-B Out, when you consider adding ADS-B In capability, your aircraft will have access to Flight Information Service–Broadcast (FIS-B), providing graphical weather and textbased advisories to the cockpit. Additionally, as a safety tool, ADS-B In provides TIS-B, relaying altitude, distance, ground track and speed of other aircraft being monitored by ATC within a 15-nautical mile radius, up to 3,500 feet above or below the receiving aircraft's position. Most Business and General Aviation aircraft have some version of display that provides for an external video input, permitting those equipped with ADS-B In to see surrounding aircraft and graphic weather. Because the view is similar to that seen by an air traffic controller, there is a sense of shared situational awareness along with crucial see-and-avoid capability. ADS-B In users also receive important flight information, such as temporary flight restrictions or closed runways. Later, ADS-B In users will be able to avoid terrain during low-visibility situations, as terrain maps are integrated to the same cockpit displays. Because ADS-B Out information can be broadcast on two frequencies, 1090 MHz and 978 MHz, Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Rebroadcast (ADS-R) relays data from one frequency to the other, providing aircraft operating on both ADS-B frequencies the ability to see each other on their individual traffic displays.
ADS-B Out Solutions
There are currently 5,549 ADS-B Out solutions mapped to 2,031 unique make/model combinations of aircraft. Solutions for ADS-B are part of the TC process for new aircraft and amended TC or STC process for retrofit. The equipment is certified on each aircraft platform using either the aircraft OEM or other approved aircraft and avionics facilities. The equipment providers in Table B (and others) work closely with facilities for integrated solutions that the aircraft owners will purchase. Some of the approvals apply to a wide range of aircraft types. This is where a certification is completed to one aircraft model and, because of technical commonality, can be applied to a broader group. These type of certifications fall under an Advertising Enquiries see Page 4
Approved Model List (AML), either under aircraft production or as a modification. The FAA has a useful tool for operators to enter their aircraft type and model in order to find new or retrofit as well as complete or partial solutions by different providers. In some cases, the tool allows for using different mixes of equipment. The FAA website provides the ability for operators to choose from multiple selections, where they exist (see http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/adsb_ready/).
Operator Compliance
Having ADS-B Out in your aircraft is only part of the effort to be 2020 compliant. The FAA and other airworthiness authorities need to be certain the ADS-B solution installed in the serialnumbered aircraft actually meets its intended function. That requirement makes sense because other aircraft and ATC will be relying on the accuracy of the automated broadcasts from your aircraft. The tool used for checking your ADS-B functionality is called Compliance Monitor by the FAA. In the US, to find out if your system is working properly, complete the Public ADS-B Performance Report Request at the FAA Equip ADS-B website; https://adsbperformance.faa.gov/PAPRRequest.aspx.
Equip ADS-B
Equip ADS-B (https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/equipadsb/) is a useful FAA tool for those looking to equip, and for actual users. It addresses the three major areas of Research, Installation and Capabilities. Beyond these three areas, it provides a full list of solutions and a place to report user problems. On the same website, browsers may review a FAQ section where more than half the questions answered are relatively new, so this is a recommended read for any flight department. A further FAA ADS-B website is Equip-2020, launched to encourage reluctant operators to equip sooner rather than later. This website is supported by the Equip ADS-B site.
Enhanced ADS-B
Also termed ‘Space-Based ADS-B’, Enhanced ADS-B proposes expansion of its capability to address separate initiatives being evaluated by ICAO, Canada and FAA. The goal is to improve the surveillance of aircraft flying Oceanic tracks and to reduce separation. For the US, the proposals include its own national
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