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7 KEY QUESTIONS

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first option, as mentioned earlier, is the 1090 MHz extended squitter or ES broadcast link available on certain Mode S transponders. The second option is the dedicated 978 MHz universal access transceiver, or UAT. If your aircraft flies at or above Flight Level 180 (18,000 feet MSL), the FAA will require it to have the 1090 MHz ES link. However, aircraft flying below FL 180 (typically GA piston airplanes and rotorcraft) may opt to use either the 1090 MHz ES or the UAT broadcast link. Both options will meet the ADS-B Out requirement, and when equipped with an ADS-B receiver as well as a transmitter, both systems can also provide ADS-B In for display of traffic data in the cockpit. However, only UAT equipment has the ability to offer FIS-B service for datalink weather and other flight information (such as TFRs and NOTAMs). The 1090 MHz ES system does not have the capacity for FIS-B datalink support.

3. WHEN?
When will ADS-B compliance be required? According to FAR 91.225, the rule that currently sets the ADS-B requirement, all aircraft operating in designated U.S. airspace must be equipped with ADS-B Out functionality by Jan. 1, 2020. A similar notice of proposed rulemaking for Europe carries an earlier compliance deadline of 2015.

4. WHERE?
Where will you need ADS-B? As noted earlier, operators will be required to have ADS-B Out capability installed in order to fly in most regulated U.S. airspace, including: • • Class A, B and C airspace. All Class E airspace at or above 10,000 feet over the continental U.S. (excluding airspace at and below 2,500 feet above the surface). • Within 30 nautical miles of certain designated “busy” airports, from the surface up to 10,000 feet MSL. • All Class E airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, at and above 3,000 feet MSL within 12 nautical miles of the coastline of the U.S.

7. HOW?
How is all this going to work? And, how much is it going to cost? How will the future of general aviation be impacted? All of these “how” questions – and many more – are destined to be part of the ADS-B discussion for years to come. What it will ultimately cost to equip GA airplanes with the minimum required equipment is impossible to predict, because the FARs only specify performance, not exact types of equipment. Having a navigation system with the required precision to report aircraft position and velocity with extreme accuracy once per second is probably the most costly element of a certifiable ADS-B Out system. The EAA and other GA advocacy groups are urging avionics companies and regulators to develop the most cost-effective possible solution for light airplanes. The rules requiring ADS-B are in the books, but many questions on how to best meet the FAA mandate remain. In future reports, we’ll be updating you on other aspects of the vast NextGen conversion that will be revolutionizing our ATC system for the future. We hope our ongoing dialogue will help smooth your transition to this new world of interactive airspace. To learn more, visit www.eaa.org/govt/briefingNextGen.pdf – or www.adsb.gov or www.garmin.com/adsb. q

5. WHAT?
What equipment will you need? The lowest cost option to meet FAR 91.225 is a Mode S extended squitter transponder and an approved GPS navigation source (likely WAAS GPS) to provide the required position, vector, altitude and velocity data. Every pilot who needs a transponder now will continue to be required to have a fully functioning transponder in addition to the ADS-B Out capability. An extended squitter transponder will satisfy both requirements.

6. WHICH?
Which datalink option offers the most reasonable path to compliance? The FAA has given U.S. aircraft operators two options for satisfying the ADS-B Out requirement. The

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http://www.eaa.org/govt/briefingNextGen.pdf http://www.adsb.gov http://www.garmin.com/adsb

Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2012-2013