ADS-B Out, are you prepared for the change?

ADS-B OUT (Automatic Dependant Surveillance – Broadcast) requires that the aircraft transmits its own GPS position via the Mode S transponder, regardless of whether the aircraft is being interrogated by a ground radar or by other aircraft’s TCAS. The GPS source must meet high accuracy and integrity requirements only available from a qualified WAAS GPS.

The European airspace mandate for ADS-B Out is effective from June 2020, and from January 2020 for US operations.

Understanding the ADS-B 2020 mandate.

Harry Lees, our principal European avionics consultant has over four decades of experience working across various types, here he explains the basics of ADS-B and why action is required sooner than later in your aircraft maintenance routine.

ADS-B OUT (Automatic Dependant Surveillance – Broadcast) requires that the aircraft transmits its own GPS position via the Mode S transponder, regardless of whether the aircraft is being interrogated by a ground radar or by another aircraft’s TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System). The GPS source must meet high accuracy and integrity requirements only available from a qualified WAAS GPS.

The European airspace mandate for ADS-B OUT is effective from June 2020, and from January 2020 for US airspace operations.

All aircraft with a MTOW of 5700Kg or above, OR a max cruising TAS of 250kts or above at ISA, must comply (the same requirements as the current EHS Mode S transponder mandate). The US has an extended mandate covering smaller General Aviation aircraft depending on their location.

ADS-B allows a higher number of aircraft to access controlled airspace, improving capacity for what are predicted to become ever more crowded skies.

The simple answer is ‘no’. Avoidance and non-compliance will mean several things these being:

  • Your aircraft will not be permitted into controlled airspace, so no IFR operations.
  • Your aircraft is likely to be effectively grounded
  • Your airworthiness covenants with a lending bank are likely to have been broken

There is less than two years until both mandates come into effect, which seems like a long time. That is until you consider how many aircraft require avionics updates to comply (approximately 70% of the US business aviation fleet is yet to be upgraded). By leaving your update you will:

  • Suffer from potential price rises due to supply and demand
  • A lack of capacity availability at aircraft maintenance organisations capable of delivering the work
  • A shortage of parts from the avionics suppliers. Already we are being advised of 8-10 week delays for parts.

The deadline has already been extended from 2017 to 2020 and it seems extremely unlikely that further extensions will be granted. In other jurisdictions that have applied ADS-B deadlines have remained firm and the FAA have been clear in their policy that any aircraft entering controlled airspace after the deadline must be compliant, even going as far as saying:

A number of factors will determine if this is the correct course of action, but in most scenarios we have explored, there will be a sting in the tail. Any aircraft coming into the current market without TCAS 7.1 or ADS-B is automatically artificially depreciated, with your sales broker automatically being at a disadvantage in price negotiations. Additionally those aircraft maintenance bills won’t go away.

Honeywell & Gama Aviation discuss the ADS-B Out mandate.

With the deadline to the ABS-B Out mandate less than 2 years away our expert Harry Lees, will discuss how to best implement the required changes to your airframe and avionics suite to ensure your continued flying integrity.

ADS-B Out Expert Discussion Forum.

See the recorded live stream of our expert discussion forum conversation about the upcoming ADS-B Out mandate with our two experts, Harry Lees, Principal Avionics Consultant and Stewart Toye, Senior Honeywell Field Support Engineer (Avionics) hosted by Gama Aviation’s Chief Marketing Officer, Duncan Daines.


ADS-B mandate

ADS-B Out solutions for the King Air

As a Beechcraft service centre and major distributor for Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Garmin, etc. we have a range of solutions for King Air aircraft including:

  • European Rockwell Collins Proline 21 avionics equipped King Airs
  • Earlier-generation B200/300 aircraft with Rockwell Collins EFIS 85 flight displays and ProLine 11 radios
  • Older 90/200 series aircraft
Read more

ADS-B Out for Jets

As a major distributor for Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Garmin, etc. we have a range of solutions for a wide variety of business aircraft including:

  • Premier 1 series
  • Hawker series
  • Citation series
  • Challenger 600 series
  • Global series
  • Gulfstream GIII, GIV, GIV-SP

Read more

Hong Kong business jet maintenance. Collaboration formally opens.

Arrange a callback

Would you like to know more about our ADS-B solutions for your aircraft? If so arrange a call back here.

phoneCall back