Aviation Week is reporting, “U.S. airlines expect that FAA will allow a five-year “grace period” for full compliance with the agency’s 2010 mandate that carriers’ aircraft be Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out capable by Jan. 1, 2020.”
Airlines for America filed a “grace period” petition, but it isn’t just the industry begging for more time. Technical issues – on the FAA’s side – are cited. Despite repeated proclamations from FAA Administrator Michael Huerta that the 2020 deadline won’t be delayed, it’ll be interesting to see how this petition plays out.
Very interesting comments from the airline industry. Why have they waited so long to come out and say they need a delay until now ?
Maybe because they want the GA guys to take the brunt of the burden because this whole system is not really wanted or needed. (Hint, we don’t want it).
Remember the Microwave Landing System (MLS). Boy that was going to revolutionize everything. What happened with that ? HMMM. Some boondoggle that was. How many millions were spent on that. These are some of the reasons why a lot people a very skeptical of the FAA.
The FAA’s budget continues to grow and these grandiose ideas keep coming up. For what purpose ? Or is it a jobs program so the FAA can keep it’s so-called prestige of being the “All knowing and Holeyer than Thou” in the aviation world. All of this is very hard to swallow to the average Joe and Joe pilot.
Aviation is a matured industry. We have been flying for over a hundred years, gone thru two world wars and others, sent men to the moon and back and yet simple questions can’t get answered. Such as Why ? Is it really necessary ?
Yes, we all would like to have the latest and greatest aircraft on the block, but when will it ever stop or slow down. The cost continues to go up, the places to fly are constantly getting fewer, and the services are not reasonable for the average person. It does seem like everyone who flies does have to be very wealthy. Most people choose to become pilots only because it is just a little different than boating, skiing, etc. and requires more skill and discipline.
The FAA should really do a “Gut-Check” and ask it self, “Is All this Gold or Platinum Plated ADS-B stuff really worth our Tax payers money”.
Or, Are they contributing to the effort of making everyone dependent on the government for their lively hood vs. Having the people create their own wealth and prosperity thru innovation, hard work and perseverance ?
This ADS-B stuff is just too costly for all of us.
Of course the airlines are going to get a “Grace Period” for the ADS-B deadline !!!
There isn’t a prayer that the FAA 2020 ADS-B equipage deadline will stand as set at present.
Not are there issues with (validly reluctant) meager user equipage rates, and technical issues with FAA’s flawed ADS criteria and current dysfunctional conceptual versions of ADS-B, and unnecessarily high ADS equipage costs fueled by a seriously overbuilt and unnecessarily complex ADS specification (e.g., the wrong NIC and NAC), but worst of all, many airspace users can’t see each other without the FAA unique and seriously conceptually flawed ADS-R.
This ADS-R is a serious FAA conceptual mistake, and it is going to be fatal to Nextgen. In fact, if users mistakenly equip with this nearly useless FAA version of ADS (e.g., with UAT), it will just set global ATS evolution back by at least one if not more generations, because UAVs and many other vehicles will never be able to economically see each other, and faster aircraft will not be able to avoid them. There is no way FAA could ever deploy ADS-R in all the places needed, even if it were economically possible, which it isn’t. So FAA’s present version of ADS-B, for any 2020 deadline, is nothing but a “Dead Duck”. Anybody would be most unwise to now waste money on installing FAA’s irresponsible 91.225/91.227 ADS B version, at least for anything beyond the standard ADS-B packages long available with FANS, or those ADS-B versions already accepted and in beneficial use in Australia, Canada, and other states globally.