The FAA reports that all 20,000 rebates offered to general aviation aircraft owners to equip their aircraft with ADS-B have been issued and are no longer available.
Aircraft owners who have already reserved their rebate, but not claimed it yet with installation, will be allotted the specified time needed to complete the requirements for the rebate, FAA officials said.
Owners have 90 days from the time of the reservation to install ADS-B. They must fly and validate the ADS-B equipment within 60 days of installation before they can claim the $500 rebate.
While all the rebates were claimed in May 2019, the FAA reported that some owners were returning the reservations. When the reservations were returned, they would become available to other aircraft owners on a “first-come, first-served basis.”
The FAA first launched the $500 ADS-B rebate program in September 2016 to encourage owners of fixed-wing, single engine piston aircraft to equip in advance of the Jan. 1, 2020 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out mandate. FAA officials reiterated that the deadline will not change.
Starting Jan. 1, 2020, Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) Out avionics will be required for aircraft flying in certain, controlled airspace.