Under a recently issued FAA notice of proposed policy, more than 40 percent of remote-communications-outlet frequencies would be eliminated starting next year. Frequencies especially designated for emergency or military use and those in Alaska are not included in this proposal. Currently, there are 1,621 RCOs in the U.S., which pilots can contact through Flight Service Stations (FSSs).
The FAA says the current complement of RCOs covers the vast majority of the U.S. and includes duplicate, overlapping and seldom used frequencies. Last year, the agency contracted Mitre to study the areas covered by these frequencies for possible removal “without significantly impacting the area of coverage.” The study concluded that up to 666 frequencies could be removed, leaving 93 to 100 percent coverage still available from 1,000 feet to 5,000 feet.
By reducing radio coverage, the agency estimates it can save $2.5 million annually in maintenance costs alone. More savings will be realized once property leases are terminated and voice-switch communications infrastructure is scaled back. Comments on the proposed policy are due by June 27.