Cockpit Avionics: NextGen Upgrade Pace and STC Approvals Accelerating

The most restrictive ADS-B out mandate in the world takes effect in U.S. airspace after midnight on Dec. 31, 2019, and installation centers, STC developers and equipment manufacturers are scrambling to help aircraft owners and operators meet the deadline. The mandate means that any aircraft inadequately equipped to be flown in U.S. airspace where a transponder is required will be grounded on Jan. 1, 2020.

The mandate for ADS-B out (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) is part of the FAA’s NextGen transformation of the National Airspace System and also global ADS-B implementation. ADS-B out takes onboard and highly accurate GPS information and transmits it to ground-based monitoring stations and other aircraft to provide a far more accurate display of aircraft location to both air traffic controllers and other aircraft equipped to receive traffic information via ADS-B in technology.

Other NextGen capabilities that will affect business aviation operators include future air navigation system (Fans), for automatic provision of position information and text-type messaging with ATC during oceanic operations; controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC or Link 2000+ in Europe), the messaging capability alone, which is already being implemented at some U.S. airports for pre-departure clearances but isn’t mandatory except for European airspace above FL285 after February 2020; performance-based navigation (PBN) required navigation performance (RNP) approaches, currently available but mostly being flown by airlines; and Tcas II Change 7.1 software, required in Europe beginning Dec. 1, 2015, but available to any operator.

For business aircraft operators, there are a few ways to approach the upcoming NextGen mandates.