Story ID: 
ICAO Wants ELTs on All International Flights
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Starting July 1, 2008, all private and commercial airplanes operating internationally will need to carry at least one emergency locator transmitter, accord
Word Count: 139
Starting July 1, 2008, all private and commercial airplanes operating internationally will need to carry at least one emergency locator transmitter, according to a proposed standard from the International Civil Aviation Organization. The proposal, if enacted, also states that beginning July 1, 2008, “automatic” (406 MHz) ELTs must be carried on all international operations of both commercial aircraft authorized to carry 19 passengers or less and private aircraft of any number of passenger seats that obtain their certificate of airworthiness after that date. International operations of commercial airplanes authorized to carry more than 19 passengers and issued certificates of airworthiness after July 1, 2008, would have to be equipped with at least two ELTs, one of which must be automatic. Current ICAO standards call for ELTs only on airplanes operated on extended overwater flights and on flights over designated land areas where search-and-rescue operations pose a special challenge.