Avionics News July 2015 - 39

cost more if aircraft owners crowd repair stations to get the
work done on the eve of the deadline."
The FAA also has launched a new ADS-B educational
website at www.faa.gov/go/equipadsb, which provides
information about currently available equipment, airspace
subject to the mandate and a general frequently asked
questions section.

asked to review the privacy implications of ADS-B equipage compared to aircraft transponders.
Technical amendment to the rule: The FAA issued a
"Technical Amendment" to the ADS-B rule on Feb. 9, 2015.
The technical amendment updates the regulatory language
in 14 CFR 91.225 to allow equipment that "meets the per
performance requirements" in TSO-C166b or TSO-C154c (72
FR 56947, 56971). The technical amendment issued earlier
Equip 2020
in 2015 corrects the inadvertent removal of the word ''per
''perThe FAA established the Equip 2020 working group
formance'' in the sentence in the final rule compared to the
under the NextGen Institute in the
proposed rule. The error had resulted
fall of 2014 to help facilitate ADS-B
in confusion as to whether the regu
reguequipage. The working group has
lation permits equipment other than
met six times.
that marked with a TSO.
The group's primary work activiThe amendment, however,
ties that impact GA include updatchanges nothing with respect to
ing existing guidance (AC 20-165A,
permitting portable ADS-B equip
equipAC 90-114A) and identifying opment or noncertified GPS solu
soluTHE 2020 DEADLINE IS NOT
portunities to assist GA operators
tions.
The
rule
also
continues
to
GOING TO CHANGE. WE ARE
with equipping their aircraft. Equip
require that "aircraft has equipment
IN A POSITION TO ACHIEVE
2020's GA working group is chaired
installed" (14 CFR 91.225(a)) to
THIS
IMPORTANT
MILESTONE
by the General Aviation Manuoperate in ADS-B airspace.
ON TIME. THE COST OF
facturers Association, while the
A copy of the Federal Regiscertification and installation workter
notice is online at www.gpo.
EQUIPMENT HAS COME DOWN
ing group is chaired by the Aircraft
gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-02-09/
CONSIDERABLY. THERE IS
Electronics Association.
pdf/2015-02579.pdf.
SUFFICIENT MAINTENANCE
The previously mentioned reviCAPACITY TO ALLOW ALL
Specific issues
sions to AC 20-165A and 90-114A
reviewed by Equip 2020
will include additional guidance
EQUIPAGE TO OCCUR - IN
The Equip 2020 working group
about the implications of this techFACT, WAITING TO EQUIP
has made progress on developing
nical amendment to the rule.
MIGHT COST MORE IF
updates to AC 20-165A and 90ODA authority for ADS-B project:
AIRCRAFT OWNERS CROWD
114A. The FAA is working toward
The FAA released a policy memo in
releasing a draft of the revised ACs
March 2015 that allows organization
REPAIR STATIONS TO GET THE
later in 2015, and these drafts will
designation authorization (ODA)
WORK DONE ON THE EVE OF
incorporate the proposed changes
holders to conduct certain ADS-B
THE DEADLINE."
identified by Equip 2020. The FAA,
Out certification projects without di
diin the interim, intends to issue tarrect FAA involvement, which means
geted policy clarifications to help
they can move a program forward at
MICHAEL WHITAKER,
facilitate equipment installation.
whatever pace the company and its
FAA deputy administrator
The industry's perspective is that it
ODA can support.
should be recognized that equipping
This memo is a "deviation" from
an aircraft with ADS-B comes down to a transponder and a
the existing ODA order and expands the ability to conduct
radio installation. Both are aircraft changes with which the
certification projects without submitting a project notifica
notificacommunity has significant experience. The general avia
aviation letter (PNL) to the FAA to include ADS-B and associ
assocition community's focus has been around the benefits that
ated avionics projects (GPS or EFIS displays). The ODA
aircraft operators obtain from ADS-B Out and In equipage
must have demonstrated performance on similar types of
(enhanced surveillance, traffic and FIS-B) and the differprojects, and its ODA procedures manual must prescribe
ent paths and price points for equipping general aviation
aircraft. The GA working group also has specifically been
Continued on following page

"LET ME BE
VE RY CLEAR.

AVIONICS NEWS

JULY

2015

http://www.faa.gov/go/equipadsb http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-02-09/pdf/2015-02579.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-02-09/pdf/2015-02579.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-02-09/pdf/2015-02579.pdf

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News July 2015