[Avionics Today 1-27-2015] The government-industry Equip 2020 working group held its latest meeting last week to continue addressing obstacles different segments of the industry are facing toward meeting the FAA’s Jan. 1, 2020 mandate for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) avionics. One of the major issues the group addressed during the meeting was the challenges facing General Aviation (GA) operators to comply with the mandate. During an interview with Avionics Magazine following last week’s meeting, Marke “Hoot” Gibson, executive director of the NextGen Institute, said the GA equipage issue will continue to be a focus throughout 2015.
A map showing the ADS-B ground station network throughout the National Airspace System. Photo: Exelis.
“The [General Aviation] GA piece remains to be a challenge, I think, in many ways. Currently, it’s come down to an issue of cost and we’re looking at all options,” said Gibson. “Can we find a minimally compliant solution that is less expensive that might be sufficient for people? We’re trying to address all of those aspects of this problem to help the GA community be able to meet the requirements by 2020. That’s the effort.”
Some of the key barriers to ADS-B equipage originally identified by the Equip 2020 group when it was formed back in October 2014 included: cost and availability of upgrading GPS receivers; streamlined certification procedures; development of more low cost avionics; improving product availability; clarifying requirements; and ensuring repair station resources are available to complete installations.
The NextGen Institute itself has a unique role in leading the Equip 2020 group, as it is a 501(c)(3) organization that acts as a “buffer” between the industry and the FAA, Gibson said. Since the Equip 2020 group was originally formed, the government-industry initiative has been divided into four working groups that focus on specific equipage issues. One group focuses on the GA community, a second group focuses on the air transport community and their issues, the third group is focused on certification and installation activities and the final group is responsible for education and outreach to the greater aviation community on ADS-B equipage.
Following the meeting, several industry groups jointly expressed that the biggest issue with the 2020 mandate is the cost of equipage. A joint letter sent to the FAA signed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Helicopter Association International and National Business Aviation Association along with 11 other groups indicated that the cost of equipage is currently too high for some GA operators to comply with.
“While there are many cost variances associated with equipage, it is clear that the cost of meeting the ADS-B Out mandate continues to be a serious obstacle for many aircraft owners. A study conducted by AOPA identified 81,564 certified, registered piston-powered aircraft valued at $40,000 or less. For owners of such aircraft the price to equip can be prohibitive,” the letter reads.
The associations also used an example from the AOPA study that breaks down the cost of equipage for a refurbished $34,000 1967 Cessna 150 with a Mode C transponder and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) GPS system. According to the study, the cost to install the “least expensive certified solution,” which is an ADS-B Out/In box with a position locator, is $5,000. That would be 15 percent of the aircraft’s value for the “aircraft owner to continue to fly in the same airspace he or she uses today,” the letter said.
Jens Hennig, vice president of operations for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) told Avionics Magazine that Equip 2020’s GA working group is looking closely at the cost issue to explore all available options. One option that has not become available yet is the authority that Congress gave to the FAA under the last reauthorization bill to create a financing program for ADS-B equipage.
“The working group has received feedback from a number of participants that we should also look at exploring opportunities for potential grants, bulk purchases of equipment and to look at other ways by which the federal government in recognition that this is a infrastructure program at its core could become a partner especially with those general aviation operators who are most price sensitive,” said Hennig.
As for Gibson and the NextGen Institute, GA equipage issues will continue to be a focus in 2015, along with addressing the unique NextGen equipage issues facing other segments of the aviation community. However, he has definitely heard the concerns of the group and is looking to continue to use the meetings to make progress and ensure that all GA and air transport category operators are compliant and ready to meet the mandate in 2020.
“I’m inviting some new thought and the multiple aspects of financing, government-industry partnerships, installer credits, bulk production and more. There’s a lot of ways to drive price down,” said Gibson. “We’re doing everything we can. There’s no promises that we’ll make 100 percent of people happy but we’re trying to answer the concerns of AOPA and EAA and all the organizations that are concerned with that.”