I am sure most European business aviation operators don’t need another reminder that EASA’s (European Aviation Safety Agency’s) deadline for upgrading to ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) is midnight on June 6, 2020. Or that their aircraft must be equipped with a GPS position source (such as a certified WAAS GPS antenna) and a 1090-megahertz Mode S Extended squitter transponder to relay the information to ATC (air traffic control).
Hopefully operators realize that if they haven’t already complied with the mandate, they should schedule their upgrades as soon as possible in order to avoid the last-minute rush. As the deadline nears, hangar space and skilled avionics technicians will be at a premium, and costs will likely rise.
But I would like to remind EMEA owners/operators that if they intend to fly in the United States airspace, the FAA ADS-B deadline is midnight on December 31, 2019, several months earlier than the EASA deadline.
For European-based operators who are planning to travel to the United States, I recommend our slot program for ADS-B upgrades. Duncan Aviation has several Satellite Avionics Shops and workaway stations located at busy airports throughout the United States (www.duncanaviation.aero/locations/#satellites), and our avionics techs have already performed several hundred ADS-B upgrades. Reserving a slot guarantees both hangar space and qualified labor resources.
