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FAA'S
ADS-B RULE WILL COST YOU The FAA Thursday
released a final rule dictating requirements for aircraft owners to opera=
te
in NextGen's ADS-B-required environment by 20=
20,
and it's going to cost you. The rule addresses ADS-B Out. The FAA has
previously (in the NPRM) estimated that the total cost to equip GA aircra=
ft
from 2012 to 2035 could range anywhere from $1.2 to $4.5 billion. It now
estimates the quantified benefit to the GA fleet at $200 million. Those
figures appear under a section titled, "General Aviation: High Equip=
age
Costs With Little Benefit." According to the agency, "The FAA f=
ully
acknowledges that the general aviation community will incur significant c=
osts
from this rule." However, the FAA says this must be balanced against=
the
system's overall benefits, which are expected to include hundreds of mill=
ions
of gallons of fuel saved and the realization of other operational
efficiencies. The FAA says it considered three options to resolve GA's co=
st
benefit concerns. First, to lower co=
sts
for individual operators (general aviation pilots),
the FAA has modified the systems' performance requirements and determined
changes that eliminate the need for ADS-B antenna diversity. The FAA beli=
eves
this will help make the rule cheaper to implement. Second, moving forward,
the FAA "intends to explore the costs and benefits" for service
expansions that may include: more low altitude coverage; radar-like termi=
nal
ATC services at airports not currently served; automated closure of IFR
flight plans; enhanced search and rescue; and providing FSS with ADS-B
positional display information to allow for more tailored flight service
functions. The third option considered was to limit ADS-B requirements to
Class A and B airspace. This was dismissed because the FAA believes failu=
re
to equip all aircraft would greatly reduce the system's benefits. |
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Reprinted from: AVWeb