The Type Of Flying You Do And The Places You Go Will Determine The Requirement For ADS-B “Out” In Your Airplane

If you fly a small airplane for sport and recreation and use travel as an excuse to own it, when you hear the term ADS-B you probably get this sick feeling in your stomach because you know it’s complicated and is going to cost money. But wait, it may not be what you think.

ADS-B is part of this thing called NextGen which is the new navigation system that is supposed to kick off in the year 2020. Basically, ADS-B will take radar out of the sky and keep it in your microwave oven where it belongs.

It’s pretty common knowledge by now that ADS-B is going to be required by January 1, 2020. Okay, what does that mean? There are 2 types of ADS-B; one is called “Out” and the other is called “In.” It’s the ADS-B “Out” that has the timestamp on it; ADS-B “In” is optional. It’s the ADS-B “Out” that will spell the end of radar.

The question is, must you really have ADS-B “Out” by the deadline, and what happens if you don’t have it? Here’s the easy way to look at it; if you currently have a transponder and fly places (or IFR) where you must use it, then you’ll have to meet the ADS-B “Out” requirement… If you don’t have a transponder or don’t fly to places where you must use it, you don’t need ADS-B “Out.”

There is a lot more to the story of ADS-B and the NextGen air traffic control system, but determining how the ADS-B “Out” deadline applies to you is pretty simple. If you’re just buzzing around in a simple VFR airplane and flying in airspace that doesn’t require a transponder, not much changes from what you are doing now and you can save your money for the next 10 or 20 $200 hamburgers.

www.faa.gov/nextgen/programs/adsb/