Dubious ADS-B Milestone Reached

When GAMA announced that the United States GA fleet had reached a milestone in ADS-B equipage, it was an announcement that seemed like more of a warning. The shocking element of the news was not how many aircraft have been equipped but how many haven't.

The milestone mentioned in the release was that in advance of the January 1, 2020 deadline, 40,000 GA aircraft have now been equipped with FAA-compliant ADS-B gear. That seems like a lot, and it is, but the kicker is how many remain to be equipped. The FAA estimates that between 100,000 and 160,000 need to be outfitted with ADS-B. So that leaves between 60,000 and 120,000 aircraft that still need the gear. GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce pointed out that "we're now just two years out from the FAA compliance deadline," and that "it is essential that those operators who haven't yet, make a plan for equipage to avoid having their aircraft grounded."

Bunce added that with just over two years left to equip, owners will fall into one of two camps, those who get going on equipage now and those who put it off until the deadline is upon them and who will struggle to find a shop that will be able to schedule the work.

Learn more at GAMA.