Avionics News July 2013 - 29

Focusing on this deadline, the FAA’s ADS-B website recommends
that aircraft owners ‘check with your avionics shops for more
details,’ explaining that they ‘can provide you with options tailored
to your individual operational and economic needs ...’

information service (FIS-B), whose 12
products include real-time graphical
and textual weather. Because UAT Out
is legal to 17,999 feet, they assumed In
services were similarly altitude limited.
This is not the case, said the FAA’s
ADS-B team: “The rule requires 1090 ES
Out to operate above 18,000 after Jan.
1, 2020, but if you have a UAT In receiver, you can receive TIS-B and FIS-B (and
ADS-R) at any altitude. You can also receive 1090 In at any altitude, though no
FIS-B is provided on this frequency.”
UAT and 1090 ES do not “see” each
other’s broadcasts. ADS-R combines
information from both signals and rebroadcasts them from ADS-B ground
stations, so UAT-equipped aircraft can
see what air traffic control sees. TIS-B
and FIS-B are available now, but coverage is sparse in the middle third of the
nation. In April, the FAA added another
11 terminal areas to the network, including Chicago, Columbus, Little Rock,
Lubbock, Memphis and Milwaukee.
ADS-B does not work on its own. It
requires a certified WAAS GPS receiver
and a multifunction display. Few shops
mentioned that installations require a
supplemental type certificate, which
the FAA covers in Advisory Circular 20165 for ADS-B Out and AC 20-172 for
ADS-B In. In preparing their customers
to meet the 2020 deadline, shops did
understand the challenges facing owners of jet, piston and amateur-built experimental aircraft.

Decisions, Decisions
In preparing for ADS-B, aircraft already equipped with a certified WAAS
GPS navigator are ahead of the curve
because it is the system’s most expensive component, according to every
shop. “ADS-B is a subject I always bring
up with customers when discussing avionics upgrades or modifications,” said
Bill Hanf, owner of Vermont’s Green
Mountain Avionics. He keeps current
on the topic by regularly attending AEA
and original equipment manufacturer
educational sessions and through online information. “Having a full understanding of the requirements for ADS-B
Out, as well as operational and safety
benefits of ADS-B In, helps me explain
this to my customers.”
Understanding the benefits and limitations of Out and In is essential, he continued. Aircraft owners get cranky when
they feel “forced to purchase new equipment just to comply with a government
mandate, but they may be more than
happy to invest in equipment that offers
subscription-free traffic and weather
and also complies with the ADS-B Out
mandate.”
Garmin’s GTN WAAS GPS systems
dominate Green Mountain’s installation
business, and they “make a very nice display for ADS-B,” he said. If Garmin’s GDL
88 UAT “is outside of their current upgrade budget, I offer to route the necessary wires and cables through the cabin
to prepare for its installation at a later

date.” If the airplane flies above 18,000
feet, he also recommended installation
of the GTX 330ES.
For his company Cessna 172, Hanf is
investing in a GTN 750 and a GDL 88D,
which has top and bottom antenna diversity that ensures an ADS-B signal in
any attitude. Once installed, Hanf said
he’ll have first-hand experience with
ADS-B Out and In, and he can share how
well it works in regards to coverage,
traffic protection and how the weather
compares to his Garmin 796 and XM
Weather subscription.
“In addition to being able to speak
confidently about a product from personal experience, I can take customers
up so they can try it out in flight,” Hanf
said. “Paper brochures are nice (good for
a potential customer to take home with
some notes), online product info has really come a long way and desktop demo
units are pretty cool, but nothing beats
being able to put a potential customer
in the seat and actually go fly the equipment. And it’s a great excuse to get out
of the office.”
Operators of high-flying jets seem to
be trailing their piston-powered peers.
“We’re only getting a few stepping to
WAAS,” said Gary Harpster, an avionics sales rep for Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Neb., which specializes in Citations,
Hawkers and Learjets. Another challenge
is that the avionics OEMs had to address
Continued on following page
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Avionics News July 2013

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