The annual Aircraft Electronics Association International Convention & Trade Show is a showcase for avionics dealers, the people who sell, install and repair the products that fill the cockpits and cabins of all types of aircraft. And as such, the avionics manufacturers at the AEA event are laser-focused on showing how their products will benefit the end user.
Dealers at the AEA show seemed cautiously optimistic about the next big avionics mandate, the requirement to install ADS-B Out equipment in most aircraft by 2020. Tim Shaver, FAA avionics maintenance branch manager, warned about the massive amount of work that is coming. “It’s not an option whether we equip or not,” he said. He added that the FAA initially will require ADS-B installations be done under supplemental type certificate (STC) and not field approvals. This is because, he said, “each aircraft is a node,” meaning that ADS-B-equipped aircraft share data about their location with other aircraft and accuracy is thus critical. “The integrity of the entire system depends on the weakest link,” he explained. The FAA should allow these installations under approved model list STCs and may even allow field approvals as more is learned about ADS-B installation issues, according to Jens Hennig, v-p of operations for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
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