ADS-B Compliance Accelerates, but Will It Be Enough?
Helicopters remain a worry spot as shop space starts to fill.
ADS-B equipage rates for business aircraft are growing, but industry observers say maintenance shop slot limitations will prevent 100 percent compliance by the FAA's Jan. 1, 2020 deadline for ADS-B Out. (Photo: Harris Corp.)
ADS-B equipage rates for business aircraft are growing, but industry observers say maintenance shop slot limitations will prevent 100 percent compliance by the FAA's Jan. 1, 2020 deadline for ADS-B Out. (Photo: Harris Corp.)

After years of expressing concern about lagging equipage rates for the 2020 ADS-B mandate in the U.S., General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO Pete Bunce recently gave a reason for optimism. Equipage rates had jumped significantly on the fixed-wing front, he reported and said, “We’re tracking very well.”