The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

 The ADS-B Deadline Will Not Change

For several years now, Duncan Aviation has been encouraging its customers to upgrade to ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast). We’re aware that as the FAA’s ADS-B mandate deadline—January 1, 2020—draws nearer, there will be a critical shortage of hangar space at qualified shops, not to mention a shortage of skilled avionics technicians who can perform and install the upgrades.

Among the information we’ve shared with our customers is a list of excuses we’ve heard for waiting on performing the upgrades:

• #1 There’s plenty of time
• #2 The deadline will be extended
• #3 The prices will drop
• #4 We’re going to sell our aircraft anyway

Several months ago, we countered every argument on our ADS-B web site (www.duncanaviation.aero/adsb). In light of remarks made at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In & Expo in Lakeland, Florida, in April 2017 by an FAA spokesperson, we’d like to revisit #2.

At the Linder Regional Airport, the FAA’s Acting Deputy Administrator, Victoria Wassmer, reiterated that the mandate deadline for ADS-B is firm, and she didn’t mince words!

“I’m going to say this as plainly as I can: The ADS-B equipage deadline is not changing,” says Wassmer. “If you plan to fly your plane in most controlled airspace after December 31, 2019, you’re going to need to install ADS-B.”

We at Duncan Aviation can confirm that we’ve seen an uptick in installation activity so far in 2017. Duncan Aviation and its 27 Satellite Shops and workaway stations completed 47 ADS-B installations in Q1, and we have an additional 55 scheduled for the second quarter. As a result of the recent comments by Ms. Wassmer, Duncan Aviation has seen an uptick in the number of ADS-B upgrades scheduled for the third and fourth quarters of 2017, and we have customers who are scheduling for 2018 and 2019 now, too.  

In an effort to accommodate our customers who are planning to upgrade to ADS-B in the next couple of years, Duncan Aviation has set up a slot program. Customers may buy a slot to reserve a confirmed date, hangar space, and qualified technicians for their aircraft at one of the Duncan Aviation Satellite Shops, which are located at the busiest airports throughout the United States.  

Contact the Duncan Aviation Satellite Shop nearest you (www.duncanaviation.aero/locations/#satellites), one of our Duncan Aviation Avionics Installation Team members (www.DuncanAviation.aero/services/avionics-installation/contacts), or Regional Avionics Sales Manager Mark Francetic (Mark.Francetic@DuncanAviation.com or 

+1-702.303.4888) or call +1 402.475.2611 for more information about ADS-B upgrades and the slot reservation program.

Duncan Aviation would also like to remind our world-wide customers that after midnight on January 1, 2020, their aircraft must have functioning ADS-B equipment if they intend to fly in United-States airspace. The FAA’s ADS-B mandate deadline is several months earlier than the EASA deadline.

 

 

 

Duncan Aviation is participating in the NextGen Mandate Solutions panel discussion at the SCAA’s (Southern California Aviation Association’s) luncheon at Ross Aviation in Long Beach, on April 28, 2017. Duncan Aviation’s Regional Avionics Sales Manager Mark Francetic will be a member of the panel, which is moderated by Matt Thurber, Senior Editor of Aviation International News.

“As the ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) mandate deadline nears and the demand for upgrades increases, more and more questions are being raised,” says Duncan Aviation Southwest Regional Manager Alfredo Garcia. “We are proud to join this panel to help answer any questions operators may have.”

For the last several years, Duncan Aviation has taken a leadership role in providing our customers and the business aviation community with the most comprehensive information possible on the ADS-B mandate by offering its free seminars. As the deadline for the mandate draws nearer and hangar space at reputable shops dwindles, Duncan Aviation is offering its customers the opportunity to reserve slots now for ADS-B upgrades in 2018 and 2019.  

The Duncan Aviation slot program allocates two spots per satellite per month for ADS-B upgrades. This program holds a confirmed date and hangar space for one aircraft, and operators can call now to reserve the spots for 2018 and 2019 and throughout the rest of 2017.

At our three main facilities in Battle Creek, Michigan, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Provo, Utah, and throughout our network of 27 Satellite Avionics Shops and work-away stations, Duncan Aviation has already upgraded nearly 300 aircraft of all makes and models. The skilled technicians on the Avionics bench at the Lincoln facility have also upgraded 132 TDR-94/TDR-94D units, bringing them into compliance with the ADS-B mandate.

Each shop has knowledgeable, experienced avionics technicians who have already brought dozens of aircraft into compliance with the ADS-B mandate, and there are two Duncan Aviation locations in Southern California: The Van Nuys Satellite Avionics shop and the San Diego workaway station. Manager Tony Russo (+1-818.355.0761) oversees both locations, and Tony and Crew Lead Joe Vittling (+1 818.298.7489) will be happy to answer questions and provide quotes.

Contact a Satellite Avionics Shop to reserve a slot (www.duncanaviation.aero/locations/#satellites) or call Duncan Aviation (+1 402.475.2611) or Regional Avionics Sales Manager Mark Francetic (702.303.4888) for quotes and/or information.

In the last few months, Doug Roth, Aircraft Sales Representative for Duncan Aviation for 29 years, has been asked many times about the effect an ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) upgrade has on the value of a business aircraft when it’s sold. The deadline for the FAA’s mandate is about 30 months away, and owners are weighing their options: Upgrade or sell.

Prospective buyers are weighing their options, as well. Time is money for flight departments, so an aircraft that’s already equipped with ADS-B is attractive, too, because it won’t require additional downtime for the installation.

Doug says unequivocally that the value of an aircraft right now is directly related to whether it has ADS-B.

“It’s dollar for dollar,” says Doug. “If you have upgraded your aircraft, you will get back every dollar you spent on the upgrade to make the aircraft ADS-B compliant. For instance, if you have a newer model aircraft and have gone with the high dollar upgrades, such as WAAS/LPV capability for the GPS so you can take advantage of the lower approaches, you will recoup every dollar you invested if you were to sell that aircraft in the current market.”

By the same token, if you have not yet brought your aircraft into compliance, the sale price will be set back dollar-for-dollar based on the amount the upgrade will cost the prospective buyer.

“It doesn’t matter if you have a newer model aircraft or one that’s nearing the end of its flight time, if you plan to sell your aircraft without the ADS-B upgrades, you will lose dollar-for-dollar the cost of the upgrade,” says Doug. 

There can be more than one path to upgrade, and which one you choose depends on a number of factors.  If you intend to fly your older model aircraft that has about 5 years of life left, you might want to opt for one of the least expensive solutions.

If you’d rather try to sell your older model aircraft now, you’ll need to deduct the cost of the ADS-B upgrade plus any related labor costs from the sale price of your aircraft.

This is true, too, for a newer aircraft that has many years of flight time remaining. Buyers who make a substantial investment to acquire a newer model aircraft will still need to turn around and spend more to get the aircraft in compliance with the ADS-B mandate.

Doug suggests that anyone who’s thinking of selling an aircraft without the ADS-B upgrade to remember how the market reacted to aircraft without RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum) when that was mandated.

“When RVSM came out, the cost to install was a dollar-for-dollar direct value adjustment to the value of the aircraft. Before it was required and we knew it was coming, everyone was budgeting for the expense whether you owned the aircraft or were looking to buy one that did not have it installed,” says Doug. “I remember selling one aircraft right in that time period without RVSM because it was not yet required in the US. The sale price was less the cost of the upgrade, and after the prebuy, the buyer had us install it at their expense before delivery.”

The buyer would have paid more for the aircraft if RVSM had been installed, and he could have avoided the extra downtime necessary for the installation.

Duncan Aviation estimates that roughly 6,000 of the business jets in its core customer base still need ADS-B. That paints a pretty urgent picture of the industry. However, when you consider that ADS-B affects ALL aircraft, it's an even more dramatic picture. The number of U.S.-based turbine aircraft that still need ADS-B is closer to 11,000 and the number of all U.S. aircraft that still need ADS-B is closer to 74,000.

Brian Redondo, Duncan Aviation's Ft. Lauderdale Satellite Shop Manager, explains why he is concerned about the shortage of qualified installation labor.

"During the RVSM mandate compliance phase, shops performing RVSM installations could hire technicians from other shops that were slow because their core customers were not affected by the mandate. That won't be possible with ADS-B because every installation shop will be performing these installations for many years to come. And honestly, there is already a shortage of skilled labor as it is."

Operators need to begin looking at their paths for compliance and schedule the work needed, and soon. This video will highlight some of the key figures about why you need to be thinking about your upgrade now.

The business aviation industry has been talking about Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) for the last decade, and the January 1, 2020, mandate deadline is coming fast. It is now time for aircraft owners and operators who want to avoid inconvenient circumstances to finalize their ADS-B compliance plans.

What is ADS-B?

In May 2010, the FAA published its final rule mandating ADS-B Out, with the goal of making crowded skies safer and more efficient. ADS-B is a relatively new technology that provides Air Traffic Control (ATC) with precise, three-dimensional position data. Pilots in equipped aircraft have access to air traffic and weather services that provide a new level of safety, better situational awareness and more efficient routing.

ADS-B transmissions include position, altitude, velocity, aircraft identification and other information and are more accurate than ground-based radar.

The ADS-B Out mandate requires all aircraft operating in the US airspace to have a certified GPS position source paired with a transponder capable of transmitting data from the aircraft without prompting from the pilot or a request from ATC.

What If I Miss The Deadline?

If your aircraft is not ADS-B compliant by January 1, 2020, it will, unless you plan to fly below 10,000 feet and avoid Class A, B and C airspace, be grounded.

Post-mandate, and on a case-by-case basis, ATC may give permission to relocate the aircraft in order to have it modified for compliance with the mandate. You’ll then be notified that the aircraft is grounded until it complies.        

The Myths of ADS-B

We are seeing an interesting industry trend. Nearly 9,000 business aircraft need ADS-B. Roughly one-third of them are in compliance. So 6,000 more need to upgrade. With the deadline roughly 34 months away, more than 175 aircraft will need to be upgraded each month. Yet many operators are waiting. Those who continue to wait will face scheduling pressure and higher installation costs. Yet many unfortunately believe several myths currently circulating.

• There is plenty of time.

Those in the industry need only think back to 2005 and the RVSM mandate. Capable avionics installation facilities were at capacity 24 months before the mandate and for a full 12 months AFTER the mandate. ADS-B installations are similar to RVSM (Reduced Vertical  Separation Mimimum) installs in complexity and downtime.  Make no mistake.  There simply isn’t enough capacity in the industry to complete the number of modifications required.  There will be aircraft sitting and waiting for modification after January 1, 2020.

• The deadline will be extended.

I feel confident in telling customers that the deadline will not be extended. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and other FAA and industry leaders have consistently gone on record several times saying the mandate deadline will not change.

• The prices will drop.

Installation shops and aircraft manufacturers have collaborated, and owners now enjoy a wide array of choices and price points for equipping to meet the mandate.  I am sure that with supply and demand for equipment and labor, prices will only increase as the mandate deadline moves closer.

• The aircraft will be sold.

For most models, the preowned business aircraft market is still very buyer-oriented. If you don’t upgrade to ADS-B before the sale, the price you will be able to ask for your aircraft will be significantly less than if it had ADS-B.

Be Informed

I feel that we, as leaders in the business aviation community, have a responsibility to inform and provide a solution we are capable of providing.  I don’t share this information to scare operators; but I remember the RVSM days well.  We fielded lots of calls from owners who wanted immediate input, and I was unable to help. I want to make sure owners and operators understand the risks they take by not having an ADS-B compliance plan--now.

As originally appeared in the March/April 2017 issue of Business Aviation Advisor

Have you heard about the Honeywell HTF7500E Stator Vane Seal Inspection Program? How about the cause behind those intermittent software failures on your Avidyne EX-500 MFD? 

No? Then you haven't read the March issue of the Duncan Intelligence. 

 March Duncan Intelligence

Falcon 7X Flap Rigging Precautions  Caution is needed when rigging the flaps on a Dassaut Falcon 7X aircraft. ADS-B Solution for Bombardier Challenger 800/850 SE Aircraft  This was an industry-first installation in the United States and was performed in the customer’s hangar. Honeywell HTF7500E Stator Vane Seal Inspection Program  This inspection program is applicable to the HTF750E model engine. Why Is My Avidyne EX-500 MFD Experiencing Intermittent Software Failures?  Completing a proper shutdown every time will prevent this. Got a crack in your APU Exhaust Support? Don’t Replace It. Repair It.  Duncan Aviation has AWS D17.1 certified welders and inspectors on-site, all capable of welding all types of materials for aerospace applications. The NBAA Tech Committee Wants To Hear From You Progress can only be accomplished if we have regular interaction with and feedback from you, the Citation operator.

Every day we field questions from operators about the FAA’s NextGen initiatives. This tells us there is still significant confusion about the various acronyms associated with NextGen. 

What You Need to Know About the ADS-B Mandate

Here are some of the more common questions surrounding the many acronyms and which acronym applies to which solution.

ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast). A cooperative system that transmits digital information regarding the identity, velocity and position of the aircraft to ATC (Air Traffic Control). This is a mandated item. Every aircraft planning on flying in controlled airspace after December 31, 2019, will need to have ADS-B Out. To comply with the ADS-B Out mandate, aircraft need a 1090-MHz Mode S extended squitter transponder combined with a certified GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation source such as WAAS GPS. ADS-B In allows the aircraft to read ADS-B signals from other aircraft.

WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System). A system developed to augment GPS with the goal of improving its accuracy, integrity and availability. Intended to correct GPS signal errors, WAAS collects data from ground stations and satellites, allowing aircraft to rely on GPS for all phases of flight, from takeoff through Category I precision approaches. WAAS permits the use of more fuel efficient flight planning and approaches that have reduced minimums. WAAS-approved units also incorporate navigation procedures to take advantage of preferential flight routing. To upgrade to WAAS, certified equipment appropriate for the aircraft must be installed and properly approved by the FAA or its designee.

FANS 1/A– (Future Area Navigation Systems). This is a datalink system that lets pilots and ATC communicate directly using text transmissions that appear on the CDU (Central Control Unit). It requires a certain level of navigational performance that your aircraft must meet in order to fly overseas while communicating with ATC via CPDLC.

CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Communications.) This is the method of communications being used for operators flying overseas outside of VHF coverage. The aircraft must meet a certain level of precision and performance to fly in these assigned flight routes. CPDLC is the text-messaging component of FANS 1/A.

Still have questions?

• Contact the Duncan Aviation Satellite Shop (www.DuncanAviation.aero/locations/#satellites) nearest you,
• Call any one of our Duncan Aviation Avionics Installation Team Members (www.DuncanAviation.aero/services/avionics-installation/contacts), or call +1 402.475.2611 for more information.
• Visit the Duncan Aviation ADS-B web page at: www.DuncanAviation.aero/adsb
• Download our Straight Talk booklets: www.DuncanAviation.aero/resources/straight-talk

Yes, you almost certainly do. You need a transponder capable of DO-260B transmissions and an upgraded or new WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) receiver unless you plan to fly below 10,000 feet and avoid Class A, B, and C airspace*.

With fewer than 34 months remaining to equip the entire US business aviation fleet with ADS-B Out avionics equipment, there will likely be shortages of hangar space at qualified shops as the deadline draws nearer. From now until the mandate deadline, January 1, 2020, roughly 174 aircraft per month still need to find available hangar space and qualified technicians.

Avoid The Scheduling Crunch

If you are not yet ready for the required upgrades and are worried about finding available capacity at certified service centers, take a look at our ADS-B Slot Program

The Duncan Aviation ADS-B Slot Program lets you buy a slot to reserve a confirmed date and hangar space for your aircraft at one of our Satellite Avionics Shops. The deposit will be applied to the ADS-B installation when you arrive.

By scheduling now, you will see better pricing, have easier access to the certified transponders and GPS sensors, and find time for the upgrade/installation that fits your flight schedule and calendar.

Contact the Duncan Aviation Satellite Shop (www.DuncanAviation.aero/locations/#satellites) nearest you, one of our Duncan Aviation Avionics Installation Team Members (www.DuncanAviation.aero/services/avionics-installation/contacts), or call +1 402.475.2611 for more information about ADS-B upgrades and the new slot reservation program.

ADS-B Myth Busting

ADS-B Myth #1: There Is Plenty Of Time

ADS-B #2: The Deadline WIll Be Extended

ADS-B Myth #3: The Prices Will Drop

ADS-B Myth #4: We’re Going To Sell Our Aircraft Anyway

ADS-B Myth #5: I Don’t Need ADS-B

*What Is Class A, B & C Airspace?

Class A airspace encompasses all airspace over the continental United States and Alaska from 18,000 feet to 60,000 feet. This includes all airspace withing 12 nautical miles of the coasts of the continental United States and Alasaka and some designated international airspace beyond those 12 nautical miles. All flights in Class A airspace are under ATC control and must operate using IFR (instrument flight rules) only.

Class B airspace, which is the airspace around the 37 busiest airports in the United States, is strictly controlled. Aircraft flying in Class B airspace must be under the control of ATC, and VFR aircraft must receive explicit permission to enter the airspace. No aircraft can takeoff or land at these airports without permission or without an operating Mode C transponder and a two-way radio. These rules cover airspace within 30 nautical miles of the airports, often encompassing other airports in the area. For instance, the Dallas Love Field is not a Class B airport, but DFW is and Love Field is within the DFW airspace and is subject to the same rules.

Class C airspace goes from the surface to 4,000 feet MSL (Mean Sea Level) above the airport. These 122 airports have operational control towers, currently control approaches by radar, and have mostly IFR operations. Two-way radio communication is required for takeoff and landing, and aircraft may not enter Class C airspace without directly communicating with ATC first.

 

As one industry broker told us, “Without ADS-B, you may as well use your aircraft as an expensive paperweight. No one is going to buy it.”

Duncan Aviation’s Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions team says that whether an aircraft is equipped with ADS-B Out is already affecting its resale value. In this buyer’s market, if you don’t pay to upgrade to ADS-B Out now, the price you’ll be able to ask for your aircraft will be significantly less than if you had performed the upgrade.

And, with less than 35 months remaining to equip the entire US business aviation fleet with ADS-B Out avionics equipment, there will likely be shortages of hangar space at qualified shops as the deadline draws nearer. From now until the mandate deadline, January 1, 2020, roughly 167 aircraft per month still need to find available hangar space and qualified technicians.

Avoid The Scheduling Crunch

If you are not yet ready for the required upgrades and are worried about finding available capacity at certified service centers, take a look at our ADS-B Slot Program

The Duncan Aviation ADS-B Splot Program lets you buy a slot to reserve a confirmed date and hangar space for your aircraft at one of our Satellite Avionics Shops. The deposit will will applied to the ADS-B installation when you arrive.

By scheduling now, you will see better pricing, have easier access to the certified transponders and GPS sensors, and find time for the upgrade/installation that fits your flight schedule and calendar.

Contact the Duncan Aviation Satellite Shop (www.DuncanAviation.aero/locations/#satellites) nearest you, one of our Duncan Aviation Avionics Installation Team Members (www.DuncanAviation.aero/services/avionics-installation/contacts), or call +1 402.475.2611 for more information about ADS-B upgrades and the new slot reservation program.

ADS-B Myth Busting

ADS-B Myth #1: There Is Plenty Of Time

ADS-B #2: The Deadline WIll Be Extended

ADS-B Myth #3: The Prices Will Drop

ADS-B Myth #4: We’re Going To Sell Our Aircraft Anyway

ADS-B Myth #5: I Don’t Need ADS-B

This is an interesting thought, and we have heard many customers say this. If you look at our industry and the history of mandates, though, prices don’t typically decrease for equipment that is both required and has limited availability. It is our expert opinion after studying the issue thoroughly that as the mandate approaches, prices will instead increase, especially when you look at the upcoming demands for avionics installation capacity.  

There are fewer than 35 months remaining to equip the entire US business aviation fleet with ADS-B Out avionics equipment. That means from now until the mandate deadline, January 1, 2020, roughly 167 aircraft per month will need to find available hangar space and qualified technicians.

Avoid The Scheduling Crunch

If you are not yet ready for the required upgrades and are worried about finding available capacity at certified service centers, take a look at our ADS-B Slot Program

The Duncan Aviation ADS-B Splot Program lets you buy a slot to reserve a confirmed date and hangar space for your aircraft at one of our Satellite Avionics Shops. The deposit will will applied to the ADS-B installation when you arrive.

By scheduling now, you will see better pricing, have easier access to the certified transponders and GPS sensors, and find time for the upgrade/installation that fits your flight schedule and calendar.

Contact the Duncan Aviation Satellite Shop (www.DuncanAviation.aero/locations/#satellites) nearest you, one of our Duncan Aviation Avionics Installation Team Members (www.DuncanAviation.aero/services/avionics-installation/contacts), or call +1 402.475.2611 for more information about ADS-B upgrades and the new slot reservation program.

ADS-B Myth Busting

ADS-B Myth #1: There Is Plenty Of Time

ADS-B #2: The Deadline WIll Be Extended

ADS-B Myth #3: The Prices Will Drop

ADS-B Myth #4: We’re Going To Sell Our Aircraft Anyway

ADS-B Myth #5: I Don’t Need ADS-B