The Duncan Download Blog: Business Aviation Advice & Observations

We feel confident saying the deadline is firm. At the EAA AirVenture Air Show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in July 2016, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta reiterated that the mandate deadline will not change, and he encouraged general aviation owners to upgrade their equipment now, adding that it’s a smart move.

The FAA says there will not be an extension. The agency has outlined its NextGen initiative, and it includes ADS-B technology. Customers in Asia Pacific, Hong Kong, and Singapore all thought the same thing when the deadline for their mandate approached in December 12, 2013. It was not extended.

The FAA has given our industry 10 years to comply, and January 1, 2020 is the deadline. The time to schedule your ADS-B installation is now.

Because business aircraft operators in the United States have less than 35 months remaining to equip the entire 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.

If you wait too long, the installation prices will increase, based on simple supply and demand, and you run the risk of not finding a shop qualified to complete the upgrades and installations.

Avoid The Scheduling Crunch

If you are not yet ready for the required upgrades, but don’t want to get caught up in the mad rush to find available capacity at certified service centers, we are offering an 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

We recently performed an industry first in the United States by installing/upgrading ADS-B-compliant avionics on a Challenger 850 SE. We have combined the use of the STC from Rockwell Collins for WAAS/LPV with the STC from Avmax for ADS-B, approved for use on Challenger 800/850 SE aircraft by the FAA, which satisfies the upcoming January 1, 2020 ADS-B mandate deadline.

By combining these installations/upgrades, we minimized the downtime and access charges for the aircraft’s owner.

The installation/upgrades were performed by avionics technicians from the Duncan Aviation Las Vegas Satellite Avionics Shop at the customer’s hangar, and the aircraft’s pilots were ecstatic when they flew LPV approaches with the new system.

In addition to saving downtime and access charges, any of our experienced avionics technicians from our more than 26 Satellite Avionics Shops around the country can perform these installations/upgrades at a customer's facility.

ADS-B Information & Solutions

For information about ADS-B (www.DuncanAviation.aero/services/avionics-installation/adsb) and the mandate deadlines, please contact me at +1 702.303.4888 or via email Mark.Francetic@DuncanAviation.com

For information on scheduling an ADS-B installation/upgrade, please contact the Duncan Aviation Satellite Avionics 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 call +1 402.475.2611 for more information about ADS-B upgrades and the new Duncan Aviation slot reservation program.

Business aircraft operators in the United States have less than 35 months remaining to equip the entire fleet with ADS-B Out avionics equipment. That means from now until the mandate deadline, roughly 167 aircraft per month will need to find available hangar space and qualified technicians.

January 1, 2020 seems like a long way off, but if you remember previous FAA mandates the industry experienced huge backlogs because there simply was not enough hangar space to accommodate the rush of owner/operators who needed to get their aircraft into complaince. Remember the scheduling difficulties with RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum)? You don’t? Refresh your memory here. (Remembering the RVSM Crunch)

If you wait too long, the installation prices will increase, based on simple supply and demand, and you run the risk of not finding a shop qualified to complete the upgrades and installations.

Avoid The Scheduling Crunch

If you are not yet ready for the required upgrades, but don’t want to get caught up in the mad rush to find available capacity at certified service centers, we are offering an ADS-B Slot Program

The Duncan Aviation ADS-B Splot Program allows you to 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

 Still need more information?

ADS-B Out

• Reduced separation and highly accurate departure and arrival times
• Surveillance in areas that do not currently have radar coverage 
• Information to tower for a clearer view of aircraft and vehicles on runway to avoid collisions and or delays
• More efficient spacing and optimal routing in non-radar environments, including the busy airspace in the Gulf of Mexico, mountainous regions of Colorado and the lower altitudes of Alaska
  

Honeywell's Primus II Radio System

When you upgrade your existing Honeywell Primus^® II Radio and add a stand-alone GPS receiver, you’ll enjoy a cost-effective solution combined with the latest configuration to meet the ADS-B Out mandate. And, when you replace your old CRT display units with LCD displays with Duncan Aviation's ADS-B Out STC, you'll receive two new RMU-855's, designed to increase visibility and seamlessly integrate with your current configuration. Fly with confidence with Honeywell's Primus II Radio equipped with a Mode C transponder to fulfill ADS-B Out requirements and ensure your future travel plans.

Duncan Aviation's ADS-B Out Program

As an added benefit, Duncan Aviation's ADS-B Out STC offers Hawker 800/800XP operators an exclusive discount on Honeywell's Avionics Protection Plan. Learn more about this offer and upgrade your Hawker 800/800XP with an integrated solution at a Duncan Aviation maintenance facility: Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; Provo, Utah; or at one of their satellite shop locations throughout the United States*.

 For More Information

Contact Gary Harpster, Duncan Aviation Hawker Avionics Install Sales Rep.

ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast) flight operations are quickly becoming a reality in the United States. The shift from the primary use of radar to ADS-B for air traffic management is one of the biggest technological changes that the aviation community will experience in the next decade. While there are many benefits associated with this change, there is also a great deal of confusion among many operators on how to comply with the regulatory mandate requiring aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B by Jan. 1, 2020, in the United States. 

Across all segments of aviation, there are still operators, installers and other stakeholders who have questions about what exactly is required to get their specific aircraft upgraded and compliant with the FAA’s ADS-B to DO-260B mandate, which is the most stringent among all regulatory authorities that have ADS-B mandates in place. Class of airspace, functionality and certification requirements, and availability of solutions all remain issues as well. 

Join Gary Harpster, Duncan Aviation's Avionics Installation Sales Rep, to get the answers to these questions and more during an upcoming webinar geared toward business and general aviation operators. 

May 18, 2016

11:00am-12:00pm EST

Joining him: 
Alex J. Rodriguez, Aerospace Engineer (AIR-132), Avionics Systems Branch, FAA 
Tom Dooling, Honeywell Aerospace; Technical Sales 

Moderator:
Woodrow Bellamy III, Associate Editor, Avionics 
Click here to register.

The industry is buzzing with questions about the upcoming mandates for NextGen, namely for ADS-B and FANS 1A. Duncan Aviation NextGen experts attending the NBAA convention in Las Vegas are prepared to answer those questions.

After hosting free NextGen seminars throughout 2015, Duncan Aviation avionics representatives know the questions operators are asking and have immersed themselves in the developing world of NextGen avionics so they are able to answer those questions.

These experts include the following:

Chris Christianson. Christianson is an avionics tech rep with Duncan Aviation who has been with the company more than 16 years. He has nose-to-tail knowledge of every avionics system installed and retrofited for today’s business jets from the analog systems of the Cessna 550 to the large, digital and fully integrated systems of the Falcon 7X, the Gulfstream G-450/550 and Global Express. His experience has involved every facet of avionics installation projects from STC development to standard field approval type installations/modifications with deep levels of integration.

Mark Francetic. Francetic is Duncan Aviation’s avionics regional sales manager and a Duncan Aviation team member for nearly 20 years. He has an associate’s degree in avionics and holds an A&P license. He has been educating operators about NextGen initiatives for two years at more than 20 different venues, is a member of the Honeywell and Bendix King Dealer Advisory Boards and has helped Duncan Aviation develop business plans for AML STCs on ADS-B and FANS/1A retrofit systems on multiple aircraft.

Dennis Kruse. Kruse is an avionics sales representative who has been with Duncan Aviation for 10 years. He spent eight years installing various avionics systems for Duncan Aviation and also worked as an avionics technician in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Melissa Raddatz. Raddatz is an avionics sales representative who has been with Duncan Aviation since 2011. She has an associtate’s degree in Aircraft Electonics, an A&P license, and a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Aviation Management. She has nearly three years of experience installing multiple avionics systems and has received formal training on the Falcon 50 and Falcon 50EX, Challenger 300, Troubleshooting and the Primus EPIC EASyII Line Maintenance. She has developed service guides for the Falcons on the mandates. In addition, she has attended several Dealer Advisory Boards for Rockwell Collins and Garmin.

Stop by anytime to meet these NextGen experts. Or take advantage of our Expert Hours and ask your most pressing questions to any of our full attending contingent of avionics gurus.

NextGen Expert Hours

1-3 p.m. Tuesday
9-11 a.m. Wednesday
9-11 am Thursday

For the most current information on the NextGen mandates, visit 

You can always dream, but Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) exemptions fall into roughly the same category as unicorns.

When Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus introduced a live unicorn into its lineup in 1985, it created quite a stir. The question that swirled around the animal was whether it was a real horn. Although the horn was real, many people ignored the most important fact; the animal was a goat.

In much the same way, there has been much misunderstanding with regard to a recent ADS-B exemption letter from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Some operators heard ADS-B and exemption in the same sentence and immediately began planning for non-compliance. The reality though is that in 2020 an ADS-B transponder exemption is as likely as Ringling Bros. having an actual unicorn at one of their shows.

The controversy started when Airlines for America, the trade organization that represents the principle U.S. airlines, sent the FAA a request for an exemption. The exemption request indicated that much of the airline fleet was not currently equipped with Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) Global Positioning System (GPS) units that supported the required navigational performance. Airlines for America also noted that the required performance—even for the correct WAAS GPS—was not always possible. In light of that, the organization requested that the GPS section of the ADS-B mandate be extended to 2025.

The part of the letter that most folks missed was that it only applies to the portion of the ADS-B mandate that deals with new WAAS requirements for GPS. A transponder that transmits in an ADS-B message format is required to operate above 10,000 feet by 2020.

The FAA agreed with Airlines for America and granted a temporary exemption from the GPS accuracy portion of ADS-B. The FAA has since been getting out the word that operators are still required to have an ADS-B-compliant transponder to meet the mandate. (Visit www.DuncanAviation.aero/nextgen for current information on the mandates.)

Owner/operators who opt for an exemption must submit an annual request to the director of the local Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) until the aircraft is equipped with the mandated receivers. This annual request must include a plan for an eventual upgrade to the mandated WAAS GPS and is subject to approval. For aircraft that are scheduled for major inspections at a facility where a WAAS GPS installation is available, your FSDO may deny your request. “I don’t want to upgrade,” may not be a good reason to apply for an exemption.

With manufacturers, such as Universal Avionics, Honeywell Aerospace and Rockwell Collins offering incentive programs for Flight Management Systems (FMSes) and transponder upgrades, now is the time to include new WAAS/Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) and ADS-B in your aircraft’s budget at your next major inspection.

Don’t bet on the unicorn.

For the most current information on the NextGen mandates visit 

Adrian Chene is an avionics tech rep for Duncan Aviation providing troubleshooting and technical advice to business aviation operators on avionics installation services. He specializes in custom, integrated HSD solutions. He began working in aviation in 1996.

Do you know what ADS-B is? Do you need it? Are you ready? 

Those are questions worth asking and Duncan Aviation is commited to helping you find the asnwers. 

Two of our own avionics experts were quoted last week in the new industry white paper, “Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Mandates Worldwide.”

We are pleased to be part of the effort because it fits perfectly with our belief that giving our customers information empowers them to make wise choices when it comes to their aircraft. We may or may not be dancing in our hangars, but we’re definitely proud to be a part of this well-written, information-intensive paper. The paper is a collaborative effort between two well-respected companies in the aviation industry: Honeywell, a global leader in manufacturing integrated avionics and engines and provider of various aviation services, and AIN, an independent media company that publishes industry news and analysis.

"It is great to see the thoughts, comments and suggestions from Duncan Aviation's team of respected avionics professionals included in industry white papers," said Mike Minchow, manager airframe service sales. "Our avionics sales team and tech reps spend a tremendous amount of time educating themselves on important topics like ADS-B so they in turn can be a valuable resource to our customers to help answer questions, provide options and direct aircraft owners and operators to the correct solution for their aircraft based on how they operate it."

The white paper details the history and mandates of the Federal Aviation Association’s NextGen initiatives and features information and insight from Duncan Aviation’s Avionics Installations Sales Rep Steve Elofson and Regional Avionics Sales Manager Mark Francetic.

"Knowledge is crucial to making sound decisions regarding your aircraft. We at Duncan Aviation will always provide you with the most current and accurate information so that you can make the best decisions for your aircraft and your company. Feel free to give me or our team a call about your ADS-B and NextGen systems," says Regional Avionics Sales Manager Mark Francetic.

For more information about ADS-B and the other NextGen initiatives contact Mark, Steve or any one of Duncan Aviation's knowledgeable avionics professionals (DuncanAviation.aero/nextgen).

If you’d like to read the white paper, it is free and available from AINonline Special Reports when you register here: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/ads-b-mandates-worldwide-what-why-when-and-how?method=site.

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Do any of you remember when the Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) mandate went into effect on January 20, 2005? There were 6,500 business aircraft that required upgrades for that mandate, and most installation facilities were at capacity for two full years prior to that deadline.

After the RVSM mandate went into effect, many operators were forced to fly below 29,000 feet until they upgraded their equipment. And some were inconvenienced for quite some time because installation facilities were filled to capacity for an entire year after the deadline.

As most business aircraft owner/operators know, the Federal Aviation Administration set a January 1, 2020 deadline to comply with the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) mandate. That deadline is approximately 1,130 working days away, and the FAA estimates there are 18,500 business aircraft (Amstat, Jets and Turboprops) that still need to upgrade their equipment.

If any of those business Part 25 aircraft intend to fly above 10,000 feet and in and out of airports with control towers after Jan. 1, 2020, they are going to have to be equipped with a WAAS/SBAS GPS, a 1090MHz Mode S Extended Squitter (1090ES) transponder and cockpit failure annuciators.

Facilities with avionics capabilities like Duncan Aviation have capacity today to handle the increased volume. In the coming months, though, as more and more aircraft need to schedule equipment upgrades, they’ll have to compete for hangar space with aircraft that are scheduled for inspections and maintenance events. Additionally, many avionics manufacturers are offering incentives today, but as the deadline approaches and demand increases, prices will definitely go up.

There are roughly three times as many business aircraft that require ADS-B Out equipment than required RVSM equipment, and without the ADS-B upgrades, those aircraft won’t be merely inconvenienced; they’ll be grounded until they comply.

When it comes to business aviation, I always tell my customers, “Best equipped, best served.”

For access the latest and most complete information about the upcoming mandates, go to Duncan Aviation's online Nextgen resource.

Contributed by Mark Francetic, regional avionics sales manager

We are inside of five years now and rapidly closing in on the 2020 deadline for the NextGen equipment upgrades mandated by the FAA.

Do you know all that you need to know?  

Do you know what you don't know? 

Do you know where to go to find out?

If you want access the latest and most complete information about all things NextGen, you have hit pay dirt!  

And you can collect it here: www.DuncanAviation.aero/nextgen

The Duncan Aviation NextGen Information page is the go-to place for information about all aspects of the NextGen initiatives.

There you will find

• a countdown to see exactly how many days, hours and minutes remain before January 1, 2020.
• links to the equipment available for various make/model aircraft
• contact information for all of our avionics experts around the country
• publications about NextGen, including the Straight Talk about NextGen, the Straight Talk about ADS-B, blogs, and other articles about NextGen components.
• top questions operators have regarding NextGen
• a detailed timeline of dates for the NextGen mandates (downloadable!)
• an informative webinar about FANS 1/A

Several Duncan Aviation's avionics team have been traveling the United States for a couple of years, holding free NextGen seminars. To find out more about these seminars or any of Duncan Aviation's other speaking engagements, check the Upcoming Duncan Aviation NextGen Events section of the web page for dates, times and registration information.

What are you wainting for? GO!

www.DuncanAviation.aero/nextgen