FCC Outlaws 121.5 MHz ELTs

[West_Coast_Guy]

This takes effect sixty days after publication in the Federal Register (per Item D26 on page 15):

PDF version:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-103A1.pdf

Text version:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-103A1.txt

MS Word version:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-103A1.doc

Excerpt from the Final Rule (Appendix B):

§ 87.195 Prohibition of 121.5 MHz ELTs.
The manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs is prohibited.

Since even the "use" of 121.5 MHz ELTs appears to be banned, I find myself wondering how the avionics industry and avionics shops are going to get all those ELTs replaced in less than sixty days.

[Eclipse]

What it says is clear, but doesn't make any sense - the new(ish) 400Mhz devices still xmit the DF locater signal on 121.5.

Does that make it a 121.5 device in this context?  The band is still designated as emergency.

W/O the DF constant signal, there's little chance of finding an airplane based on the burst alone.

[Eclipse]

They's also just obsoleted hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not millions) of equipment, not just in CAP, but all sorts of agencies, and put several companies out of business.

Anyone have background on this?  The 400Mhz switch-over was a big, public deal.  why is something like this under the radar?

[a2capt]

Interesting, you'd think AOPA would be all over it like gnats on a crop dusters leading edge.

[tsrup]

There's more to be done here.  I noticed that the FAA and AOPA were excluded from the commenting parties. 

I wouldn't be surprised if there was some enormous pressure put forth by AOPA to either extend the end date or to shoot this plan out of the water.

And as it was posted earlier, the 406 does xmit on 121.5 so I'm guessing that the FCC has a few more bugs in their plan that they need to work out.

What they seem most concerned about in their proposition is the termination of satellite usage, as breitling got the go ahead to continue it's use of the 121.5 band.  Either that or there's some FCC higher ups with some nice new expensive watches.

I don't see the 60 day sundown panning out as expected.

[tsrup]

Interesting, you'd think AOPA would be all over it like gnats on a crop dusters leading edge.

From what I understand is that this proposal has just reached the AOPA not to soon before it was posted here.  We can expect comment on this by Monday at the latest.

[PHall]

It's not like there hasn't been any advance notice of this coming. This has been in the works for the past 10 years.
And as the Commission pointed out, the only way to make the transition happen was to ban the 121.5 MHz beacons, otherwise the procrastinators will keep on using their obsolete beacons for years.

[Eclipse]

It's not like there hasn't been any advance notice of this coming. This has been in the works for the past 10 years.
And as the Commission pointed out, the only way to make the transition happen was to ban the 121.5 MHz beacons, otherwise the procrastinators will keep on using their obsolete beacons for years.

Agreed, but then why allow the new beacons to do 121.5 at all?  I'd be pretty hacked if I bought a new ELT only to find out a year or
two later I had to buy another one.

[West_Coast_Guy]

What it says is clear, but doesn't make any sense - the new(ish) 400Mhz devices still xmit the DF locater signal on 121.5.

Does that make it a 121.5 device in this context?  The band is still designated as emergency.

W/O the DF constant signal, there's little chance of finding an airplane based on the burst alone.

I doubt that the inclusion of the 121.5 MHz beacon in a 406 MHz ELT makes it a 121.5 MHz ELT.

[lordmonar]

Note how they talk about the ELT watch.....I think the FCC does not consider the 121.5 of the new 406 ELTs to be "ELTs" but simply a homing signal......

As for why this is happening....the AOPA has been blocking Mandating the 406 since forever.   

As for making CAP equipment obsolete......that is not true.  The 406 will still have the 121.5 and we should be transitioning all of our aircraft to the Becker any whys.

This is a nice example of how the government gets around special intrest groups.

The AOPA has a lot of clout with the FAA but not a whole lot with the FCC.

I thing all in all this is a good move.  It will force GA owners to transition to the 406 which will reduce the SAR time in the event of an accident.

[West_Coast_Guy]

It's not like there hasn't been any advance notice of this coming. This has been in the works for the past 10 years.
And as the Commission pointed out, the only way to make the transition happen was to ban the 121.5 MHz beacons, otherwise the procrastinators will keep on using their obsolete beacons for years.

It's true that they have been working on this rulemaking since 2001, but the date by which the old ELTs can no longer be used was not announced until FOUR DAYS AGO! The time for an entire industry to make a transition like this needs to be a lot longer than sixty days.

There also needs to be some period of years between prohibiting sale and prohibiting use, so that unsuspecting buyers don't end up paying for new ELTs that they are almost immediately prohibited from using.

[West_Coast_Guy]

The AOPA has a lot of clout with the FAA but not a whole lot with the FCC.

Organizations that don't even comment on the NPRM don't have much "clout" either, that much I know. From the list of commenters in Appendix A, It looks to me like this NPRM escaped the notice of AOPA and the other GA groups.

I thing all in all this is a good move.  It will force GA owners to transition to the 406 which will reduce the SAR time in the event of an accident.

Could be, but I don't see how manufacturers of 406 MHz beacons are going to be able to ramp up production fast enough, or avionics shops are going to be able to install new ELTs fast enough, to get nearly the entire GA fleet converted within sixty days. It seems to me that a lot more thought is needed on the realities of the transition process.

[PHall]

There also needs to be some period of years between prohibiting sale and prohibiting use, so that unsuspecting buyers don't end up paying for new ELTs that they are almost immediately prohibited from using.

You're going to have to convince me that anybody who owns their own airplane is so far out-of-the-loop that they don't know about 121.5 MHz beacons going away.

[Flying Pig]

^   HAAA....Oh Man brutha....if you only knew!

[FW]

^Seriously, if this happens, CAP will be spending close to a million dollars on switching the remaining 121.5 MHz ELTs (I think that's the entire training budget for the year...)  It will be next to impossible to equip the fleet in 60 days with the 406 MHz ELTs; especially with about 100k GA aircraft still needing to change.

Look for the AOPA and other Aviation advocacy groups to seek an injuction before the ink is dry on the final ruling.   

[wuzafuzz]

60 days?!?!  Yeah right...  Compliance will be lower than whale poop.  The FCC will have a better chance of convincing people to play nice and follow the rules on the CB radio bands. 

[PHall]

In theory, when the plane goes through it annual, the ELT is supposed to get it's battery replaced.
If the A&P is following the rules, the 121.5 MHz beacon would be removed because it's not legal anymore.
If a plane goes through it's annual and the 121.5 MHz ELT is not removed then the A&P who signed off the annual just put his license in jeopardy.
The FAA could revoke it for not following the rules.

[Al Sayre]

Most ELT Batteries are generally changed out every 4 years. CAP has been changing out the ELT's to 406 as they come due for a couple of years now, so I suspect it will be somewhere around 25% or less of the fleet remains as 121.5 only.  I believe MS Wing has already completed our transition.  I also suspect the USAF will have some comments on that since they will have to approve the maintenance budget for a rapid change out.

[FW]

121.5 MHz ELTs are still legal in the U.S.  IF they become illegal to use, it will take at least 1 year to transition.  There is no way, IMO, Avionics shops/FBO's will be able to handle over 100k aircraft in just 60 days.
This is not a simple matter of "replacing a battery" 406 MHz ELT's require different switching and antennas, as well as a different mounting harness (except for one company's product).  Your looking at about 3-5 (?) hours of labor to make the switch.  Let's see, that makes over 300,000 hours of labor to do the job for the entire GA fleet (time includes paperwork). Now, let's assume avionics shops/FBO's have more than just ELT installations to handle.  Hmm, anyone care to do the math....

[lordmonar]

^Seriously, if this happens, CAP will be spending close to a million dollars on switching the remaining 121.5 MHz ELTs (I think that's the entire training budget for the year...)  It will be next to impossible to equip the fleet in 60 days with the 406 MHz ELTs; especially with about 100k GA aircraft still needing to change.

Look for the AOPA and other Aviation advocacy groups to seek an injuction before the ink is dry on the final ruling.   

CAP has been transitioning to the 406 for awhile....so I don't see the price tag being that high.....eitherway.....it is a cost we should have been planning for all along!