FAA Publishes 1,400 5G NOTAMs

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The FAA has published more than 1,400 Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) regarding potential radar altimeter disruptions related to the upcoming launch of Verizon and AT&T’s 5G C-Band wireless broadband networks. In general, the NOTAMs prohibit operations such as the use of head-up display (HUD) and enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) to touchdown, autoland and helicopter operations requiring radar altimeter data including hover autopilot modes and CAT A/B performance class takeoffs and landings. They also include an exemption for approved alternate methods of compliance (AMOCs), although the FAA has yet to sign off on any.

The NOTAMs are scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 19 alongside the 5G rollout, which has been delayed twice since the originally planned launch date of Dec. 5, 2021. Last week, the FAA published a list of 50 airports that will be protected from 5G signals for six months. In addition, two 5G-related airworthiness directives (ADs) were issued last December.

Kate O'Connor
Kate O’Connor works as AVweb's Editor-in-Chief. She is a private pilot, certificated aircraft dispatcher, and graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. It’s said that “We get the government that we deserve.”
    Apparently, we are the most undeserving people on the planet.

  2. FCC has decided the aviation community doesn’t need so many frequency bands and has imminent domained and sold off a frequency band used as a safety feature in many commercial aircraft for IMC flight. GPS is nice, but it will never be as safe as a radar altimeter. This was a crazy idea, but money talks and telecom companies have more money to bribe the government officials.
    Yes, we do get the government we deserve.
    I’ve been spending a lot of time flying in the simulator around the world now that Google Earth is available and you can see the world VRF anywhere. I noted, America has more non commercial public airports per square mile than any other country. Don’t be surprised if public airports get bulldozed in the middle of the night through imminent domain claims. The Socialist Democrats hate that you have money they haven’t figured out how to take from you yet.
    I noted when flying around the old Union of Socialist States, that Putin wants to put back together, there are almost no public non commercial airports. It is hard to fly a small private aircraft to get around.
    This could be the future of the new Socialist AmeriKa the Democrats dream of.

    • GPS has frailties such as interference.

      Boeing did tests for autoland long ago and found it wanting, they may blend signals I guess.

    • Uhm, Verizon is hardly a “socialist” company. Aren’t you sort of confusing some sort of imagined political agenda with good ol’ business as usual? Regarding the loss of public airports, it’s more easily understood as population growth, especially in urban areas, where the economics of demand and supply take over, regardless of the country’s method of governance. Finally, taxes: infrastructure costs a lot of money. Just imagine how well this country would run without roads, lights, water supplies, ports, police, fire, and maintenance personnel running the whole shebang! And if you think “private” industry can do better for less, remember, companies operate for profit, the government doesn’t. Compare the coverage provided by medicare for the cost to the cost of “supplemental” coverage and its cost. And, by the way, I too rue the passing of so many small airports. The one where I first flew is now some sort of warehouse/office complex smack dab in the middle of a suburb that replaced the corn and bean fields of 50 years ago.

    • I think your comment is overly political and confused. Public airports are in the public domain already and no imminent domain is needed or possible. The owners of the property can do with it what is necessary and required. You seem to favor socialism when it comes to airports and airways but not otherwise. The government confiscated the private airspace that we fly through long ago. Should we return airspace to private ownership since it was taken by imminent domain? Did you not even know that airspace was private until the 20th century? How would aviation even function without imminent domain?

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