New ADS-B Rebate Announced

0

As we reported earlier, the FAA is reinstating its $500 rebate for equipage with ADS-B Out as an incentive for aircraft operators to get the new gear installed before the Jan. 1, 2020, deadline. The agency has set aside $4.9 million for the program, which will ease the financial impact on 9,800 aircraft owners and operators. The new program was unofficially announced by AOPA President Mark Baker at an event in Illinois last week but the FAA made it official on Friday.

The program will work the same way as the previous one. Operators buy the gear and arrange for installation. Then they get a “rebate reservation code” online and do the installation. After a test flight confirms the system is working, the owner can apply for the rebate online. The previous program, which expired Sept. 18, 2017, attracted about 10,000 takers. With the deadline a year closer, it’s likely the latest rebate incentive will be fully subscribed before it expires. The rebates are only available for new installations and those who equipped during the past year can’t claim the $500.

The FAA has repeatedly said it will not extend the 2020 deadline and any aircraft that doesn’t have ADS-B out won’t be allowed to fly in most controlled airspace after Jan. 1, 2020.“The ADS-B mandate is not going away,” said FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell. “We are about 15 months from the Jan. 1, 2020, deadline and now is the time for aircraft owners to equip.”

LEAVE A REPLY