In hopes of encouraging compliance with the ADS-B rule, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is offering a rebate incentive to owners of general aviation aircraft. The aim is to not only spur compliance, but to also avoid a last-minute rush.
According to the FAA website, eligible aircraft are defined as registered, single-engine, fixed-wing piston aircraft.
However, there is a caveat: Everyone who signs up may not get the rebate.
"In the fall of 2016, the agency will offer, on a first-come, first-served basis, rebates of $500 to owners of these aircraft, based on their purchase of avionics that are certified to FAA Technical Standard Orders and meet the requirements of the 2010 rule, and so long as funding is available," the FAA website states. "An aircraft owner will be limited to one $500 rebate."
When the program begins this September, the FAA will extend $500 rebates to the first 20,000 eligible aircraft owners that fit their planes with ADS-B Out avionics. The ADS-B avionics are required to be new, rather than software updates or ADS-B gear in new airplanes.
The FAA is encouraging fixed-wing piston plane owners to take advantage of the program as soon as they can.
"We're calling on all aircraft owners who plan to fly in busy airspace to equip with ADS-B Out before the deadline," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said. "We hope this initiative will encourage aircraft owners to get off the sidelines and take advantage of all the safety benefits NextGen has to offer."
To help aircraft owners, the FAA also published the required steps to making a claim:
1. Decide: Owner schedules the installation of the Technical Standard Order (TSO)-certified avionics for an eligible aircraft.
2. Reserve: The owner reserves a rebate from the FAA's ADS-B Rebate website for each eligible aircraft before avionics installment occurs.
3. Install: The TSO-certified ADS-B avionics are installed on the eligible aircraft.
4. Fly and validate: Not later than 60 days after the installation, the aircraft must be flown in "rule airspace" as defined in 14 CFR 91.225 for a minimum of 30 minutes with at least 10 aggregate minutes of maneuvering (AC 20-165B contains flight maneuver recommendations). After the flight, the aircraft owner must validate the performance of the eligible aircraft's ADS-B installation by requesting a Public Compliance Report available on the FAA's ADS-B Rebate website. A validated installation will provide the owner with an incentive code.
5. Claim: Not later than 60 days after the installation date, the aircraft owner gathers their Rebate Reservation Code and Incentive Code and navigates to the ADS-B Rebate website to claim the rebate.
