What does ADS-B stand for?

Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS–B) is an advanced surveillance technology that combines an aircraft's positioning source, aircraft avionics, and a ground infrastructure to create an accurate surveillance interface between aircraft and ATC.



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Civilian aircraft can turn off their ADS-B Out only if specifically instructed to do so by ATC, or if they are the non-lead aircraft in a formation flight, Duke said. Regulations as operationally complex as the ADS-B rules can be rife with unintended consequences, Harrison added.

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Benefits of ADS-B tracking Having an immediate picture of the airspace around an aircraft at any given time with ADS-B data greatly enhances pilots' situational awareness. It can alert them to potential dangers from nearby aircraft or extreme weather events, as well as highlighting any airspace restrictions.

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ADS-B is required in Class A, B and C airspace within U.S. domestic airspace and all land mass regions of the U.S. as defined in 14 CFR 1.1 and it includes the states (contiguous and non-contiguous), U.S. possessions, or territories.

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The regulation 14 CFR 91.225(e) allows aircraft not certificated with an electrical system, including balloons and gliders, not equipped with ADS-B Out to operate within 30 nautical miles of a Class B primary airport—basically, within its Mode C veil—while remaining outside of any Class B or Class C airspace.

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The requirements for ADS-B are fairly well set: if you fly within Mode C, Class B or C, above Class B or C airspace up to 10,000 feet, or at altitudes of 10,000 feet or more, the airplane must have an operable ADS-B Out system. But if you do not fly in those areas, you are not required to have ADS-B.

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However, if you wish to operate in class A, B, or C airspace, or at an altitude of over 10,000' MSL, or within a 30 nautical mile radius of the primary airport in class B airspace, you will need a transponder and altitude encoder (commonly referred to as mode C).

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Transponder
  • Transponder A: sends back a transponder code to ATC.
  • Transponder C: sends a transponder code plus altitude information to ATC.
  • Transponder S: sends a transponder code plus altitude information to ATC, and receives and reports information to other transponders of the same type.


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Although the cost of installing equipment varies from aircraft to aircraft, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) estimates the median price of installing a good quality certified ADS-B (out) unit at about $8,000, or $4,000 after the rebate.

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