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3 Answers

ADS-B Requirements

Asked by: 3476 views FAA Regulations

ADSB requirements.

I know flying in A B & C airspace and E above 10000' is going to be the requirement.

With that being said will it also be required anytime you request any type of radar service?

Flight following for example even if your route keeps you clear of C airspace & below 10000'.

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3 Answers



  1. John D Collins on Mar 29, 2016

    No, The ADS-B Mandate only applies to operation inside the designated airspace. It has nothing to do with IFR or VFR or flight following. If the airspace requires compliance, then you must be equipped. If the airspace does not require compliance, then you do not need to be equipped.

    Most of the US airspace below 10,000 MSL (or within 2500 AGL in mountainous areas) does not require equipage. You can fly coast to coast if you remain clear of the Class B, C, 30 NM veil areas. You can file IFR or VFR and receive flight following with or without being equipped as long as you remain below 10000 MSL (2500 AGL). Class D airports that are not in B or C airspace or the 30 NM mode C veil, do not require ADS-B.

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  2. DEBarker278 on Mar 29, 2016

    John thanks but I’m still a little confused.
    I am under the impression that ADS-B will replace conventional radar services and use aircraft transmitted info to provide controllers the information needed. If this is so how can a controller control a aircraft in IFR if not equipped? I’m probably wrong so somebody help me out.

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  3. John D Collins on Mar 29, 2016

    The FAA never intended to eliminate radar. That is a common pilot old wives tale. They always intended to keep radar as a backup system to ADS-B surveillance. Read thru the final rule to see what their real intentions were and still are. They said they intend to keep 100% of all the primary radar systems and most of their secondary radar (transponder based) systems. In fact, current policy requires at least three surveillance sources in order to use it for radar surveillance. Radar contact is the term they will use regardless of the sensor used to determine aircraft position. Surveillance is required for flight following which is a VFR service. IFR operations don’t need radar although one has much greater flexibility with it as procedural separation is used when radar is not available. Right now for the most part, the current ADS-B ground station infrastructure is intended to cover the existing radar service volumes with only a very few additions, such as in the mountains around Denver and in the Gulf of Mexico.

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