By Russ Niles, AVweb
The White House, with the apparent blessing of the FAA, is urging the FCC to make 406 ELT equipage in aircraft mandatory by 2022. In comments filed with the FCC on Feb. 5 (PDF), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recommended the FCC get moving on its plan to eliminate 121.5 MHz-only ELTs but to give aircraft owners up to eight years to make the transition. The NTIA, which represents the executive branch's view on telecommunications policy, said it consulted with the FAA and the Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking program (SARSAT) in making the recommendation. The filing of the document may mean the FCC is getting ready to implement a final rule on the disposition of 121.5 MHz ELTs, a process it started in 2010 with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that caught most aviation organizations, including the FAA, by surprise.
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