AOPA Queries CAPs ELT Rulings

Aopa Challenges Caa’s Elt Rulings

In All the Debate Surrounding the Recent Requirement for All Aircraft to Be Fitted With c91a Standard Emergency Locator Transmitters There Is Not, and Has Not Been, Any Argument Against a Requirement for All Aircraft to Carry an Elt Which Is Satellite Compatible. The Only Argument Is What Kind of Elt Should Be Required, and at What Cost.

AOPA has long argued that a portable beacon is sufficient for general aviation. The CAA, which does not have to bear the cost of compliance, prefers the far more expensive fixed installation. If rescue of the survivors is paramount then the portable beacon certainly meets the requirement; if location of the wreckage to minimise the search costs is the deciding factor then the impact activated, fixed installation, can be argued. It is anomalous that the cost of installing the beacon falls on the aircraft owner whereas the savings in reduced search costs accrue to the Government. It is hardly surprising therefore that the general aviation pilot is more concerned with his, or her, rescue should he/she survive the accident and hence prefers the less expensive portable ELT.

In the original Aviation Regulatory Proposal 1/92, the CAA suggested two options for consideration by the industry. Option 1 called for all aircraft from December 1993 to carry an ELT which “may be portable (including maritime ELTs) or fixed, and need not be impact activated; and, from December 1999, to be fitted with an impact activated ELT operating only on 406 MHz. Option 2 deleted the optional use of portable ELTS. AOPA argued for the acceptance of portable ELTS for general aviation use (Option 1) and rejected the arguments for fixed installations as a minimum requirement.

This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.

Login

Become a Member

To continue reading the rest of this article, please login.

Username or Email

Password Forgot password?

Keep me signed in on this device.

If you check this box before you log in, you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return, even if you close your browser and come back later.

If you check the box above before you log in, you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return, even if you close your browser and come back later.

---

or

---

Login with a Passkey

To unlock all Australian Aviation magazine content and again unlimited access to our daily news and features, become a member today!
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.

PRINT

$49.95 for 1 year Become a Member

See benefits

• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website

MOST POPULAR

PRINT + DIGITAL

$99.95 for 1 year Become a Member

$179.95 for 2 years Become a Member

See benefits

• Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
• Access to the Australian Aviation app
• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
• Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
• Daily news updates via our email bulletin

DIGITAL

$5.99 Monthly Become a Member

$59.95 Annual Become a Member

See benefits

• Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
• Access to the Australian Aviation app
• Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
• Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
• Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
• Daily news updates via our email bulletin

View more offers and details