Even Non-Canadian Registered Aircraft Operating In Canada Must
Carry Correct ELT
After 12 years of debate,
consultation and negotiation, Transport Canada has decided to
mandate new ELTs that broadcast on 406 MHz for most aircraft flying
in Canadian airspace, including private aircraft (Canadian and
foreign).
However, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) notes
that the regulation has not yet been released. To be clear, the
current regulation remains in place until such time as the new
regulation goes into force, which happens when it is released in
the Canada Gazette Part II. So, at this time, no action is
required.
According to information on the COPA website, the regulation
will require all aircraft flying in Canadian airspace to be
equipped with either an ELT that is capable of transmitting on 406
MHz and 121.5 MHz or an alternate means of compliance. While the
exact wording for the alternate means is not known at this time,
the wording will not change significantly from a previous draft of
the regulation; wording that COPA says excludes all affordable
alternatives for GA.
The regulation will permit a
transition period of two years for commercial aircraft and three
years for private aircraft. There are exceptions similar to the
current regulation (balloons for example). All foreign aircraft
will also have to comply, including U.S.-registered aircraft that
are not required to carry the new ELT's in the U.S.
The regulation is currently with the Minister of Transport for
sign-off. It then goes to a Treasury Board hearing before being
released. COPA does not know when these will occur but if they do
not occur soon, it could slip further due to summer recess.
The new ELTs have the capability to send a code to a satellite,
which tells rescuers in which country the ELT is registered and in
which specific aircraft it is being used. Therefore, a distress
signal from the ELT can be linked to a specific owner via a
database called the beacon registry that resides at DND’s
(Department of National Defense) Mission Control Center, where
rescues are coordinated. This feature only works if you register
the ELT. This is a new requirement that did not exist with the old
ELTs and it is one that is vital in improving the response time to
an alert.
COPA says the least costly mandated requirement is to install an
Automatic Fixed (AF) ELT that meets TSO C126. ELTs that meet TSO
C91 or C91a do not broadcast on 406 MHz and therefore will no
longer be acceptable beyond the transition period that will be
specified when the regulation is released.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.02.24)
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