Sept. 1, 2021
Aircraft accessing RVSM airspace are required to verify altitude-keeping performance for initial authorization, and then every two years or 1,000 hours, whichever comes first.
This includes aircraft equipped with qualified ADS-B Out systems.
The FAA recently advised NBAA that effective Aug. 31, 2021, height monitoring using ADS-B will now only be conducted for flights occurring on Mondays. Aircraft due for periodic monitoring or that must verify performance can fly any Monday to obtain and record a monitoring result.
“The mandate for height monitoring remains unchanged and is required every two years or 1,000 hours,” said Brian Koester, CAM, NBAA’s director of flight operations and regulations. “If an aircraft is out of compliance, you’ll need to conduct a flight on a Monday to meet the height monitoring mandate.”
The FAA reportedly has been height-monitoring aircraft in excess of RVSM requirements to fully understand the data, but since the ADS-B Out technical aspects for height monitoring verification continue to function well, the agency has refined the height monitoring process to use resources more efficiently.
Aircraft operators or owners may verify the current status of their aircraft’s monitoring data at RVSM Approvals in the file labeled “US IGA Operators with Domestic RVSM Authorization under Part 91 Section 9 (ADS-B).”
Processing and posting of updated data may take up to four weeks.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.