ADS-B verification flight

[JOhnH]

i recently had a GTX 345 installed for ads-b compliance.
Can someone point me to a straight forward description of the required verification flight. M y head started to hurt from reading the circular.

 

[MickYoumans]

The easiest way to do it is to fly to a Class "C" airport and ask them to allow you to fly in or above their airspace for 30 minutes. You will need to make some turns and change altitude during that 30 minutes. If you do that and your ADS-B is working properly, your flight will get approved. Just being on flight following with a Class "C" airport is NOT sufficient. Ensure you are in OR above their airspace for 30 minutes. Pretty simple.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Airlines]

That's pretty much it. I just did one with the club plane. (Stratus ESGi)
The only thing close was Bravo, so I just climbed up to 10.5k and did the maneuvers there, with a squawk code....
NOTE: Be sure ALT is selected before you liftoff, otherwise it will not pass.

-Pants optional-

 

[GBSoren]

Because of my distance from class c or b, I just climbed to over 10k, did 2 right 360's and 2 left, climbed to 11.5, descended back to 10.5, twice...flew around to kill a little more time to make sure I was over 10 for more that 30 minutes.

My flight passed and already have my check. So you don't have to go to class b/c.

 

[iamtheari]

I passed my verification test on the 1-hour flight home from the airport where it was installed. I also did not have a nearby Class C or Class B airspace to use, so here is what I did:

Start engine
Turn on avionics
Ensure transponder is squawking 1200 and in Alt mode
Wait for GPS to fully start up and get a position fix (our GNS 430W is the position source for the new GTX 335 transponder)
Taxi no more than 20 knots ground speed
Take off, turn outbound, and climb at best rate up to 10,500 (I also watched ForeFlight to be sure I was above 10,000 by GPS and the transponder to be sure it was reporting a pressure altitude over 10,000 before I started watching the clock at all)
Level off at 10,500 and start a timer
After 5 minutes, do a standard-rate 360-degree right turn, then proceed on course
After 5 minutes, climb at best rate to 12,500 and level off
After 5 minutes, do a standard-rate 360-degree left turn, then proceed on course
After 5 minutes, start a 500 fpm descent to 10,500, but when reaching 12,000 start a standard-rate 360-degree right turn, rolling wings level around 11,000 if you did it right, then continue the descent on course to 10,500 and level off
After 5 minutes, verify that total time above 10,000 MSL by all three measurements (indicated, GPS, and pressure as squawked by the transponder) is over 30 minutes
Perform a steady 500 fpm descent to pattern altitude at destination airport, enter the pattern on downwind, fly a standard pattern
Land and come to a complete stop on the runway centerline
Wait a few seconds
Turn around and taxi to the ramp at no more than 20 knots ground speed
Come to a complete stop on the ramp for a few seconds
Turn off avionics
Shut down engine

You are supposed to do 30 minutes of "maneuvering flight" in rule airspace. I probably went overboard with multiple turns, a climb, and a descent that included a descending turn, but I did pass on the first try so my method at least has that going for it. Your mileage may vary and the most common failure is apparently the ground vs. flight determination made by the transponder. Good luck!

 

[Pilawt]

When I got my Stratus ESGi last fall I was based at an airport under a Class C shelf. For the verification flight I flew out of the area to get away from the heavy traffic, and did the maneuvers in Class E airspace. The equipment passed the operational test, but the 45-minute flight failed the requirement of 30 minutes "in rule airspace."



So I went up again, told Approach Control what I was doing, and stooged around for half an hour above the top of the Class C. This time it passed.

Ensure you are in OR above their airspace for 30 minutes.

The FAA's system apparently counted the time I was below the floor of Class C while departing and returning to KVUO, even though that's technically not "rule airspace".

 

[BillTIZ]

Stratus ESG, based at a Class G airport within the Mode C veil but with mountains, no radar/adsb ground tower coverage.

Flew into a Class D, full stop taxiback, they get the Stratus in ground mode. Took off to the west side of the Class B, staying in coverage of radar and adsb ground stations. North south track, west of the Class B, 360s left and right along the way. Then back to the same Class D, full stop taxiback and back to my class G home airport.

Two hours later requested the online report and had results within 30 minutes. Filed for my $500 FAA rebate and had it within 10 days.

Class G, Jean NV, 0L7
Class D, Henderson NV, HND
Class B, Las Vegas NV, LAS
All within the ModeC Veil, but need to get into Las Vegas valley to stay in radar coverage or within reach of adsb ground station and below Class B.

 

[simtech]

I just had the stratus ESG installed and did my certification flight and passed. Rebate is in the mail. But I climbed up to class E airspace at 10k feet. Actually I went to 10.5 for direction of flight. I started a timer and flew 2 left handed 360 degree turns and then 2 right handed 360 degree turns. Then climed to 11.5 at take off speed and descended back to 10.5. I did the climb again and descended back down to 10.5. Then I just made sure I went beyond the 30 minute time, which I did 1.5 hours. And all was good. Easy peasy

 

[mikea]

When I got my Stratus ESGi last fall I was based at an airport under a Class C shelf. For the verification flight I flew out of the area to get away from the heavy traffic, and did the maneuvers in Class E airspace. The equipment passed the operational test, but the 45-minute flight failed the requirement of 30 minutes "in rule airspace."

The FAA's system apparently counted the time I was below the floor of Class C while departing and returning to KVUO, even though that's technically not "rule airspace".

Yes, it is. It's Class E airspace. You don't have to be Class B or Class C airspace for the test.

If anyone has trouble getting the test flight verification, just email the address you get on the report.

I emailed after the third attempt and shorty got a phone call from an actual, helpful human. He said one last flight was recorded as being ONE minute short so he manually approved the test....and I got my $500 rebate.

 

[N747JB]

I let my son fly and I played instructor, giving him headings etc, were were between 3500-4500 feet just north of Atlanta below the Bravo. I watched the traffic on his iPad, we flew for about 45 minutes total, no issues. Don't overthink it.

 

[iamtheari]

Yes, it is. It's Class E airspace. You don't have to be Class B or Class C airspace for the test.

If anyone has trouble getting the test flight verification, just email the address you get on the report.

I emailed after the third attempt and shorty got a phone call from an actual, helpful human. He said one last flight was recorded as being ONE minute short so he manually approved the test....and I got my $500 rebate.

Isn't Class E airspace only "rule airspace" above 10,000 MSL or within the Mode C veil of Class B airspace? The flight below a Class C shelf isn't either of those but maybe I missed one of the segments of "rule airspace"

 

[Fluffy Bunny Airlines]

Isn't Class E airspace only "rule airspace" above 10,000 MSL or within the Mode C veil of Class B airspace?"

Yes

 

[iamtheari]

View attachment 56401

Yes

Thanks for the nifty picture. I did miss one spot: above Class C. But below the shelf shouldn't be. So the theory above, that the automated quality control system that determines rebate approvals does not care about altitude if you are within the range of a Class C ring, must be accurate.

 

[idahoflier]

You already received a lot of good advice, the only thing I would add is don't exceed 14 kts on the ground during taxi on any B or C airport. That's the advice I got for my ESG, the 345 may be a little different on speed restrictions. If in doubt, taxi slowly...

 

[JOhnH]

Thanks for all the advice. We made the verification flight today (above class Charlie) and passed.

 

[Palmpilot]

Are these verification flights only required when there is a rebate involved? The plane assigned to my Civil Air Patrol squadron will be returning from maintenance soon, after having ADS-B capability installed, and I doubt that CAP planes are eligible for the rebate.

 

[iamtheari]

Are these verification flights only required when there is a rebate involved? The plane assigned to my Civil Air Patrol squadron will be returning from maintenance soon, after having ADS-B capability installed, and I doubt that CAP planes are eligible for the rebate.

The rebate program has ended, anyhow. But if the flight verification tool still works, why not use it to ensure your installation is working properly?

 

[Palmpilot]

The rebate program has ended, anyhow. But if the flight verification tool still works, why not use it to ensure your installation is working properly?

It's not my decision to make.

 

[Clark1961]

Are these verification flights only required when there is a rebate involved? The plane assigned to my Civil Air Patrol squadron will be returning from maintenance soon, after having ADS-B capability installed, and I doubt that CAP planes are eligible for the rebate.

The rebate program has ended, anyhow. But if the flight verification tool still works, why not use it to ensure your installation is working properly?

https://adsbperformance.faa.gov/PAPRRequest.aspx

If the shop doesn't verify the installation then it's a real good idea to check it. The link above is one method to check. The thing about not checking is that if the installation is not compliant then the FAA can ground the aircraft until it is repaired. I got a nastygram from the FAA about an installation so followed the rules to fly to a repair station. Part of following the rules was to request permission for the flight from ATC. The ATC guy I talked to on the phone chuckled and said they didn't even have ADS-B active on their system yet. Okay, this was several years ago. Anyway, the point is that it's easy to check performance using the linked website.

 

[denverpilot]

We were planning to do a verification flight. Turns out our flight home from the avionics shop met all the requirements. Ha. We used the tool a few hours after landing and all was well. (We also we’re going for the rebate at the time, but the tool still works regardless of the rebate program. It doesn’t care.)

 

[denverpilot]

P.S. Hopefully the installer doing a CAP airplane knew to turn on the capability of setting a flight number into the ADS-B Out as well as the default tail number, since CAP usually flies under those.

I’ve met very few people who even know that’s supposed to be a “thing” with ADS-B out, though. One owner who flies Angel Flight missions pointed it out to me, since it’s normally a locked out feature for most airplanes with the Garmin 345.

He made sure his was NOT locked and he puts in the correct flight number as authorized by AF for his transport missions.

Many larger aircraft make it editable and integrated via the FMS. On our little airplanes, it’s a setting in the transponder and one has to use the user interface buttons on the transponder to set it.

AFAICT, even the Garmin integration to their own GTN navigators won’t let you set a flight number into the GTX345, or via anybway I’ve seen via the Flightstream devices, but it should have been in there.