Blue Angels and ADSB

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creweite

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Creweite
The formation flew overhead South Florida today while I was monitoring ADS traffic, but saw no signal. Are military aircraft exempt from this requirement?
 
No direct knowledge, but I have read (here, on POA in fact) that the answer is yes.

-Skip
 
The military only need comply with the FARs if they decide it is in their interest. Legally, those regulations do not apply to them. They follow what they do because they have enacted their own regulations to require compliance.

In fact, the FARs don't apply to public aircraft (including the FAA's own planes or those owned by state governments). Most have adopted internal requirements to adhere to the FARs after some previous high visibility crashes.
 
I am unaware of any tactical aircraft equipped with ADS, nor am I aware of any movement to install it.

On the USN/USMC side, CNAF 3710 is the regulatory document for flight operations. That being said, it is not a replacement for FARs when flying in the US airspace system, and it is not nearly as broad of a document as the FARs. Think of it like amplifying information pertaining to the operation of our aircraft, similar to a comparison between a part 121 operator's opspecs and CFR part 91 baseline regulations. If something doesn't need to be different based on the type of flying we do, the governing document is still 14 CFR. Many topics in the FARs are not even written into the 3710, since in those situations, we would simply follow FARs. There are also many areas where the 3710 requirements are more stringent than part 91. Significant differences are mostly in the subjects of flight planning/fuel requirements, alternate requirements, currency, and in some cases exemption from standard FAA speed limitations. Most of the rest we do the same as everyone else, and would get in trouble all the same if we didn't. Non compliance with ADS mandate would be an example of an exemption for government/DoD aircraft based on mission requirements (i.e. OPSEC).......not because we just do what we want because we feel like it.
 
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The military is exempt from many FARs. As an example there are low level training routes well below 10,000 ft that are flown at speeds up to 500K. Lots of fun and excitement!
 
My local Army National Guard unit has ADS-B in their UH-60's. Probably a good idea since they do a lot of bopping around at low altitude in busy airspace. I would imagine they will turn it off when they are in MiG Alley.
 
Just texted a guard friend. They ain’t equipped yet at his unit.
 
35 AoA said:
I am unaware of any tactical aircraft equipped with ADS, nor am I aware of any movement to install it.
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I'm not sure I agree with that. There has certainly been a significant push for IFF mode 5 upgrades lately, and nearly every Mode 5 capable IFF also provides ADS-B out.
 
Groundpounder said:
The Blackhawks my local unit have are fairly new, so maybe they came from the factory with it? Either way, they show up on ADS-B.
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They might have the newer UH-60Ms (glass). I heard all of those have been updated with ADS-B out.
 
flyingron said:
The military only need comply with the FARs if they decide it is in their interest. Legally, those regulations do not apply to them. They follow what they do because they have enacted their own regulations to require compliance.

In fact, the FARs don't apply to public aircraft (including the FAA's own planes or those owned by state governments). Most have adopted internal requirements to adhere to the FARs after some previous high visibility crashes.
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Fact is the FAA's Flight Check Program is operated under Part 135, and when not under Part 135 they operate Part 91. All of the aircraft used by the FAA in the Flight Program are operated Part 91. The FAA doesn't fly under public use.
 
ED73EB9C-B712-440A-84E8-41ED7C297269.jpeg As @35 AoA stated, FAA regs DO apply to military aircraft. They don’t have a blanket waiver. Only time they don’t apply is when they conflict with service regs / policies. The confusion exists is when you’re trying to remember if you’re operating under service regs or CFR.
 
Again, the FARs themselves do not have a mandate for the military. The FARs (and the FAA in general) is enabled by the Federal Aviation Act. The opening statement shows that it is a mandate for CIVIL aviation only. What you have above is a military policy (backed up by their own regulations) that says that they'll comply with the FARs in certain circumstances. As I stated, even the FAA didn't follow their own regulations up until fairly recently when they adopted their own policy to follow the rules (this was after an airway survey plane crash in Virginia).
 
Well, it did take them 40 years.
 
jrcox19 said:
I'm not sure I agree with that. There has certainly been a significant push for IFF mode 5 upgrades lately, and nearly every Mode 5 capable IFF also provides ADS-B out.
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We got M5 in the rhino a few years ago.....I was in the first air wing to cruise with it Navy wide last year. There are some beeps and squeaks I don't know about that box, but you could be correct about that. In practice, we never used any of that functionality if it existed (i.e. we used the mil only encrypted portion).
 
Groundpounder said:
My local Army National Guard unit has ADS-B in their UH-60's. Probably a good idea since they do a lot of bopping around at low altitude in busy airspace. I would imagine they will turn it off when they are in MiG Alley.
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The AH-64s and UH-74s here have had it for years
 
Talked to another friend and his unit is at 25% equipped. They’re upgrading ADS-B & Mode 5 when each aircraft goes into phase. All M models are done though.

So, I think it’s safe to say not all aircraft are equipped and some will never be equipped. I imagine it’s not exactly high on the DoD priority list.
 
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