Depending on the equipment installed, some rotorcraft operators may need to install filters between the radio altimeter and the aircraft antennae to protect the radio altimeter from interference in the 5G C-band broadcast, FAA said. [Credit: Adobe Stock]
Key Takeaways:
The FAA has proposed an Airworthiness Directive (AD) for all helicopters equipped with radio altimeters due to potential interference from 5G C-band transmissions.
This AD requires revising rotorcraft flight manuals by June 30, 2023, to prohibit operations that rely on radar altimeter data in 5G-affected airspace.
To comply, approximately 1,128 U.S.-registered helicopters may need to install filters or replace their radio altimeters with upgraded, 5G-tolerant versions.
The rotorcraft community is pouring through the FAA notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the impact of 5G C-band transmissions on helicopters equipped with radio altimeters.
On April 12, the FAA published a NPRM applying to all helicopters that fly in airspace where 5G C-band interference could compromise the integrity of radio altimeters.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
