FreeFlight has received a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the installation of its RANGR FDL-978TX universal access transceiver (UAT) into AgustaWestland’s AW139 helicopter. According to FreeFlight, this is the first rule-compliant ADS-B out UAT available for Gulf of Mexico (GOMEX) helicopter operators.
GOMEX presents a complex area to fly with thousands of daily helicopter flights, and because ADS-B infrastructure already existed it became a good test area for emerging systems. “The FAA allowed operators to install early versions of ADS-B that do not meet the final rule,” according to FreeFlight’s president and CEO Tim Taylor.
