As this issue of the magazine headed off to the printer in late January, the furor over the impact on radar altimeters from rolling out 5G cellular service throughout the U.S. seemed to have died down. The FAA issued hundreds of Notams and two blanket ADs covering rotorcraft plus transport and commuter category airplanes making certain operations depending on radar altimeters “not authorized.” Telecommunication companies agreed to forgo turning on the last 10 percent or so of their 5G equipment near airports where the potential for interference is greatest. No airplanes have fallen out of the sky, though many flights were canceled out of an abundance of caution.
There’s no question in my mind there’s a potential for 5G signals to interfere with radar altimeters and thereby the poor-weather capabilities of modern jet and regional transports, rotorcraft and business aircraft. Today’s highly automated cockpits are at their best when everything is working, and radar altimeters are part of the puzzle. On the flip side, of course, is consumer demand for the latest and greatest technologies.
