With the ADS-B Out compliance date drawing ever closer, many pilots are still waiting for the big holiday deal on the technology they’ll need to meet the deadline. Not long after we ran a story on the Skybeacon wingtip ADS-B Out solutions, uAvionix asked if we knew anyone with an experimental airplane willing to serve as a test installer for the new equipment. Having just a month or so before flown James Wiebe’s Chipper in Southern Illinois, I suggested Belite Aircraft. Within a few weeks, uAvionix had shipped Belite a Skybeacon kit.
Skybeacon Installation Review
Key Takeaways:
- The uAvionix Skybeacon is highlighted as an exceptionally easy-to-install ADS-B Out solution, taking less than an hour to connect to an aircraft’s existing nav-light electrics.
- Configuration of the Skybeacon is managed through a smartphone app, with an initial minor hiccup regarding hexadecimal ICAO identifier input being addressed in future app updates.
- Once installed and configured, the unit successfully provides ADS-B Out functionality, ensuring the aircraft is visible to other traffic and meets the 2020 compliance deadline.
- Retailing for $1,495, the Skybeacon is currently approved for experimental aircraft, with FAA approval for certified aircraft anticipated in Spring 2018.
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