The latest version of the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act will require most aircraft that need ADS-B Out to also have ADS-B In by the end of 2031. But the ADS-B In can be displayed on a portable device, an electronic flight bag, or on a panel display, according to AOPA’s understanding of the bill. “The bill calls for equipping aircraft no later than December 31, 2031, and exempts aircraft with a limited category special airworthiness certificate or an experimental airworthiness certificate,” AOPA said in a news release. Airliners will have to equip with an updated traffic awareness technology known as Airborne Collision Avoidance System Xa.
AOPA is also happy that the bill includes a provision to ban the use of ADS-B data as the sole evidence in investigations against pilots and that ban extends to all government entities. The new bill cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday in a unanimous bipartisan measure, and the last-minute change on ADS-B earned the NTSB’s endorsement.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy had previously criticized the proposed bill, saying it ignored key recommendations from its investigation into a midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a regional jet that killed 67 people in January of 2025 in Washington, D.C. In a statement, Homendy said the revised bill would require the federal government “to take actions that, when completed, would address our recommendations,” she said. It will also require discussions with the military on their use, or lack thereof, of ADS-B Out for security reasons. The bill is expected to pass the House and then go to the Senate for consideration.
— Jennifer Homendy (@JenniferHomendy) March 26, 2026
It’s good that someone woke up and is allowing portable ‘in’ devices. Now if they’d just allow electronic conspicuity ‘out’ devices …
Yes I have been wanting this for my sailplane for years. They are available from Europe but cannot be ordered for US delivery. I’m sure tariffs aren’t helping either.
Charles – The PowerFLARM system for sailplanes is available in the US, and better than nothing, and although the newer “Fusion” unit has gone up in price its still way less expensive (and way lower power draw) than a Mode-S transponder with ADS-B Out.
Its true that the PowerFLARM unit doesn’t broadcast on UAT/1090, but it still works well as a de-facto “ADS-B In” unit and provides active glider-to-glider anticollision broadcasting.
Charles … keep your TDS and crass language off of AvBrief, please! Your statement is a waste of people’s time all over the world and adds nothing to those of us who come here to learn and/or share expertise. Geesh!
And … what does the FAA not wanting electronic conspicuity in the US have to do with the President? Tariff’s don’t have a darned thing to do with that decision either; the FAA has technical reasons they justify keeping the box from being legal in the US. If you’re looking for something to debate … debate THAT.
You, too, Larry. No need for insulting comments that have nothing to do with the issue.
Come on, Charles. Gratuitous name calling detracts from your otherwise helpful comments.Next time I’ll trash the whole thing.
Bad procedures and normalization of deviance created this mishap, Congress and FAA own the blame for creating/sustaining those conditions.
…and the mandated solution is to transfer responsibility by requiring equipage of a system (ADS-B) that is “near real time”, not “real time”. No argument “Near real time” capability is great for long distance situational awareness. When employed beyond its design spec to resolve high crossing rate conflicts or high density traffic sort it creates additional distraction when ADS-B display lags reality and provides poor angular cuing (i.e. eyeballs directed in wrong direction). and/or target drop outs and ghosts as system tries to correlate various input sources.
Why is this dead horse still being beaten? Because FAA and Congress are still attempting to ride it to justify jamming too much traffic thru too little airspace.
Opinion of ADS-B out/in performance is based on 5+ years of using ADS-B out/in single pilot in around DC/NE airspace/TFRs/busy training fields.
Foreflight and the other EFB companies are rubbing their hands. “Now we’ll really be able to gouge them since it’s becoming mandatory.”
Allowing portable IN units for airplanes weighing 12,500 lbs or less and operating under Part 91 was the right thing to do. My GDL50 only cost me ~$700 and works directly with the iPad and Aera GPS I was already using. Done … now. An article in February 2026 Avionics News (a publication of he AEA) talks about this. The real costs will be to non-GA airplanes operating under Part 121 or 135.
The Florida small planes that announce their color rather than side number at uncontrolled fields is infuriating. I ask them what color I am and the reply is, I can’t see you. Exactly.
Dander up. they huff that they don’t have ADS-B In and so N-number isn’t important. But I do, and if I can correlate a target on my panel’s Traffic display (which also tells me precise relative position and ground speed) with radioed position and intentions, we are all safer.
And, FAA AC 90-66C 6/6/23; anybody read these? This one is more verbose than previous versions, but if we all complied we’d be more predicable and safer. It includes gems such as, “should not use paint schemes or color descriptions to replace the use of the aircraft call sign;” “not use the
phrase ‘Active Runway;’ “‘ANY TRAFFIC IN THE AREA, PLEASE ADVISE’…should not be used under any condition.” Finally, the useless CTAF com-jam that baby instructors are currently infatuated with, “last call…”
I’d say that planes that announce their color are likely not transmitting ADSB-out. They want to be seen, and the visual information of their color helps. Please don’t make the assumption that every aircraft has ADSB-out, or indeed, that they are transmitting at all, because they might not have a radio either.
The planes I note operate within Tampa veil which requires ADS-B Out and have radios because they are broadcasting their color. And I see them on ADS-B. They simply learned a bad habit somewhere and stubbornly persist. It’s not the end of the world. I do wish everyone who pilots a plane would aspire to professionalism including keeping up with AIM and the ACs. Mostly I enjoy the benefits of a libertarian do-what-I-feel-like state and the US general aviation relaxed milieu.
Sorry: that’s a different matter within the veil, except for your no-engine-driven-electrical types.
Of which there are many, many! One could be surprised by how many experimentals, antiques, and gliders are operating at the outer reaches of the veil. And according to FAA data, something like 20% of ADSB-equipped aircraft are not transmitting at any given time, due to a variety of reasons. I am uneasy realizing how long a pilot in the pattern could be head down futzing around with a traffic finder to find an N number instead of being heads up, looking for the “yellow Cub”, “white glider”, and “polished Cessna”.
I agree! Could be worse, though … they could be saying, “Cessna with red interior.” 😁
People are calling out color and ‘last call’ all over the Country … it’s not just Florida.
I can almost hear the frequency jamming up now: “I see the blue and the green airplanes, but not the red one. Where are you with respect to them?” And on and on…
My pet peeve is the use of so many superfluous words, e.g., “Hello, All, this is Cessna November 1234 Charlie. I’m 10 miles north of the airport and planning to enter the left hand downwind for landing on runway 02.” How about, “XX airport, Cessna 1234 Charlie, 10 miles north, landing 02”? You know who you are!
Or, “I’m about 13.7 nautical miles from the field…” Try “14 north” for maximum signal to noise. Some of the young ‘uns seem to think they’re paid by the word, when they aren’t listening with their mouths. I blame flight instructors and DPEs who cut way too much slack. Radio talk can be practiced and mastered at home.
I see ALERT as better than nothing.If a portable ADS-B In setup gives some pilots a cheaper way to improve traffic awareness, good.
But let us not kid ourselves. This is still a half measure.
Portable In is not the same as a true broadcast out function, and it sure is not a separation system. It helps some manned aircraft in airspace already tied to the ADS-B rules.
But it does not build anything close to a real traffic system for the surface to 400 foot AGL drone band, and that is where part of this whole mess is headed.
Some of the thread is getting off into the weeds on side issues. ALERT may help on cost and awareness, but it does not solve the bigger problem. Pass it if it helps, but do not oversell it. It is a useful patch, not the full fix.
The key distinction that concerns me and seems lost in rulemaking is that for general SA, ADS-B in is a useful tool, for high density traffic sort (e.g. DCA mishap) it is a further distraction due to system limitations (lagging bearing info, ghosts, dropouts, surface traffic) and should not be used to justify inadequate procedures.
Rich, that is my concern too. ADS-B In helps awareness, but awareness is not separation. It should support good procedures, not be used as cover for weak ones.