Nav Canada Releases Low Altitude ADS-B Proposal

Nav Canada has come up with a proposal for ADS-B equipage in aircraft that fly below 12,500 feet and it does not require the transponder to be able to communicate with its space based ADS-B system. The B.C. General Aviation Association did a nice synopsis of the proposal. It will also only be mandatory in Class C and Class D/E airspace. Aircraft that can’t reasonably be equipped with ADS-B will still be allowed to operate in those classes of airspace with exemptions and by request. The Notice of Proposal was released this week and Nav Canada is accepting comment until Jan. 19, 2027. Implementation will not occur before 2028.

BCGA says the most significant aspect of the proposal for most light aircraft operators is that they won’t need ADS-B units that have both belly and roof mounted antennas. Such “antenna diversity” was originally proposed as a requirement because Nav Canada uses satellite-based ADS-B receivers to collect the data transmissions. The company will instead install ground based receivers that will allow compliance for belly-mounted antennas operating at 12,500 feet and below. Many aircraft already have belly antennas for ADS-B transmitters that are included with their avionics and the transition will be seamless for them. Those who have to equip will be able to do so with less expensive single antenna devices.

Nav Canada says it has no plans to make ADS-B In mandatory and won’t be setting up its own system to support ADS-B In. It will however support private companies interested in developing ADS-B In, thus allowing equipped aircraft to see other traffic and get weather. It’s also investigating the use of electronic conspicuity devices for some aircraft that don’t require ADS-B, such as gliders, but there are compatibility issues to deal with between the various devices that are now commercially available.

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