Duncan Aviation is quickly filling up slots for ADS-B upgrades throughout the rest of this year and first half of 2019. With the U.S. ADS-B Out deadline just 16 months away, Duncan’s MRO locations and satellite avionics shops are using the company’s access to 42 STCs to upgrade aircraft. Aircraft that have not met the deadline by Jan. 1, 2020, will be required to either fly below 10,000 feet outside of current radar-controlled airspace or stay grounded.

Several dozen Gulfstream G150s and G200s are among the aircraft Duncan Aviation has upgraded using an STC developed for Rockwell Collins transponders. “This STC is perfect for our Gulfstream G150 and G200 clients,” said Dennis Kruse, Duncan Aviation’s avionics sales representative. “It’s a solution that integrates into Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 and Pro Line 4-equipped aircraft.”

Duncan's avionics technicians have completed hundreds of ADS-B upgrades at its locations in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Provo, Utah; as well as its 28 avionics satellites and workaway stations. To reduce downtime, these ADS-B upgrades are often combined with inspections, routine maintenance, and interior modifications.

The aviation industry anticipates shortages of qualified technicians, hangar space, and equipment, as 52 percent of the business aircraft fleet needs to complete the ADS-B upgrade. However, Duncan Aviation said many of its facilities still have capacity to complete these upgrades before the deadline.