Equipment codes
Encyclopedia
An equipment code describes the communication (COM), navigation (NAV), approach aids and surveillance transponder
Transponder
In telecommunication, the term transponder has the following meanings:...

 equipment on board an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

. These alphabetic codes are used on FAA and ICAO flight plan forms to aid air traffic services personnel in their handling of aircraft.

On the FAA non-RNAV domestic flight plan form (FAA Form 7233-1) the equipment code is a single character placed in block 3 (Aircraft Type / Special Equipment) as a suffix to the aircraft type code. A single letter is used to represent a radio navigational capability and transponder combination.

On the ICAO flight plan form (e.g. FAA Form 7233-4 based on the format specified by ICAO Doc 4444) one or more alphabetic codes are placed in box 10. Multiple letters are used to describe individual radio navigational capabilities and a single letter is used to designate the transponder. The FAA began requiring the ICAO format form for domestic flights desiring RNAV routes on 29 July 2008. The ICAO format has already been in use for all domestic flight plans in Canada, Mexico and many other countries for a number of years.

Regardless of the form used, Air traffic controller
Air traffic controller
Air traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...

s (ATC) issue clearances based on filed equipment codes, therefore it is important for pilots to use the appropriate coding. For example, if a desired route requires GPS, then the pilot should file /G, even if the aircraft also qualifies for other suffixes (this may be moot due to new RNAV routing requirements to use the ICAO form & codes). Pilots are recommended to file the maximum capability of their aircraft in the equipment suffix.

To see the differences in the coding systems, consider a VFR aircraft with a VHF communication radio, VOR receiver with glideslope for ILS approaches, ADF, a GPS and a pressure altitude reporting transponder. It would be coded as SG/C on an ICAO form and as /G on the FAA domestic form. Add a DME to the panel and the ICAO code becomes SDG/C while the FAA code remains /G. Then, if the ADF stops receiving the ICAO code becomes DGIOV/C while the FAA code remains /G. More letters with the ICAO format mean more information about the aircraft's radio navigation capability is available to the ATS controller than with the older FAA coding system.

Aircraft Radio Communication, Navigation & Approach Equipment Codes

  • A (Not allocated)
  • B (Not allocated)
  • C LORAN
    LORAN
    LORAN is a terrestrial radio navigation system using low frequency radio transmitters in multiple deployment to determine the location and speed of the receiver....

     C
  • D DME
    Distance Measuring Equipment
    Distance measuring equipment is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals....

  • E FMS
  • F ADF
  • G GNSS (No restrictions for VFR flight plans, but for IFR flight plans this code implies the GPS receiver is TSO C-129 (IFR certified. If the equipment is not IFR certified it could be entered in box 18 on an IFR flight plan as NAV/G non-IFR.)
  • H HF RTF (HF
    High frequency
    High frequency radio frequencies are between 3 and 30 MHz. Also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decameters . Frequencies immediately below HF are denoted Medium-frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Very high frequency...

     RadioTelephone)
  • I INS
    Inertial navigation system
    An inertial navigation system is a navigation aid that uses a computer, motion sensors and rotation sensors to continuously calculate via dead reckoning the position, orientation, and velocity of a moving object without the need for external references...

  • J Data Link (Noteed as DAT/details in ICAO form box 18)
  • K MLS
    Microwave landing system
    A microwave landing system is an all-weather, precision landing system originally intended to replace or supplement instrument landing systems...

  • L ILS
    Instrument Landing System
    An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...

  • M Omega
    OMEGA Navigation System
    OMEGA was the first truly global radio navigation system for aircraft, operated by the United States in cooperation with six partner nations.-History:OMEGA was originally developed by the United States Navy for military aviation users...

     (Not allocated in some jurisdictions.)
  • N No COM/NAV equipment for the route carried or is unservicable.
  • O VOR
    VHF omnidirectional range
    VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code...

  • P P-RNAV
  • Q (Not allocated)
  • R RNP
    Required Navigation Performance
    Required Navigation Performance is a type of performance-based navigation that allows an aircraft to fly a specific path between two 3-dimensionally defined points in space. RNAV and RNP systems are fundamentally similar. The key difference between them is the requirement for on-board...

     type certification met for the route segment, route or area concerned
  • S Standard Equipment composed of ADF ILS VOR VHF
  • T TACAN
  • U UHF
  • V VHF
  • W RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum)
  • X NAT MNPS Certification
  • Y Indicates 8.33 kHz radio band spacing (a requirement above FL190)
  • Z Other equipment carried (Noted as COM/details or NAV/details in ICAO form box 18)

SSR - Secondary Surveillance Radar

  • N Nil
  • A Transponder - Mode A (4 digits - 4,096 codes)
  • C Transponder - Mode A (4 digits - 4,096 codes) and Mode C
  • X Transponder - Mode S without both aircraft identification and pressure-altitude transmission
  • P Transponder - Mode S, including pressure-altitude transmission, but no aircraft identification transmission
  • I Transponder - Mode S, including aircraft identification transmission, but no pressure-altitude transmission
  • S Transponder - Mode S, including both pressure-altitude and aircraft identification transmission.

DME
Distance Measuring Equipment
Distance measuring equipment is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals....

  • /D No transponder
  • /B Transponder with no Mode C
  • /A Transponder with Mode C

Tacan only

  • /M No transponder
  • /N Transponder with no Mode C
  • /P Transponder with Mode C

Basic RNAV
Area navigation
Area Navigation is a method of Instrument Flight Rules navigation that allows an aircraft to choose any course within a network of navigation beacons, rather than navigating directly to and from the beacons. This can conserve flight distance, reduce congestion, and allow flights into airports...

 

  • /Y LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS with no transponder
  • /C LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS, transponder with no Mode C
  • /I LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS, transponder with Mode C

Advance RNAV with transponder and mode C

  • /E Flight Management System (FMS) with DME/DME and IRU position updating
  • /F FMS with DME/DME position updating
  • /G Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), including GPS or Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), with en route and terminal capability.
  • /R Required Navigational Performance (RNP). The aircraft meets the RNP type prescribed for the route segment(s), route(s) and/or area concerned.

RVSM
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima or Minimum is an aviation term used to describe the reduction of the standard vertical separation required between aircraft flying above FL285 and up to FL410 from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet...

(Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum)

  • /W RVSM
  • /J RVSM + /E
  • /K RVSM + /F
  • /L RVSM + /G
  • /Q RVSM + /R

Sources

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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