FCC BANS 121.5 ELTS!!!!

AVWEB:  FCC PROPOSES BAN ON 121.5 ELTS 
The Federal Communications Commission took the general aviation world by surprise when it said in a recent report it will prohibit the sale or use of 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitters and require the use of 406 MHz units, a rule that could take effect as soon as August. Most of the 220,000 or so GA aircraft in the U.S. still use the 121.5 ELTs, which are allowed by the FAA. The FCC rule doesn’t take effect until 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register, and AOPA says they hope to work things out with the FCC before that publication takes place. Nonetheless, AOPA’s Rob Hackman said, “At this time, we caution anyone against purchasing a new ELT until this issue is resolved. There’s a lot of misunderstanding at this time as to the status of this rule.” On Wednesday, the Aircraft Electronics Association said the FCC has clarified that the rule is targeting legacy TSO C91a ELTs, which operate primarily on 121.5 MHz, not the general use of frequency 121.5 MHz as the rule implies. “Current TSO C126 ELTs are not affected by this ruling,” the AEA said. More…