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Mexico 406Mhz ELT

GalinHdz

Well Known Member
Taken from another forum:

"For many years we have been petitioning Mexico's DGAC to postpone the implementation date for 406 MHz ELT's for US and Canadian aircraft visiting Mexico. Since 2002 we have been successful in getting the date postponed. The latest deadline is this coming June 30, 2018.

We had once again petitioned for another extension but the current DGAC administration has declined to extend the deadline any further. Therefore, starting July 01, 2018, US and Canadian registered aircraft visiting Mexico will be required to have a 406 MHz ELT. We have been advised they WILL NOT accept a SPOT, Garmin Inreach, Spidertracks, 406 MHz PLB or any other tracking device as a substitute.

We believe that it is quite possible that the DGAC may check for these ELTs at certain Mexican airports.

AOPA will be issuing a more comprehensive notification shortly. However, we wanted to alert any pilots who may be actively planning a trip after June 30th so that they take this into consideration in the event that they do not have a 406 MHz ELT in their aircraft.

Rick Gardner
Caribbean Sky Tours"


FWIW: AOPA has been saying this would happen for years now. I also believe Mexican Aviation authorities will be checking for 406MHz ELT's starting on 1 July, 2018.

:cool:
 
Why on earth would anyone want to postpone a 406 ELT requirement for 16 bloody years? They are cheap as chips these days, identify the position of what remains of your crashed RV down to around 50m and can fit in a shirt pocket.

You'd be an idiot to not fly with one, and I'm somewhat disappointed in any company that thinks deferring the implementation of such devices is acceptable...
 
Why on earth would anyone want to postpone a 406 ELT requirement for 16 bloody years? They are cheap as chips these days, identify the position of what remains of your crashed RV down to around 50m and can fit in a shirt pocket.

You'd be an idiot to not fly with one, and I'm somewhat disappointed in any company that thinks deferring the implementation of such devices is acceptable...
This requirement is about 406Mhz ELT's physically attached in the aircraft, not the portable PLB's that fit in your pocket. FWIW, my airplane has the physically installed 406 ELT yet I still carry a portable one when on long cross country flights. The old belt and suspenders theory.

:cool:
 
This requirement is about 406Mhz ELT's physically attached in the aircraft, not the portable PLB's that fit in your pocket. FWIW, my airplane has the physically installed 406 ELT yet I still carry a portable one when on long cross country flights. The old belt and suspenders theory.

:cool:

And file a flight plan or flight itinerary. Belt and suspenders, and another pair of suspenders... :D

(If you were to see our current mosquito population you'd know why I'm so adverse to spending unnecessary nights out in the bush.)
 
I?ve flown to Mexico eight times in the last couple of years obtaining multi-entry passes on three occasions and been required to submit evidence of all kinds of superfluous information, and never once have I been even asked by anyone what type of ELT I have installed.
With respect to the various oficiales that I have dealt with, that have run the gamut from extreme professional and pro-pilot to moronic, none have struck me as even knowing what an ELT is. I did have an ATC guy from Hermosillo tracon ask me over the air about what type of equipment I had installed, specifically ADSB because he was building an RV himself.

I installed mine when I built, but if I hadn?t, I would have definitely upgraded by now.

However, in my opinion, the 406 ?requirement? in Mexico is just something on the books so that they can charge a violation of should an accident/incident happen.


That alone may justify the upgrade along with the additional safety margin, (although the missing Malaysian 777 was supposed to have two on board only one of which is accessible to the crew).
 
Why on earth would anyone want to postpone a 406 ELT requirement for 16 bloody years? They are cheap as chips these days, identify the position of what remains of your crashed RV down to around 50m and can fit in a shirt pocket.

You'd be an idiot to not fly with one, and I'm somewhat disappointed in any company that thinks deferring the implementation of such devices is acceptable...

1. Here in the US the cheapest unit is around $700. That?s a lot of chips.
2. They aren?t foolproof. The problem of sheared antennas, etc., has never been solved.
3. The actual number of ?saves? - where a life was saved, who surely would have died otherwise - is extremely small in the continental US. It may be different if you fly in northern Canada, or the Outback.
4. ELTs cause fatalities. Some would be rescuers have crashed and died, looking for people who were already dead.

It is not at all clear to me that #3 minus #4 is a positive number. For me, this is about accepting personal responsibility, and not putting others in harms way, even if they?re volunteers. I have an ELT because US law requires it. Otherwise, I wouldn?t have one.
Now, I do think having a PLB, satellite phone, etc., is a good idea. You only use it when you?re alive, and can exercise some judgement as to the risk you?re asking others to take on your behalf.
 
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