I thought the same thing when I read it, but as was pointed out to me in another forum discussing the same topic, when you read it carefully, it suggests that IF you have TCASII, it must be of a specific type, but you don’t have to have it. I guess if it were perfectly clear, it would not have been written by the FAA.

No, it isn't.

(4) A TCAS II that meets TSO C-119b (Version 7.0), or a later version, if equipped with TCAS II, unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator.

If you are equipped with TCAS II, it must be 7.0 or later. If you are not equipped, no requirement to be so.

Mike C.

No, read it more carefully. If you have TCAS II, it has to be of a certain version.

No, it isn't.

(4) A TCAS II that meets TSO C-119b (Version 7.0), or a later version, if equipped with TCAS II, unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator.

If you are equipped with TCAS II, it must be 7.0 or later. If you are not equipped, no requirement to be so.

Mike C.

"Regulation-speak" of the FAA with things like this always remind me of the comment my instrument instructor gave me many years ago when I told him that I had read the FAR/AIM but was having trouble determining what the FAA considers "known icing" so as to determine when it was legal to fly in my then non-FIKI Cessna T210. His answer was that "the main thrust of the FAA regulations are written such that if an aircraft gets iced up, can't hold altitude and falls on a house, it has to be the pilot's fault. Further meteorological data and criteria are secondary."

I posted this in the thread about RVSM and ADS-B in Turbine Talk. Figure I would post it here too...

I reached out to Ric Peri, VP of Government and Industry Affairs with the Aircraft Electronics Association, a subject matter expert. I asked:



His response:



If your equipment wasn't good enough for RVSM before the new rule, it isn't good enough now.

Has this article from Dec 31, 2018 already been posted?.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news ... on-process

How will the RVSM process be eliminated on January 1, 2020 if you still want to operate under an LOA to cross the border, such as me flying from Michigan across Canada to New York?

The article seems to leave out the domestic US limitations.

What equipment code do i now use if I have ADSB installed?

The old way is maintained, you can still operate under LOA under section 2 and 3, just like before.

Nothing is going away, just a new way is added.

Mike C.

If your aircraft complies with section 9, you file as RVSM equipped.

Mike C.

/L

/L

Regarding TCAS II, this was taken directly from FederalRegister.gov regarding the changes to Appendix G.

"The FAA notes that a Traffic Collision Avoidance Alert System (TCAS) is not specifically required for RVSM operations. Other FAA regulations specify when an aircraft must be equipped with a collision avoidance system. However, for operations in RVSM airspace, aircraft that are equipped with TCAS II must meet Technical Standards Order (TSO) C-119b and be modified to incorporate software Version 7.0, or a later version. This requirement is specified as an aircraft approval requirement in current paragraph (g) of Section 2 of Appendix G. The proposed requirement for operators of ADS-B Out equipped aircraft seeking to operate in RVSM airspace that are also equipped with TCAS II must meet TSO C-119b (Version 7.0), or later, is necessary because earlier TCAS software versions did not incorporate revised alert thresholds for traffic alerts (TA) and resolution advisories (RA) for FL300 through FL420 that are compatible with RVSM operations. These provisions for TCAS II equipped aircraft in paragraph (a)(4) of proposed Section 9 are identical to current provisions for existing RVSM aircraft approval under Section 2 of Appendix G."

Exciting day today! I will be launching my C550 into RVSM Airspace with only ADSB and no LOA.