AEA, FAA Say GPS Units OK For IFR
Recent reports raising concerns about the FAA's approval -- or lack of approval -- of many GPS units for instrument flight have raised questions that still are being sorted out. The Aircraft Electronics Association says the confusion, arising from recently issued FAA Advisory Circular 90-100A, stems from the FAA's deletion of a paragraph in an update of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM). The AEA said in a statement on Wednesday that FAA officials had told them "this oversight should be corrected in the next 10 days." Alison Duquette, a spokeswoman for the FAA, told AVweb on Wednesday, "The FAA is working with the manufacturing community and AOPA to resolve the issues. The bottom line is that the previous allowances still apply, so the operators can still fly using whatever GPS system they have." According to the AEA, the basic criteria for VFR and IFR use of GPS as a supplemental means of navigation as described in the AIM is unchanged. "The Association is disappointed with the Agency's communications on this issue," the AEA said, but added that it was pleased with the FAA's response to help to clarify the situation, and commended AOPA's Randy Kenegy for bringing the issue to light.
