It was nearly 10 years ago that we advised not to rush to the shop to yank out 121.5 MHz ELT systems in favor of the superior but pricey 406 MHz tech. Still, the handwriting was on the wall: Some day, 121.5 MHz beacons will be extinct and that day is now. As we go to press, the FCC (not the FAA) issued a rule that prohibits the manufacturing, importation, sale and even the certification of 121.5 MHz beacons.
Recall that similar rulemaking was stirring in 2010, but the FCC-at the request of the FAA and AOPA-stayed the amendment. The new FCC ruling lifts the stay prohibiting these old beacons effective Jan. 11, 2019. What does that mean to plenty of aircraft owners who haven’t made the switch to 406 MHz models? It’s simple: The old 121.5 MHz model can’t be certified any more, pretty much rendering it a boat anchor-or better, a wheel chock (after all, they’re painted the right colors).