InFO 15008: Iridium Satellite Voice (SATVOICE) with Safety Services

http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/info An InFO contains valuable information for operators that should help them meet certain administrative, regulatory, or operational requirements with relatively low urgency or impact on safety.

Subject: Iridium Satellite Voice (SATVOICE) with Safety Services

Purpose: This InFO notifies operators that some Iridium SATVOICE aircraft installations, operations centers and service accounts will need to be modified if intended for use as a Long Range Communication System (LRCS). This InFO is not applicable to Inmarsat SATVOICE systems.

Background: In June 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved a global change to its Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL) by revising policy letter (PL-106) regarding high frequency (HF) communication. This change allows for a compliant SATVOICE system as an alternative to one of the two required HF radios. A compliant SATVOICE system must use safety voice services.

Additionally, in October 2014, the FAA revised its policy for issuing operations specifications/management specifications (OpSpec/MSpec) B045 to allow SATVOICE as a backup for HF communications in the West Atlantic Route System (WATRS) airspace as a means to maintain a high level of voice communication reliability. Currently, the policy for issuing OpSpec/MSpec B045 does not require the SATVOICE system to use safety voice services. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is proposing a SATVOICE provision in Annex 10 that will require safety voice services. This provision is anticipated to be applicable in November 2016.

The FAA is working with ICAO to establish harmonized global standards, procedures, and guidance on SATVOICE use.

Discussion: An Iridium SATVOICE installation that receives calls using a direct dial commercial number, which does not use safety voice services, is the subject of this InFO. To utilize the Iridium safety voice services for calls to the flight deck and comply with the provisions of PL-106, modifications are needed to aircraft equipment, automation/procedures at operations centers and service accounts. Operators should contact their Iridium equipment manufacturer and communication service provider (e.g. Rockwell Collins (formerly ARINC) or SITA) for information on modifying their aircraft installations, operations centers and service accounts.

Operators seeking MMEL relief in accordance with PL-106 using Iridium SATVOICE installations are required to operate and complete the required modifications as necessary.

Recommended Action: The FAA is actively pursuing policy changes to OpSpec/MSpec B045 or any regulation concerning requirements for communication systems (e.g. Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 121, §121.351; part 125, §125.203; and part 135, §135.165) to allow for ICAO-compliant SATVOICE systems to be used as an LRCS. With this policy change, operators will need to modify Iridium SATVOICE aircraft installations, operations centers, and service accounts, as necessary. This policy change and timeframe would be aligned with the November 2016 applicability date for the ICAO SATVOICE provision.

Directors of safety and directors of operations (part 121); directors of operations (part 125 and 135); training managers; and pilots must ensure these safety services are being used in lieu of commercial services, and that flightcrews and operations personnel (dispatchers) are knowledgeable in the new communication procedures.

Contact: Questions or comments regarding this InFO should be directed to the New Program Implementation, and International Support Branch, AFS-240 at (202) 267-8166.

InFOInformation for Operators

U.S. Department

of Transportation

Federal Aviation

Administration

InFO 15008

DATE: 8/4/15

Flight Standards Service

Washington, DC

Approved by: AFS-200 OPR:AFS-240