Sport Pilot Talk

I saw an ad with this:

Annual Due: April 1, 2019
ELT Due: Dec. 2021
TXP Due: April 1, 2018

What is a ELT and TXP inspection?

Atrosa wrote:I saw an ad with this:

Annual Due: April 1, 2019
ELT Due: Dec. 2021
TXP Due: April 1, 2018

What is a ELT and TXP inspection?

Emergency locator transmitter and transponder inspections.

Wm.Ince wrote:

Atrosa wrote:I saw an ad with this:

Annual Due: April 1, 2019
ELT Due: Dec. 2021
TXP Due: April 1, 2018

What is a ELT and TXP inspection?

Emergency locator transmitter and transponder inspections.

And that would be for ELT battery replacement. ELT inspection is required annually. Transponder is due every 24 calendar months.

Are they expensive inspections?

Ate they normally performed during an annual?

Atrosa wrote:Are they expensive inspections?

Ate they normally performed during an annual?

No they are not expensive inspections. My ELT is the old 121 type and it is inspected durning my annual at no additional charge. By “inspected” I mean it’s tested to work and I replace the batteries regardless of the voltage they have. It uses 6 D cell Duracell batteries and it’s cheap insurance. The newer ones have lithium batteries and they last many years but are very expensive to change. In the hundreds of dollars for a new battery which is just ridiculous.

As for the transponder, it’s required to be inspected every two years by an avionics shop of your choice and my inspection costs $100 here in Florida. I’m sure this rate will vary a little depending on your location. This inspection may or may not happen during your annual “month” depending if it was ever swapped or upgraded. Then the calendar starts over from that day.

Atrosa wrote:Are they expensive inspections?

Ate they normally performed during an annual?

Transponder check should be right around $100.

ELT batteries vary. Mine uses standard “D” cells, so is very cheap. Others have proprietary batteries whose costs vary.

No reason to do them during an annual, though their status is checked then.

Edited to add: ninja’d by ShawnM.

FastEddieB wrote: No reason to do them during an annual, though their status is checked then.

91.207 (d) requires that ELT's be checked annually. This inspection in the eyes of the FAA does not have to coincide with the annual inspection, but it is convenient to do it at that time. Worthy of note some SLSA inspection checklist require the ELT inspection to be done as part of the condition inspection, in this case it must be done as part of the inspection.

FastEddieB wrote: Transponder check should be right around $100.

For a Mode C transponder, that's about right (depending on the avionics shop or repair station). Mode S is usually a bit more, and Mode S Extended Squitter (as used for ADS-B Out) could be a bunch more.