Reiterating that the U.S. FAA is not changing its compliance deadline for ADS-B _^OUT, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta appealed to the general aviation community not only to begin equipping but also to take advantage of the incentives that remain while they are still available.

“All aircraft flying in controlled airspace are going to need to be equipped with this technology by January 1, 2020. That deadline hasn’t—and won’t—change,” Huerta told attendees on Thursday at EAA Airventure 2017 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “Repair stations around the country are already getting booked up with installation appointments. And it’s only going to get worse as the deadline approaches.”

Only about 26,000 aircraft are equipped, but up to 160,000 aircraft will need to be equipped, he noted. Manufacturers have developed a number of options with units available for $2,000, Huerta said. “The FAA is also trying to make this as painless as possible.”

The agency announced a $500 incentive to eligible aircraft owners to help defray the costs of installation. “I didn’t think we’d have a problem giving away free money. But we still have 12,000 incentives available,” Huerta said. Noting that the program expires on September 18, he implored, “Please don’t leave this money on the table. Manufacturers have done their part. The FAA has done its part.”

That appeal came during a speech focused on "Securing America’s General Aviation Future—Together." In his prepared remarks, Huerta also noted the debate that has been “raging in Washington” about the future of American aviation. “In my opinion, this conversation is long overdue,” he said.

Without taking a position on whether the air traffic control system should be separated from the FAA, he did note, “Since [I joined] the FAA, the government has been shut down, we’ve dealt with the sequester and we’ve endured the uncertainty of 23 short-term reauthorization extensions. That’s no way to run the best aviation system in the world. We need to have a meaningful discussion about how we can improve the services we deliver today, while preparing for an increasingly complex and growing set of users in the future.”

Modernization must take place to meet the growing demand, he said, adding, “We look forward to a reauthorization that helps the FAA build on its safety record, modernize our nation’s air traffic control system and ensure one of our nation’s most valuable assets—the air above our heads—remains available to all Americans.”

He stressed that discussions about the future of general aviation and commercial aviation in the U.S. must go hand-in-hand. “No other country in the world has a GA community as large and diverse as ours. We all want that to continue. We want your ranks to grow.”

Huerta added that partnership is the key to continue that growth. ADS-B equipage was one key area of that partnership he cited, but Huerta also said that FAA must do its part.

“We’re working to become a more efficient and nimble organization. We want to be a better partner,” he said. “And when I look at our record from the last few years, there’s no question in my mind that we’ve improved the way we deal with pilots and the planes you fly.”

He also pointed to the recently rolled out BasicMed, which he called a “common-sense approach” to medical certification. More than 14,000 people already have completed the online training and are allowed to fly under BasicMed, he reported.

Huerta encouraged operators to contact the agency’s aerospace medicine office with questions, even if a health issue exists. “There’s this misperception out there that dealing with our medical team is the first step toward losing your license,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we approve the majority of the requests we receive for special issuance medical certificates. We’re not adversaries.”

The FAA also is committed to working with industry to foster innovation, he added, pointing to the recent changes in certification of small aircraft. “Instead of telling manufacturers how to build airplanes, we’re defining the safety goals we want to achieve and giving industry the freedom to come up with innovative solutions.”

The agency has been working with its certification specialists in the field on the changes. “Our message is simple: we’re not going to try to shoehorn new ideas into the same old box anymore,” Huerta said.

And, he added, the FAA is looking at means to facilitate certification of equipment on older aircraft. “These certification policies represent a new way of thinking for our agency. And as we collaborate with more manufacturers and open up new pathways to approval, it will only get easier and faster for us to continue doing so in the future.”