ICAO Flight Plan Equipment Codes

[Matt Ricciardi]

While trying to wait patiently for my VL3 to arrive here in the States, I did a deep dive into ICAO equipment codes and setup a flight plan template based on my VL3 equipment configuration.  The official FAA guidance on ICAO equipment codes in set out in Appendix 4 of the Aeronautical Information Manual.  Link here.

Why bother?  The FAA computer uses the equipment codes to determine eligibility for RNAV routes and procedures.  You won't be assigned RNAV SIDs, STARs, T-Routes, or Q-Routes within U.S. airspace without the appropriate codes, and some ATC facilities elsewhere are even more picky.  Suffice it to say, the days of simply filing /G are over, at least for IFR flights.  Makes sense since there are various levels of RNAV capability, so a generic /G isn't sufficient to distinguish WAAS (for LPV approaches) and RNAV 2 (for en route navigation), for example.

As relevant for flight plan filing purposes, my VL3 is equipped with a GTN 650Xi navigator, a GNC 215 secondary NAV/COM, and a GTX 45R transponder.  The codes would be the same with a GTN 750Xi navigator, but would change, for example, if you didn't have a conventional NAV radio (for VOR and ILS reception).

Here's are the codes for my equipment configuration:

Aircraft Equipment: SBGRYZ

S: "Standard" equipment (i.e., VOR, ILS, and VHF)
B: LPV approach capable
G: GPS
R: Performance-based navigation ("PBN") as detailed in PBN/ field below
Y: VHF w/ 8.33 kHz channel spacing (not required in U.S. airspace)
Z: Other as detailed below

Surveillance Equipment: EB2

E: Mode S transponder w/ 4-digit ID, Mode C altitude encoding, and extended squitter
B2: ADS-B, 1090 MHz In+Out

Other Information: PBN/B2C2D2O2S2 NAV/SBAS SUR/260B REG/Nxxxxx CODE/nnnnn PER/A RMK/EXPERIMENTAL

B2: RNAV 5 (not required in U.S. airspace)
C2: RNAV 2 (en route navigation, T-Routes, Q-Routes)
D1: RNAV 1 (SIDs, STARs)
O2: Basic RPN 1 (RNP SIDs, STARs)
S2: RNAV (GPS) Approaches (with baro-based vertical navigation)

NAV/SBAS: Satellite-based Augmentation System (WAAS)

SUR/260B: Compliance w/ 1090 MHz ADS-B Out standard

REG/Nxxxxx: Tail number (only required if operating under a different callsign, like some flight school fleets, or for ATC data link services not usually applicable to light aircraft)

CODE/nnnnn: Hexadecimal Mode S Transponder Address (not required in U.S. airspace)

PER/A: Approach speed of 91 KIAS or less (not required in U.S. airspace)

RMK/EXPERIMENTAL: Typically required by Operating Limitations in EAB Airworthiness Certificates

Example flight plan from Manassas (KHEF) to Lancaster (KLNS), which has a solid Italian restaurant on-field, attached accordingly.  It's a screenshot from 1800wxbrief.com, but the field values would be the same in Foreflight, etc., although the form might look different.

Thankfully, this is one of those things you setup once in an aircraft profile, and then rely on your flight planning software to automatically populate when filing flight plans going forward.  But, all the more reason to get it right!