The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned that 5G networks could interfere with a wide range of aircraft safety devices, identifying more than a dozen key systems potentially affected by the new frequencies.
The FAA issued the broadened safety bulletin on Thursday, outlining new concerns on how 5G networks could impact aviation while stating that it is working with telecom providers to ensure the two can “safely coexist.”
The agency had previously warned that 5G could disrupt aircrafts’ radio altimeters – which allow planes to land in low-visibility conditions, among other things. But its latest notice states that anomalous data readings from altimeters could in turn affect a “wide range” of other safety systems, naming at least 17 – from terrain awareness and ground proximity, to take-off and flight control, as well as various warning systems.
Anomalous (missing or erroneous) radio altimeter inputs could cause these other systems to operate in an unexpected way during any phase of flight – most critically during takeoff, approach, and landing phases. These anomalous inputs may not be detected by the pilot in time to maintain continued safe flight and landing.
Fears over interference with radio altimeters prompted the FAA to impose a new rule earlier this month, which barred pilots from using the system at low altitudes in areas where 5G signals could affect onboard instruments.
Thursday’s bulletin comes just one day after aviation and telecommunications firms met to discuss 5G, agreeing to share data to resolve outstanding concerns. While AT&T and Verizon previously agreed to postpone their 5G rollout to January 5, aircraft companies have continued to push for further delays.
Read More: 5G roll-out in US suspended over aircraft safety fears
Earlier this week, industry giants Boeing and Airbus penned a letter to the Biden administration, warning that “5G interference could adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate,” and could have an “enormous negative impact on the aviation industry.” Until those problems are addressed, the firms called for a pause on widespread 5G rollout. Despite the new safety warnings from the aviation regulator, however, it remains unclear whether it will heed the companies’ request for another delay.
1.) Fly By Wire Systems can be overcome by intense EMPs ,and this is where push-rods, cables & turnbuckles, and hydraulic flight control packs and Q-cans for the primary flight controls come into their own as such are not effected by EMP’s or 5G microwave systems (that’s it; you read this correctly; MICROWAVE)!
2.) The inside of engine cowlings should be lined with Kevlar and Farraday Foil to prevent EMP’s / 5G’s from affecting the engine systems ie electronic fuel controls, potentiometers, command input systems, and engine instrument transmitters.
3.) The Garmin 1000 and above systems are naturally EMP shielded, but stray voltage and false signals are still a possibility with these systems acting on these faux transmissions to the aircraft as some of the features rely on the aircraft antennas mounted outside. This can effect the systems downstream unless the primary, secondary and third basic systems have the benefit of an antenna filter to ground-out microwave frequencies that do not pertain to RNAV, GPS and ILS approaches.
4.) Lasers and fiber optics are currently under research study to replace the microwave systems as laser light and it’s filtered frequencies cannot be hacked, blocked or meaconed.
The problem with this is that reduced visibility limits laser effectiveness when it’s needed the most. Hence, there is rumoured to be an infrared system that operates on the laser platform with the laser being replaced by IR sensors, similar to terrain masking used by the military. The flight courses, paths, obstructions, etc are all then merged on the main screen. We already have this system.
The Garmin revolution has made flight ops so much safer with reduced cockpit workload, but the genie of 5G and it’s health, circuit and transmission effects are still called to question.
Still, all pilots need to understand that dead reckoning, the use of back-up analog instruments and ADG (air-driven generator) procedures should be part of the syllabus in the event of power losses, etc.
5G is a microwave, and a health hazard!
We were doing fine with 3G (for basic Flip Phones) and 4G (semi-Smart Phones) using analog signals and NOT microwaves!
I do not have a 5G appliance anywhere near me, and never will!
5G can be hacked by burglars to enter a ‘Smart Home’, and insurance companies are talking about raining the premiums for Smart Homes just for this reason!