This article covers ICAO Equipment and PBN Codes.
To file flight plans, an aircraft's ICAO Equipment and PBN codes must be defined. This article describes the codes and provides examples of code designations for select avionics systems.
To define the ICAO Equipment and PBN codes for an aircraft, do the following:
- Open ForeFlight Mobile.
- Go to More.
- Select Aircraft.
- Tap on the Aircraft Profile to edit.
- Scroll down to the Filing section.
- Select the desired field: ICAO Equipment or ICAO PBN.
Once the aircraft codes have been defined, when filing a flight plan, the designated codes will be included.
NOTE: See also the ICAO Surveillance Code Guide
ICAO Equipment Codes
The ICAO Equipment field delineates navigation/approach aid and communication equipment onboard an aircraft. Below is a list of the most common ICAO Equipment Code selections.
|
CODE |
DESCRIPTION |
|
S (Standard) |
Almost all aircraft will select this, which includes ILS, VOR, and VHF Comm capabilities. If selecting S, there is no need to include the codes L, O, or V. |
| N (NIL) |
Select only if the aircraft has no navigation/approach aid and communication equipment installed or operable. |
| B | Select if equipped with a WAAS-capable aircraft with LPV. |
| D | Select if equipped with a separate DME. |
| F | Select if equipped with a separate ADF. |
| G | Select if equipped with a GPS. |
| I | Select if equipped with Inertial Navigation. |
| R | Select if needing to use a PBN code. |
Below is a list of the less common ICAO Equipment Code selections.
|
CODE |
DESCRIPTION |
| A | Select if equipped with a Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) landing system (Not available to GA). |
| C | Select if equipped with LORAN C (Not in the USA). |
| H | Select if equipped with an HF Com. |
| K | Select if equipped with MLS (Not in the USA). |
| L | Select if equipped with an ILS (Do not specify if "S" is specified). |
| O | Select if equipped with a VOR (Do not specify if "S" is specified). |
| T | Select if equipped with TACAN. |
| U | Select if equipped with a UHF Com. |
| V | Select if equipped with a VHF Com (Do not specify if "S" is specified). |
| W | Select if equipped with RVSM. |
| X | Select if Minimum Navigation Performance Specification (MPNS) approved. |
| Y | Select if equipped with VHF 88.3 kHz spacing (Only needed in Europe). |
| Z | Other information. (Automatically set). |
PBN Codes (RNAV and RNP)
Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) is comprised of Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and describes an aircraft's capability to navigate using performance standards. Here is a link to a document that covers RNAV, RNP, and the PBN Code in considerable detail:
RNAV, RNP, and PBN Codes document
RNAV Codes
RNAV enables aircraft to fly on any desired flight path within the coverage of ground or space-based navigation aids, within the limits of the capability of the self-contained systems, or a combination of both capabilities. Below is a list of the PBN Code selections.
| CODE | DESCRIPTION |
| A1 | RNAV 10 (RNP 10): Need to specify equipment codes G or I or both as required. Requires LOA. |
| B1 | RNAV 5 all permitted sensors: Need to specify G, D, O, or S, I equipment codes. |
| B2 | RNAV 5 GNSS: Need to specify G equipment code. |
| B3 | RNAV 5 DME/DME: Need to specify D equipment code. |
| B4 | RNAV 5 VOR/DME: Need to specify D and (O or S) equipment codes. |
| B5 | RNAV 5 INS or IRS: Need to specify I equipment code. |
| B6 | RNAV 5 Loran C: No longer used |
| C1 | RNAV 2 all permitted sensors: Need to specify G, D, and I equipment codes. |
| C2 | RNAV 2 GNSS: Need to specify G equipment code. |
| C3 | RNAV 2 DME/DME: Need to specify D equipment code. |
| C4 | RNAV 2 DME/DME/IRU: Need to specify D and I equipment codes. |
| D1 | RNAV 1 all permitted sensors: Need to specify G, D, and I equipment codes. |
| D2 | RNAV 1 GNSS (means the aircraft can fly RNAV SIDs and STARs): Need to specify G equipment code. |
| D3 | RNAV 1 DME/DME: Need to specify D equipment code. |
| D4 | RNAV 1 DME/DME/IRU: Need to specify D and I equipment codes. |
RNP Codes
RNP is RNAV with the addition of onboard performance monitoring and alerting capability. A defining characteristic of RNP operations is the ability of the aircraft navigation system to monitor the navigation performance it achieves and inform the crew if the requirement is not met during an operation. Below is a list of the RNP Code selections.
| CODE | DESCRIPTION |
| L1 | RNP 4: Need to specify G Equipment code. Requires LOA. |
| O1 | RNP 1 all permitted sensors: Need to specify G, D, and I equipment codes. |
| O2 | RNP 1 GNSS: Need to specify G equipment code. |
| O3 | RNP 1 DME/DME: Need to specify D equipment code. |
| O4 | RNP 1 DME/DME/IRU: Need to specify D and I equipment codes. |
| S1 | RNP APCH (aka GPS approach - LNAV min): Need to specify G equipment code. |
| S2 | RNP APCH with BARO-VNAV (aka RNAV GPS) approach with LNAV/VNAV min: Need to specify G equipment code. |
| T1 | RNP AR APCH with RF (special authorization required): Need to specify G equipment code. LOA required. |
| T2 | RNP AR APCH without RF (special authorization required): Need to specify G equipment code. LOA required. |
NOTES
- When specifying a PBN code, be sure also to specify R (Code for Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) Approved) and the associated sensors that the PBN code requires. For example, PBN Code D2 is RNAV 1 using GPS, therefore Equipment Code G (GNSS) must also be specified.
- Don’t over-specify PBN codes. A maximum of 8 RNAV + RNP options are permitted.
- Don’t specify A1 or L1 without a Letter of Authorization (LOA) from the FAA. Be sure to have proper FAA authorization (where applicable) for the procedures being filed.
ICAO Equipment Code and PBN (RNAV and RNP) Tables
The following tables are an aid for entering filing codes in ForeFlight and are not authoritative or comprehensive equipment specifications. Before attempting to file using ForeFlight, consult the AFM or AFM supplements for the aircraft to determine which codes are appropriate. The codes listed below are in addition to the other ICAO Equipment codes that may be appropriate for an aircraft.
For older GPS units not mentioned in the table below, please refer to the following
document:
Apollo
| Hardware | Applicable ICAO Equipment and PBN Codes |
| Apollo 2001 | R and PBN B2, C2 |
| Apollo 2101 | |
| Apollo SL50 | |
| Apollo SL60 | |
| Apollo SL65 | |
| Apollo GX50 | |
| Apollo GX55 | |
| Apollo GX60 | |
| Apollo GX65 |
Avidyne
| Hardware | Applicable ICAO Equipment and PBN Codes |
| IFD 440 | R, B, and PBN B2, C2, D2 |
| IFD 540 | |
| IFD 550 |
Garmin (Non-WAAS)
| Hardware | Applicable ICAO Equipment and PBN Codes |
| GPS 155 | R and PBN B2 |
| GPS 165 | |
| GNC 300 | |
| GPS 155XL | R and PBN B2, C2 |
| GNC 300XL | R and PBN B2 |
| GPS 400 | R and PBN B2, C2, D2 |
| GNC 420 | |
| GNC 420A | |
| GNS 430 | |
| GNS 430A | |
| GPS 500 | |
| GPS 500 TAWS | |
| GNS 530 | |
| GNS 530 TAWS | |
| GNS 530A | |
| GNS 530A TAWS | |
| G1000 |
Garmin (WAAS)
| Hardware | Applicable ICAO Equipment and PBN Codes |
| GNS 430W | R, B, and PBN B2, C2, D2 |
| GNS 530W | |
| GNS 480 | |
| GTN 6XX/7XX | |
| GPS 175 | |
| GNX 375 | |
| G1000, 2000, 3000, 5000 WAAS |
Honeywell Bendix King
| Hardware | Applicable ICAO Equipment and PBN Codes |
| KLN-89B | R and PBN B2, C2 |
| KLN-90A | |
| KLN-90B | |
| KLN-94 | |
| KLN-900 |
Rockwell Collins FMS
| Hardware | Applicable ICAO Equipment and PBN Codes |
|
Pro-Line 21 MC-6200 With software versions HSCD 946-2720-100 and HSCD 946-2720-101 |
R and PBN B2, C2, D2 |
|
Pro-Line 21 Advanced FMC-6200 With software version HSCD 946-2720-102 |
D, G, I, R, S and PBN B1, C1, D1 |
| Pro-Line Fusion | |
|
Pro-Line 4 & Pro Line 21(2008 and later) FMS-3000, FMS-4200, FMS-5000, FMS-6000, FMS-6100, AMS-5000, All Versions with LPV capability |
B, D, G, I, R, S and PBN B1, C1, D1 |
|
Pro-Line 4 & Pro Line 21 FMS-3000, FMS-4200, FMS-5000, FMS-6000, FMS-6100, AMS-5000, Versions without LPV capability (except SCID 832-4117-094 and SCID 832-4117-095) |
R and PBN B2, C2, D2 |
| Pro-Line 4, FMS-6000, Bombardier CL-604 and CL-605 | |
| Rockwell Collins unknown FMS |
References
-
U.S. Terminal and En Route Area Navigation (RNAV) Operations (PDF)
-
FAA ICAO Equipment Code Definitions (PDF)
- AC 90-100 compliance matrix (PDF)
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