On Mon, 3 Sep 2007 16:04:26 -0700, "Bob Gardner"
wrote in :

Pilots won't be required to equip for
it until 2020, and I'm pretty sure that is enough lead time for anyone to
make plans regarding his or her airplane.

It's official:

FAA TO PILOTS: BE READY FOR ADS-B BY 2020
(http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archive...ll.html#196268)
The FAA said
(http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releas...fm?newsId=9632)
on Tuesday it wants all aircraft flying in controlled airspace to
have satellite-based avionics by 2020, so air traffic controllers
can track them using Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast
(ADS-B). The agency issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (PDF

(http://www.faa.gov/regulations_polic...dia/29305.pdf))
that says the equipment will allow controllers to handle more
traffic more safely with less separation. "Aviation must take the
big step into the next generation of technology," said Acting FAA
Administrator Bobby Sturgell. "It's safer and more accurate.
Satellite technology is here to stay." Pilots with ADS-B cockpit
displays can see, in real time, their location in relation to
other aircraft, bad weather and terrain. In Southwest Alaska, the
fatal accident rate for ADS-B-equipped aircraft has dropped by 47
percent, the FAA said. Aircraft that don't fly in controlled
airspace will not be required to have ADS-B avionics, the FAA
said.