ROTOR Act Mandates Aircraft Tracking Equipment and Cracks Down on Government Flight Secrecy

The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act, or the ROTOR Act, is all about aviation safety, but it hits two major areas: what the government can keep secret in the skies and a new equipment mandate for thousands of aircraft. Essentially, the bill tightens the rules for military and government planes that fly without being tracked and requires nearly all commercial and larger private aircraft to upgrade their safety gear by the end of 2031.

No More Ghost Flights for Training

If you’ve ever tracked a flight online, you know aircraft broadcast their position using a system called ADS-B Out. For years, there’s been a broad exception allowing government agencies to turn this off during “sensitive government missions.” This bill (SEC. 3) narrows that exception significantly. The ROTOR Act explicitly states that the “sensitive government mission” loophole cannot be used for training flights, proficiency flights, or flights carrying federal officials below the rank of a Cabinet Member. Think of it this way: if a plane is carrying the Secretary of Defense, it can still go dark, but if it’s just a routine training run for a pilot, the tracking must stay on.

This change means a lot more transparency. Agencies that still use the exception must now submit quarterly reports to the FAA detailing every single time ADS-B Out was turned off, including the date, time, duration, and mission type. If an agency misuses the exception, the FAA is required to report it to Congress. This is a massive shift toward accountability, ensuring that the skies aren't unnecessarily opaque near busy civilian airports.

The New Equipment Mandate: ADS-B In

Currently, many aircraft only have ADS-B Out, which broadcasts their position. The ROTOR Act (SEC. 4) mandates that within two years, the FAA must issue a rule requiring every aircraft that already has ADS-B Out to also install and operate ADS-B In equipment. The deadline for compliance is December 31, 2031.

What does ADS-B In do? It's the receiving end of the system. It gives the pilot in the cockpit a real-time, visual display of all surrounding air traffic and traffic advisories, dramatically increasing their situational awareness. This is a huge safety boost, especially in crowded airspace. However, this is also where the cost comes in. Aircraft owners—from commercial airlines to smaller regional carriers and general aviation operators—will have to budget for the installation and certification of this new equipment over the next decade. The FAA is directed to find low-cost solutions for smaller aircraft (under 12,500 pounds), potentially allowing cheaper portable receivers that display information on a tablet (an electronic flight bag), which could ease the financial burden on smaller operators.

Audits and Safety Reviews Near Home

The bill also focuses intensely on safety coordination, particularly in high-traffic areas. The ROTOR Act establishes a new FAA-DOD Coordination Office (SEC. 6) to improve how military and civilian air traffic control work together. Crucially, it mandates immediate safety reviews of all military, law enforcement, and civilian flight operations around major airports, starting with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

These reviews will assess the risk that military rotorcraft, powered lift aircraft, and drones pose to commercial transport planes. If you live or work near a busy airport, this means the FAA is required to actively analyze near-miss data and coordination gaps, consulting with air traffic controllers and pilot unions to fix safety issues. Furthermore, the Inspector General of the Army is required to audit Army aviation safety practices in the National Capital Region (SEC. 5), scrutinizing pilot training and their use of tracking technology, with results required to be made public.