The FAA announced October 11 that all 20,000 rebates offered to incentivize ADS-B Out equipage by general aviation aircraft owners have been claimed.
The agency first offered the $500 ADS-B rebates in September 2016 to encourage owners of fixed-wing, single-engine piston aircraft to equip for ADS-B Out capability in advance of the January 1, 2020, mandate. AOPA pitched in to help pilots navigate the process, and joined the FAA highlighting the advantages of enhanced safety, situational awareness, and airspace management efficiency that ADS-B provides.
Aircraft owners who already have reserved a rebate but not yet completed installation and claimed the funds will be allowed to complete the rebate program requirements in the specified time.
ADS-B Out avionics will be required for flights after January 1, 2020, in the airspace defined by 14 CFR 91.225, generally the airspace where a transponder is required today. More information about the ADS-B rule and equipment options is available here.
The FAA has been adamant that the January ADS-B deadline will not change. The agency recently announced that the process of integrating ADS-B information with radar data had been completed at the last two of 155 air traffic control facilities: Akron-Canton Airport and Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport, both in Ohio.