FAA remote communications outlets are changing: plan beyond a memorised frequency

The FAA says it will begin decommissioning 674 Remote Communications Outlet locations in late fiscal year 2026 while retaining 262. Alaska, emergency and military locations are excluded from this programme.

What this means in the cockpit

A frequency that worked on a previous trip may no longer be available. The FAA says a NOTAM will be issued for each affected outlet, making a current briefing and Chart Supplement review the reliable way to understand the communications options on a particular route.

Build resilience into the plan

• Review Flight Service and ATC contact options before departure.
• Do not rely on an old kneeboard card as the sole source.
• Know how your approved equipment can support an alternative.
• If communication is safety-critical and unavailable, reassess the flight rather than improvising.

What this means in practice

An RCO is part of a communications network, not a guarantee that a remembered frequency will be available at every altitude and position. Decommissioning makes an existing planning weakness more visible: treating the last successful call as proof of future coverage. Terrain, antenna location, aircraft equipment and system status already affect whether contact can be established.

A resilient plan identifies what communication is needed, when it is needed and what safe alternative exists if the first method fails. The answer may involve another published outlet, an ATC frequency, an approved data-link capability or a change to the timing and route. The relevant option must come from current official information and the aircraft's approved equipment.

A verification workflow

• Check current NOTAMs and the Chart Supplement for the route and practical alternatives close to departure.
• Mark the purpose of each planned contact so the loss of one outlet can be assessed operationally rather than as a frequency puzzle.
• Verify frequencies and coverage expectations against current publications, not an undated kneeboard or previous flight log.
• Brief the point at which lack of required communication will cause a hold, diversion, return or landing.
• After an unexpected outage, report it through the appropriate channel and update local notes only from an official source.

Scenario to rehearse

A pilot launches expecting to activate or amend a service through an outlet used on the same route months earlier. No contact is established as the aircraft approaches higher terrain and weather is narrowing the route. The safe decision was needed before the communication became critical: verify the current outlet, establish an alternative and set a point beyond which the flight would not continue without the required contact.

Limits of this briefing

The programme described by the FAA does not mean every RCO is disappearing, nor does a national total identify the status of a particular location. Each flight needs a current location-specific check. Consumer mobile coverage is not an aviation communication plan and must not be assumed where an operational contact is required.

Debrief questions

• What operational task depends on the planned outlet?
• Which current publication establishes its status and frequency?
• What approved alternative is available at the relevant position and altitude?
• At what point will unavailable communication change the flight plan?

A source-reading exercise