Common questions about what you can and can’t do with Stratux.
Yes. Stratux is an ADS-B receiver. It only listens — it doesn’t transmit. There are no regulations against receiving publicly broadcast aviation data.
You can legally use Stratux in any aircraft, any airspace, for situational awareness.
No. Stratux is ADS-B In only. It cannot satisfy the FAA’s ADS-B Out mandate.
If you fly in airspace requiring ADS-B Out (Class A, B, C, and certain other areas), you still need certified ADS-B Out equipment installed in your aircraft.
No. Stratux is not certified for any navigation purpose. It’s a portable, non-certified device.
For IFR flight, you must use certified instruments and navigation equipment as required by regulations.
However: Many IFR pilots use Stratux for supplemental situational awareness — seeing weather, traffic, and having a moving map. This is legal as long as you don’t rely on it for required navigation.
For VFR? Practically speaking, yes — you can use Stratux with an EFB for moving map navigation under VFR.
The regulatory nuance: - EFBs (ForeFlight, Avare, etc.) are legal to use in flight - You’re responsible for navigation by legal means - Stratux + EFB provides excellent situational awareness - Paper charts or certified GPS should be available as backup
Stratux AHRS is uncertified. You cannot: - Use it as your primary attitude indicator - Log instrument time based on Stratux AHRS - Use synthetic vision for instrument approaches
You can use it for: - Situational awareness - Backup attitude reference - Practice and training visualization
Never substitute Stratux AHRS for required flight instruments.
ADS-B traffic from Stratux is not a replacement for “see and avoid” or certified TCAS/TAS systems.
Reasons: - Not all aircraft have ADS-B Out - TIS-B has latency and coverage gaps - Display on consumer devices isn’t optimized for collision avoidance
Use traffic for awareness, not avoidance maneuvers.
FIS-B weather is delayed: - NEXRAD can be 5-15 minutes old - Data is for strategic planning, not tactical maneuvering
Never use ADS-B weather to navigate around thunderstorms. The cells have moved since the image was taken.
Using Stratux should not affect your aircraft insurance. It’s a portable receive-only device similar to a portable GPS or radio.
However, if you’ve represented to your insurer that you have certified avionics, don’t claim Stratux fulfills that requirement.
| Use Case | Legal? |
|---|---|
| VFR situational awareness | ✅ Yes |
| Supplemental weather | ✅ Yes |
| Supplemental traffic | ✅ Yes |
| IFR situational awareness | ✅ Yes |
| Primary IFR navigation | ❌ No |
| ADS-B Out mandate compliance | ❌ No |
| Primary attitude reference | ❌ No |
| Certified equipment replacement | ❌ No |
Stratux is a powerful awareness tool. Use it wisely alongside — not instead of — required equipment.