Does the selcal code remain with the aircraft when it is sold?
Officially – no, but in reality – yes. The selcal code always remains the property of the person who purchased it from ASRI (or ARINC prior to that) and that person can configure any selcal-equipped aircraft that they own or operate with that selcal code. However, when an aircraft is sold, the radios are usually included in the sale – including the selcal unit – so when the buyer receives the aircraft it is already selcal-equipped and ready to use with the old selcal code that the previous owner/operator used. Officially you are supposed to purchase your own selcal code and configure the selcal unit with it but in reality this only happens around 50% of the time. Puchasing your own selcal code means more revenue for ARINC of course – hence why the ‘rule’ is in place – but in reality no checks are made so if the aircraft is already equipped and you know what the selcal code for it is, use it!
