How can you test if your ELT is operational?

Testing an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) is crucial for ensuring that it functions correctly in an emergency situation. The process of testing the ELT is specifically outlined in regulations to avoid interference with emergency frequencies, and option B correctly points out the method that adheres to these regulations.

The operational test of an ELT is typically conducted by activating it briefly during a specific time window—specifically, during the first five minutes after the hour on emergency frequencies of 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz. This method is designed to limit the potential disruption to actual distress calls while still allowing pilots to confirm their ELT's functionality. By performing the test in this manner, users can ensure that the ELT is capable of transmitting a signal that can be detected by search and rescue teams while also ensuring that they are not transmitting during other times when they could be interfering with legitimate distress calls.

Other methods of testing the ELT, while they may seem logical, do not provide the definitive operational check mandated by rules concerning emergency beacon operation. Checking battery voltage may indicate that the ELT has power but does not verify if the transmitter part is functioning. A visual inspection can confirm the ELT is intact and properly installed but fails to prove that it can transmit