What is the maximum duration for testing an ELT?

The maximum duration for testing an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) is indeed 5 seconds. This short test duration is specified to prevent interference with actual distress signals that may be transmitted by other aircraft in an emergency situation. The rationale behind limiting the test time to just a few seconds is to ensure that the ELT does not create a false alarm or hinder search and rescue operations.

Testing longer than this can complicate the monitoring of distress frequencies and potentially misuse the emergency system, making it critical that operators adhere to the 5-second rule during testing to maintain the integrity of emergency communications.