If the DME at PUC airport is inoperative, what functionality changes for the airborne DME?

When the DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) at PUC airport is inoperative, the airborne DME will not receive the necessary signals to provide accurate distance measurements from the ground station. DME operates by receiving signals from a ground station and determining the distance from the station based on the time delay of the received signals.

If the ground station is inoperative, the airborne DME will not be able to receive the distance information it needs to function properly. Consequently, it will not transmit a coded identification audio tone as it is designed to do when it is operational. The absence of this tone confirms that the airborne equipment is unable to establish communication or receive data from the ground station. This helps pilots understand that they cannot rely on the DME information until it becomes operational again.