Honeywell (Booth 487) is at EBACE 2013 exhibiting a fully functioning mock-up of its Ovation Select cabin management system (CMS) and the company is also highlighting a number of avionics upgrades.
Avionics and ATC » Avionics
New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.
While it may seem as though Apple iPads are replacing Microsoft Windows-based electronic flight bags (EFBs) in transport category cockpits, that is not the case for Esterline CMC Electronics’ PilotView EFBs. The company is advancing EFB development with its latest product line, the Mk3 EFB, available in 8.4-, 10.4- and 12.1-inch display sizes.
Satcom Direct (Booth 455) has signed up to become a reseller of OnAir’s in-flight GSM mobile phone service. The U.S.-based company will market the Mobile OnAir product to business aircraft operators.
A Dassault Falcon 7X operated by Swiss-based Amjet Executive has become the first aircraft of its type to be fitted with OnAir’s in-flight mobile phone and Wi-Fi equipment. The charter operator started offering passengers the connectivity services on May 1, just five months after Dassault announced the availability of Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir as line-fit options on the long-range 7X in December 2012. Amjet took delivery of its 7X from Dassault’s completions center in Little Rock, Arkansas, on April 26.
Aircell will sponsor the process to obtain supplemental type certificates (STCs) for European operators that choose to have its Aviator 200 SwiftBroadband satellite communications system installed. The company has signed an agreement with P3 Voith Aerospace of Hamburg to develop the STCs for Aviator 200 installations in Europe.
The program includes a complete, no-cost STC for operators that have the Aviator 200 system installed by an authorized Aircell dealer and also activate a new SwiftBroadband service under its monthly plan, said the company.
The Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) evolution is at the center of virtually every discussion about flying these days, and Duncan Aviation (Booth 327) is featuring FANS resources and expert advice throughout the three days of the EBACE show.
Duncan Aviation’s FANS resources include a four-part video on understanding FANS, an e-book download addressing FANS 1/A and, also available for download, a FANS 1/A webinar. The resources also explain controller-pilot data link and automatic dependent surveillance contract (ADS-C) and how they operate.
Honeywell already delivers synthetic vision for business aircraft under the brand name SmartView, a system that uses the terrain database of the company’s renowned Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), merged with head-up display (HUD) symbology. It then presents the SVS graphics on an aircraft’s primary flight displays (PFD).
The FAA approved an automated rig approach for offshore operators on the Sikorsky S-92, offering new functionality for the medium-twin helicopter. The system is said to “reduce cockpit workload by 60 percent” and allow safer operations under challenging weather and operating conditions. Sikorsky has been developing the “rig approach” system since 2007 in cooperation with operator PHI.
Rockwell Collins has surpassed 250 deliveries of its Venue cabin management and entertainment system for business aircraft. Unveiled in 2007, Venue is an open-architecture design that “accommodates future technologies,” such as the company’s new Skybox solution that allows content to be shared and viewed on Apple devices inside the cabin. According to Collins, Venue can easily be scaled for business aircraft ranging from King Airs to bizliners.
An announcement made this week by cabin equipment manufacturer Vision Systems hints that Eurocopter will unveil a VIP variant of the EC175 medium twin at EBACE, which opens on Tuesday in Geneva. Vision Systems said it provided a Wi-Fi network, a tablet application, ceiling displays for movies and electronically dimming windows–all integrated in a cabin management system–for the EC175 that will be displayed at Eurocopter’s EBACE booth.