Avionics

Arinc Teams with ANSPs on Controller Pilot Datalink
April 3, 2013 - 2:15am

As Europe begins the phased introduction of new datalink standards for aircraft and ATC (above FL285), Arinc Direct continues to play a leading role in future datalink standards (effectively the next-generation Acars).

So-called controller pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) requires aircraft to be able to communicate with ATC using VHF datalink (VDL) Mode 2, akin to text messaging of requests and clearances (although voice communications will still be used as a back-up).

AIN Blog: Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Disruptors of Aviation
April 2, 2013 - 6:20am
Garmin G3X

Maybe for general aviation to survive, we need more disruption. An article published in Wired magazine (Clayton Christensen Wants to Transform Capitalism, by Jeff Howe) discussed how successful companies often fail to recognize that new companies with “disruptive innovations” are about to take over their marketplace.
Airbus Near Loss of Control at Paris Explained
April 1, 2013 - 4:35pm

An Air France A340-300 nearly crashed while on approach to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) on March 13 last year because the crew failed to understand the danger cues the aircraft’s flight systems were showing them. The aircraft was already above the recommended altitude for glideslope intercept–with speedbrakes deployed–as it was being vectored for the Runway 8R Cat III ILS at CDG. On low-visibility approaches at CDG, ATC procedures also require aircraft to be slowed to less than 180 knots within 15 miles.
Early Weather Radar Weaknesses Downed Southern Flight 242
April 1, 2013 - 4:25pm

As thunderstorm season approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s worth remembering how weather-radar technology has improved in the past three decades. Southern Airways Flight 242, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed in Pauling County outside Atlanta on April 4, 1977, after flying directly into a severe thunderstorm, calling attention to the then little understood issue of radar signal attenuation in areas of heavy precipitation.
Avionics Sales Hit $6.3B in 2012, Says AEA
March 28, 2013 - 3:05pm

Avionics sales totaled nearly $6.3 billion last year, according to the Aircraft Electronics Association’s first Avionics Market Report. The association released Phase 1 of the report on Tuesday during the opening of its 56th annual convention in Las Vegas. The report is an attempt “to truly and accurately reflect the value of the avionics and electronics industry,” said AEA president Paula Derks.
AEA Unveils 2012 Avionics Market Report
March 27, 2013 - 1:25pm

The Aircraft Electronics Association used the occasion of the 56th annual AEA International Convention and Trade Show to introduce its first Avionics Market Report, an accounting of what participating OEMs sold in the previous year. Nineteen OEMs participated in this year’s report, including Bendix/King, Garmin, Rockwell Collins and Honeywell Business & General Aviation. The gross sales for last year, including forward fit and retrofit units sold, totaled $6.3 billion, according to the report.
STC Approved for Garmin G600 Install on Citation Vs
March 27, 2013 - 1:00pm

Jettech has added the Citation V to its expanding fleet of Garmin G600 RVSM-equipped 500-series Cessna Citations. The FAA has awarded Jettech a supplemental type certificate for the glass-panel EFIS installation modification covering 259 legacy 560-series Citations. With this STC, Jettech now offers installation kits for the Citation 500, 501, 550, 551, S550 and the 560 with serial numbers 0001 through 0259.
Simulators Still Not Accurate Enough On Stalls
March 25, 2013 - 2:03pm

As experts struggle to identify why the crew of Air France 447 lost control of their A330 over the South Atlantic Ocean nearly four years ago, the industry is also still struggling to develop the precision data needed to accurately reproduce a stall in a Level D simulator. The lack of accurate stall data limits entry and recovery practice because the computers running the simulators have no idea how the aircraft will actually perform.

Gardner Aviation Services Offers Avionics Catalog
March 20, 2013 - 2:10pm

Gardner Aviation Services is offering a general aviation fixed-wing and rotorcraft product support catalog that features avionics, instruments and pilot supplies, including the latest in digital displays, communications and ADS-B technologies. The new catalog serves as a buyer’s guide for selecting equipment designed for both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Product photos and descriptions identify hundreds of items and their function.

Kitchener Aero Offers Caravan 208 Avionics Upgrade
March 20, 2013 - 2:00pm

Kitchener Aero Avionics has completed a new upgrade package for the Cessna 208 Caravan. The heart of the upgrade is an Aspen EFD-1000C3 PFD and Class B Taws. “For hardworking Caravans–especially those in commercial operations–this mod can really make a difference,” said Kitchener president Barry Aylward. The Aspen PFD replaces the problematic and expensive gyros in the Bendix/King KFC 150/225 flight control systems that were originally installed in the 208 fleet.

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