Starting July 1, 2008, all private and commercial airplanes operating internationally will need to carry at least one emergency locator transmitter, according to a proposed standard from the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Avionics and ATC
New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit; and news, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.
November 16, 2006 - 11:45am
The DOT inspector general’s office will audit the FAA’s progress in implementing its controller workforce plan for hiring approximately 12,500 new controllers to replace those expected to leave over the next 10 years. The agency watchdog will evaluate the FAA’s progress and assess the effectiveness of other initiatives designed to increase controller productivity.
November 16, 2006 - 11:26am
Honeywell is close to releasing a synthetic vision system (SVS) upgrade for its Primus Epic business jet cockpit. Having addressed the three most common causes of accidents through its enhanced ground proximity warning (EGPWS), traffic alert and collision avoidance (TCAS) and runway awareness and advisory (RAAS) systems, the company believes SVS will be the next major safety advance.
November 16, 2006 - 11:14am
Military helicopter pilots don’t often get the chance to fly with a full head-up display, usually relying instead on helmet-mounted vision devices. Now, CMC Electronics has delivered its HeliHawk overhead HUDs and mission computers to AgustaWestland for the Super Lynx 300, the company announced here, and pilots couldn’t be happier.
November 16, 2006 - 10:47am
Pentastar Aviation of Waterford, Michigan, has gained supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for dual installations of CMC Electronics’ PilotView electronic flight bag (EFB) portable computers in the Gulfstream G100, G150, GII, GII, III, GIV GV and GV-SP business jets and Dassault Falcon 2000/2000EX. The STC also covers the Westwind, Astra and Astra SPX.
November 16, 2006 - 10:47am
Boeing might sell or shut down its Connexion in-flight Internet service after six years of failing to turn a profit on the business, The Wall Street Journal reported today. Boeing is thought to have spent as much as $1 billion on Connexion, but has had a tough time attracting airline customers, many of whom have complained about the service’s high equipment costs.
November 16, 2006 - 10:43am
CMC Electronics (Hall 4 Stand C16a) signed a contract to supply its latest flight management system, the CMA-9000, for the Thales cockpit in the Russian Regional Jet. Designed to carry between 63 and 98 passengers (depending on the version), the RRJ is under development at Sukhoi. The cockpit is said to be similar to that of the Airbus A380, which will be delivered with an FMS from Honeywell.
November 16, 2006 - 10:41am
AirCell is moving forward with plans for a nationwide network of about 200 special ground stations to support in-flight broadband services. The Louisville, Colo. company is paying $31.319 million for a frequency-spectrum license after beating out Verizon Airfone and others in an FCC auction that concluded on June 5.
November 16, 2006 - 10:37am
Sagem Défense Sécurité will supply avionics for the 322 UH-145 helicopters (plus 30 options) selected by the U.S. Army on June 30. Subsidiary Sagem Avionics will handle equipment integration, final assembly and product support from its facility in Grand Prairie, Texas.
November 16, 2006 - 10:25am
Boeing and FedEx have launched an in-service evaluation of active radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on some airplane parts for a MD-10 freighter. Tests will also identify potential electromagnetic interference.
