“Midair collisions statistics are revealing,” said Avidyne COO Patrick Herguth during the company’s press conference at Sun ’n Fun 2013 (Booth C-71). “Fifty-nine percent of midairs happen near the airport; and 54 percent are between aircraft flying in the same direction.” Herguth was citing a 10-year-long study published by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
Avidyne Corporation
February 13, 2013 - 11:30am
Three de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters operated by Tac Air out of Coronado, Calif., are getting a new outlook on life thanks to Pacific Coast Avionics. The Aurora, Ore. company has a contract to design and install custom panels and a new avionics system. The aircraft are used for civilian and military jump training.
February 5, 2013 - 3:50am
Kitchener Aero Avionics obtained STC approval for a glass cockpit for the Eurocopter EC120. It includes the Garmin G500H flight display system with helicopter synthetic vision, an attitude heading reference system and air data computer.
Also STC’d in the EC120 are the Garmin GDL69/69A XM weather datalink, an Avidyne TAS-605 traffic awareness system and a Honeywell KRA-405B radar altimeter. All of these additional systems are controlled by and displayed on the G500H. Images from an external video camera or Flir system can also be displayed on the G500H MFD.
January 8, 2013 - 3:15pm
Cutter Aviation received FAA STC approval for installation of Garmin G950 retrofit avionics in Piper Meridians with either the original Meggitt or Avidyne EFIS systems. The retrofit includes a new, custom-engineered panel and glareshield, providing a cleaner and more modern panel design. The package features two or three 12-inch Garmin displays (single primary flight display and single multifunction display or dual PFD/single MFD). Additionally, the G950 system incorporates the S-Tec IntelliFlight/Magic 1500 autopilot.
January 2, 2013 - 4:02pm
Kitchener Aero Avionics has developed and obtained STC approval for a glass cockpit for the Eurocopter EC120 helicopter. It includes the Garmin G500H flight display system with helicopter synthetic vision, an attitude heading reference system and air data computer. Also STC’d in the EC 120 are the Garmin GDL69/69A XM weather datalink, an Avidyne TAS-605 traffic awareness system and a Honeywell KRA-405B radar altimeter. All of these additional systems are controlled by and displayed on the G500H.
October 29, 2012 - 2:35pm
Astronics is forging ahead after purchasing enhanced vision system (EVS) maker Max-Viz in early August and recently signed an installation agreement with Hawker Beechcraft. Under the agreement, Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support will have the opportunity to install Max-Viz infrared EVS in any King Air equipped with an MFD that can display video images, according to Astronics president and CEO Peter Gundermann.
September 6, 2012 - 3:15pm
AIN readers rate Garmin as the top provider of avionics product support in the 2012 AIN Avionics Product Support Survey cockpit avionics rankings, with an overall average rating of 8.3. Rockwell Collins climbed to second place with a rating of 7.8, followed by Universal Avionics in third, with an overall average of 7.7. Honeywell’s cockpit avionics rating climbed 1 percent this year, to fourth place and 7.5, tying for the same place with Avidyne, which also scored a 7.5 rating. Honeywell’s Bendix/King division retained the same 7.1 rating as last year, moving to fifth place.
July 5, 2012 - 3:45pm
Avidyne introduced a new integrated FMS/GPS/navcom today–the touchscreen IFD440, a slide-in, plug-and-play replacement for Garmin GNS 430 GPS/navcoms. The $14,995 IFD440 has a 5.4-inch-diagonal screen and will be available at the end of next year.
The unveiling of the IFD440 follows by a year the launch of the larger IFD540, a slide-in replacement for the Garmin GNS 530 that Avidyne will begin delivering in the first half of next year.
April 18, 2012 - 4:25am
Honeywell is moving aggressively to revitalize its Part 23 aircraft avionics division, Bendix/King, which was the dominant player until the ascension of Garmin, Avidyne and the like. In recent months the company has hired a new CEO, former Piper Aircraft president Kevin Gould, who is in the process of building a new management team and hiring more engineers as the company moves into the glass-panel age.
April 18, 2012 - 3:50am
Avidyne is close to obtaining certification of its DFC90 autopilot interface with Aspen’s EFD1000 PFD. Avidyne and Aspen Avionics demonstrated Avidyne’s new digital autopilot interfaced with Aspen’s EFD1000 Pro primary flight display (PFD) last month in two flight-test aircraft: a Cessna 182 and a Cirrus SR22. The DFC90 is currently certified in Cirrus SRs and Piper PA-46s equipped with Avidyne Entegra displays.
