Avionics

AvBuyer Magazine, May 2016
by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand the technology, integration and advances of aircraft avionics and equipage, Ken Elliott concludes a five-part series on aircraft connectivity, this month with a brief history followed by an insightful look to the future.

Last month we addressed the expanding use of walk-on Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs) on board aircraft, and how they reduce the need for permanently installed equipment. PEDs also allow the user to seamlessly function with the same device and familiarity as experienced on the ground.

While this capability is profound in itself, let us take a step back and look at the wider aspect of future aircraft connectivity.

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AvBuyer Magazine, April 2016
by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand the technology, integration and advances of aircraft avionics and equipage, Ken Elliott continues a five-part series on aircraft connectivity, this month concluding his review of on-board connectivity.

In the previous article on this subject we reviewed an aircraft’s means of connecting, externally, to the outside world via the use of installed aircraft equipment. In this article we focus on how that same equipment turns its attention to internal connectivity. We cover how information is transferred, converted, interfaced and displayed to both passengers and crew.

Once received via a designated antenna, content is down-converted to video, voice and data. However this information needs further adapting in order to ensure compatibility with onboard devices. Included in this extra step is the need for human interface, allowing the selection of audio and visual components.

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AvBuyer Magazine, March 2016
by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand the technology, integration and advances of aircraft avionics and equipage, Ken Elliott continues a five-part series on aircraft connectivity, this month with a review of on-board connectivity.

In last month’s aircraft connectivity article we reviewed providers of communication and data as well as a breakdown of the services they offer. Moving to the aircraft this month, we will see how on-board connectivity is associated with a multitude of external resources, many with minimal pilot intervention. In fact, while the pilot(s) concentrate on flight plan execution, a whole other spectrum of activity may be unfolding between cabin and cockpit systems and the world outside.

Today, a number of flight departments are able to provide a ‘company in the sky’ experience to their corporate teams, enabling minimal interruption to time-critical business activity and all taking place aft of the cockpit door. Meanwhile the pilot(s) can run a real-time travel management and operations business up front, with an aviation department flight attendant also playing an important role.

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AvBuyer Magazine, Februray 2016
by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand the technology, integration and advances of aircraft avionics and equipage, Ken Elliott continues a five-part series on aircraft connectivity, this month with a review of providers and service…

In our introduction to aircraft connectivity, we began by showing how aircraft connect inbound and outbound to the external aviation community. For aircraft, connectivity may mean data associated with communication, navigation or surveillance. For example, the data shared with GPS positioning as navigation and ADS for surveillance can be considered as connectivity.

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AvBuyer Magazine, January 2016
by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand the technology, integration and advances of aircraft avionics and equipage, Ken Elliott begins a five-part series on aircraft connectivity, starting with an introduction and overview of this vast subject.

For the last several years, designers, developers, providers and integrators have each contributed enormously to a revolution in aircraft connectivity, both internal to the fuselage and externally to destinations throughout the world. We are: Read more →

AvBuyer Magazine, December 2015
by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand avionics advances and related requirements for equipage, Ken Elliott reviews aviation technologies within the NextGen/SESAR architecture, and this month provides an overview and conclusion to his series.

As we enter the final month of 2015, reflection on the current status and future of NextGen implementation may be helpful.

Throughout 2015 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Maintenance Repair Organizations (MROs) have been busy developing and completing their aircraft solutions for Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out), as well as Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS). Equipment suppliers have been introducing new and improved technology, while the FAA has readied itself for ADS-B Out, made strides with Data Communication (Data Comm) and introduced more Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures.

As aircraft OEMs provide NextGen hardware and software updates (available via their dedicated customer portals), MROs have been announcing creative installation choices for legacy aircraft. It is common to find one-time equipage upgrades, embracing both FANS and ADS-B needs. Read more →

AvBuyer Magazine, November 2015
by Ken Elliott

Ken Elliott completes his discussion in AvBuyer of why collecting and analyzing aeronautical data is fundamentally important to more efficient operation of business aircraft as well as capitalizing on emerging airspace mandates.

Flight data recorders (FDRs) and cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) were the first equipment placed on board aircraft specifically to collect flight information. As requirements for flight data expanded, flight data acquisition units (FDAUs) were deployed to receive a wide range of performance parameters from aircraft systems. These FDAUs also provide streamed FDR data to Quick Access Recorders (QARs), sourcing FOQA (Flight Operations Quality Assurance) information and other measures, mostly for air carriers. Read more →

AvBuyer Magazine, October 2015

by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand avionics advances and related requirements for equipage, Ken Elliott reviews aviation technologies within the NextGen/SESAR architecture for AvBuyer, this month focusing on data to inform.

Nature seems to have a way of moving forward in its evolution by deliberately imprinting a certain amount of unpredictability into its design. If you have ever studied Nature’s most perfect creations, you will notice imperfections that support this hypothesis. These apparent anomalies possibly trigger building blocks of natural selection. Unfortunately, even though an integral part of Nature, humankind has not quite grasped this characteristic of natural phenomena and continues to strive for the ultimate in perfection in all of its activity.

So, as we slowly understand and attempt to perfect the world around us, we continue to grapple with the unpredictability of the natural world. For aviation, there is the inability to...

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AvBuyer Magazine, September 2015 by Ken Elliott

Helping you understand avionics advances and related requirements for equipage, Ken Elliott reviews aviation technologies within the NextGen/SESAR architecture for AvBuyer, this month focusing on Data Comm.

We begin this article with its relevance for Business Aviation – what are the benefits and impacts of Data Comm (primarily centered on commercial fleets) to the average business aircraft operator. Already nearly 1,000 US-based business jets are equipped with pre-departure clearance (PDC) digital technology, which requires radios capable of handling datalink communications.

Following are the benefits of Data Comm to business aircraft operators:

• Two-way data exchange, instead of voice, between pilots and air traffic controllers;• Reduced separation between aircraft;• Greater efficiency in route changes while remaining in the departure queue;• Reduced user costs;• No altitude or lateral restrictions when crossing via tracks;...

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