More than 26,000 people attended the National Business Aviation Association’s 2014 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, Oct. 21-23, at the Orange County Convention Center. According to the NBAA, representatives from 49 U.S. states and 95 countries were present to see more than 100 aircraft on display in several locations, along with 1,100 exhibitors.
A packed house was on hand for the convention’s opening general session to hear speeches from Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Penn.), chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, along with Chris Hart, acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Attendees were welcomed on the second day by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Nelson was joined by Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D), who announced the launch of the Delaware Business Aviation Association.
During the annual media breakfast, NBAA President Ed Bolen announced a new advocacy initiative called “Business Leaders on Business Aviation,” which highlights testimonials from dozens of chief executive officers on the value of business aviation to their companies.
In addition to several Aircraft Electronics Association member companies present at this year’s event, the AEA staff was busy distributing hundreds of copies of this year’s Pilot’s Guide to Avionics to attendees. Avionics News also was in Orlando to cover the latest news and product announcements from AEA members, and below is a recap of some of these important announcements made during the show that impact the business aviation industry.
DMA AERO and DAC International
In a joint announcement, DMA Aero and DAC International introduced two new RVSM-compliant air data test sets.
DMA had produced three-channel angle of attack test sets for more than 15 years, and the MPS39C represents the latest development in three- and four-channel configurations. The second new system, the MPS43, is an ultra-compact unit offering the latest in portability and ease of use.
DMA has six decades of experience designing and producing air data test sets, and DAC International is the U.S. distributor of the units.
The MPS39C – the fully RVSM-compliant system can control three or four pressures separately and independently: static, pitot and angle-of-attack (x2). According to the two companies, it is ideal for flightline use for fixed-wing or rotary aircraft that incorporate pneumatic angle-of-attack measurement through smart probes. The angle-of-attack pressure can be displayed either in pressure units or directly in degrees of AOA with 0.1 degree resolution. With a recommended cycle of one year, calibration is performed through the instrument’s keypad and requires no mechanical adjustments. Internal rechargeable batteries provide four hours of full power if AC power is not available. The unit features a standard two-year year warranty and a 5,000-hour warranty on the internal pump as well as on GPIB and encoding altimeter options.
The MPS43 is the smallest and lightest ADTS on the market according to the companies. Weighing less than 9 pounds, the portable unit operates up to 55,000 feet altitude and from 5 to 550 knots airspeed. RVSM compliant, it is designed to be taken into the cockpit with hose connections through the cockpit window or cabin main entrance door. The unit can be operated by touchscreen or keypad and features built-in isolation to protect the unit and aircraft in case of power loss, as well as a 30-minute internal battery backup. The test set’s features include TAS temperature correction, altitude offset correction, automatic leak testing and EPR test. Its pump operates only on demand and has a 1,000-hour guarantee. The unit has a 12-month calibration cycle and two-year warranty.
For more information, visit www.dma-aero.com or www.dacint.com.
Elbit Systems of America
Elbit Systems of America unveiled its Enhanced Vision System-Superior Performance. The company’s third-generation design, the EVS-SP uses fully digital infrared sensor technology to adjust to environmental conditions in real time and maintain optimal detection. According to the company, EVS-SP allows taxi, takeoff and landing operations in all weather situations in accordance with all applicable FAA/EASA/ICAO EVS operational and certification regulations.
Building on its EVS experience with more than 1,500 installed systems, Elbit’s EVS-SP includes new features and improvements, such as high resolution for a clear image; cooled IR imagery for all weather operation; single LRU design with integrated aircraft window for easy aircraft integration; digital video for best image quality; and lighter total system installation weight.
According to the company, EVS is a key component to FAA Next Gen and EASA SESAR airspace optimization. The system is applicable for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and is expected to be fully certified in mid-2015.
In addition, the company introduced its ClearVision next-generation Enhanced Flight Vision System. According to the company, it has already demonstrated successful flights onboard various types of aircraft platforms. Elbit Systems developed the ClearVision EFVS for business aviation and air transport applications in order to improve the accessibility of airplanes to destinations that often suffer from weather restrictions.
For more information, visit www.elbitsystems.com.
Flight Display Systems
Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Flight Display Systems introduced Jetstreamer, an entry-level entertainment platform that streams movies, music and other content to carry-on devices such as tablets, laptops and smartphones.
According to the company, no Internet connection is required to operate. The Jetstreamer, along with a Wi-Fi router, creates a local area network within an aircraft cabin and streams to as many as eight passengers. It also streams the company’s Worldwide Moving Map. The Jetstreamer is the company’s entry-level version of the JetJukebox and sells for approximately half the price.
Content can be loaded to an internal 240 gigabyte solid state drive and can either be loaded by attaching a laptop via an Ethernet port or by plugging in a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Jetstreamer also will serve content directly from a USB storage device like a thumb drive. There are six USB inputs.
Flight Display Systems also announced several upgrades to its JetJukebox, including the ability to interface with the Smart Cabin CMS to control cabin function such as lights, video and audio. Video can now be streamed to a bulkhead monitor as well as personal electronic devices. The JetJukebox storage increased to 1 terabyte from 240 gigabytes, and it can store more than 400 movies, television programs or home videos.
The company also introduced a new ultra-high resolution Worldwide Moving Map for business and private aircraft, which offers a resolution of 90 square meters per pixel compared to the standard map of 500 square meters per pixel. The new map will be available past part of the company’s JetJukebox and JetStreamer, and it will show the position of the aircraft on a detailed satellite terrain.
Flight Display Systems also unveiled its first Cabin Management Wearable Controller prototypes, and it demonstrated the wristwatch-style controllers during the NBAA Convention to gather customer feedback. The Wearable Cabin Controllers are another extension of the company’s wireless cabin management strategy.
For more information, visit www.flightdisplay.com.
Garmin
Garmin announced strategic partnerships with select members of the company’s authorized dealer network to provide a stand-alone ADS-B solution for popular business and transport aircraft. According to Garmin, this solution not only satisfies global ADS-B requirements, but also leverages existing equipment to alleviate the need for costly flight management system and cockpit display upgrades.
Utilizing Garmin’s GTX 3000 Mode S extended squitter transponders, GDL 88 ADS-B datalink and Flight Stream wireless gateway, operators are provided an alternative to meet ADS-B Out requirements while adding the capability to wirelessly receive the benefits of ADS-B In on a mobile device in the cockpit.
“Garmin is thrilled to provide a cost-effective upgrade path for a wide range of aircraft that have limited options to meet industry demands,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “Being globally recognized as having the most diversified portfolio of ADS-B solutions, we were approached by a number of operators requesting an immediate and straightforward path to a compliant solution to address the need to meet global requirements. Together with our valued partners, we are able to deliver a comprehensive ADS-B solution, which exceeds the demands of these operators.”
Garmin noted that integration between the GTX 3000, GDL 88 and existing avionics equipment, provide owners and operators with a path to meet ADS-B requirements around the world. Utilizing the GDL 88’s internal WAAS/SBAS receiver, the GTX 3000 transponder broadcasts aircraft identity, state and intent data (DO-260B compliant) to air traffic control, while integrating with existing equipment, such as TCAS systems and transponder control heads.
Flight Stream provides crewmembers wireless access to information in the cockpit such as subscription-free flight information service-broadcast weather, including NEXRAD imagery, METARs, TAFs, winds and temperatures aloft, PIREPs, NOTAMs and more within the U.S., while also offering ADS-B traffic. These products are wirelessly transferred and displayed within Garmin Pilot on a mobile device.
For more information, visit www.garmin.com.
Gulfstream Aerospace
Gulfstream Aerospace, introduced an all-new family of business jets: the Gulfstream G500 and G600.
According to the company, the two new aircraft optimize speed, wide-cabin comfort and efficiency to offer customers advanced safety features.
Gulfstream announced the clean-sheet aircraft before a crowd of approximately 3,000 people prior to the NBAA Convention on Oct. 14. The G500 can fly 5,000 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 or 3,800 nautical miles at Mach 0.9. The G600 is capable of traveling 6,200 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 or 4,800 nautical miles at Mach 0.9.
The first flight of the G500 is scheduled for 2015, and the company projects it will receive type certification from the FAA and EASA in 2017 with deliveries beginning in 2018. The G600’s entry into service is projected to be in 2019.
For more information, visit www.gulfstream.com.
Honda Aircraft
The Honda Aircraft Company gave a progress report during the NBAA Convention on the HondaJet, which has started a demonstration tour for customers as it continues final preparations for entry into service. The company has conducted extensive certification flight testing at various locations across the U.S. The HondaJet has logged more than 2,000 flight hours on the flight test fleet.
The company also announced it is expanding its world headquarters located at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, to accommodate increasing sales activity and add a dedicated hangar for delivery expansion.
For more information, visit www.hondajet.com.
Honeywell
As part of the traditional unofficial kickoff to the NBAA Convention, Honeywell unveiled its 23th annual Business Aviation Forecast at a media gathering on Oct. 19.
According to the report, Honeywell is forecasting up to 9,450 new business jet deliveries worth $280 billion during the next decade from 2014 to 2024.This year’s outlook reflects an approximate 7 to 8 percent increase in projected delivery value compared to the 2013 forecast.
In addition, the report noted that operators plan to replace 23 percent of their fleets with new jets in the next five years, either as a replacement or in addition to their current fleet. According to Honeywell, this level of interest is several points lower than the past four survey cycles, but it’s consistent with results of 25 percent or less that were normal until 2006.
The report also concluded that larger jets remain the most popular, ranging from super midsize through ultralong-range and business-liner jets. Large-cabin jets account for up to 46 percent of five-year new purchase plans. However, the survey showed improved interest levels for midsize and small-cabin aircraft in operator purchase plans. While large-cabin models garnered the largest share of specific buying plans, the midsize and smaller models recovered some share for the first time in several years, according to the report.
European and Brazilian purchase plan percentages lead all regions internationally.
“2015 industry deliveries are anticipated to be up modestly again, reflecting momentum from several new model introductions and some gains linked to incremental global economic growth,” said Brian Sill, president of Honeywell Aerospace Business and General Aviation. “We believe global business aviation growth will be aided by structural and regulatory reforms, longer-term economic growth and aircraft innovation. As a systems supplier, we believe product innovation in the form of aircraft connectivity and communication technology solutions like the JetWave Ka-band satellite connectivity system, safety and situation awareness offerings like the IntuVue weather radar, as well as flexible service offerings and value-added upgrades, will support the expanded use of business aircraft as a key tool in the global economy.”
To view the report in its entirety, visit http://hwll.co/nmf2.
Honeywell Aerospace also announced it’s working on new features to its Primus Epic integrated flight deck product line to help keep pilots better informed and safer in the air and on the ground. The new technology features include Honeywell’s 2-D and 3-D airport moving maps, Honeywell’s SmartView Synthetic Vision System with updates for lower landing minimums, cockpit display of traffic information, and more. According to Honeywell, the features will be available for all Primus Epic-supported platforms for certification as early as the next two years.
The company also released two new mobile applications – Pilot Gateway and My-Maintainer – and updates to MyGDC and Direct Access.
For more information, visit www.honeywell.com.
Honeywell and Jeppesen
In a joint statement made just prior to the NBAA Convention, Jeppesen and Honeywell Aerospace introduced the Integrated Navigation Data Service Data Manager for Windows, a new cloud-based database update delivery service.
According to the two companies, the INDS Data Manager service eliminates physical delivery of update media and simplifies the overall data update process. The new IDM service is designed for aircraft equipped with Honeywell Primus Epic Integrated Navigation or Primus Apex avionics. IDM is provided at no additional cost for data subscribers. IDM support for Primus Elite and Control Display System/Retrofit series avionics will be available in the near future.
“The new IDM for Windows from Jeppesen and Honeywell will simplify the data downloading process to increase efficiency for operators and enhance the preflight routine,” said Mike Abbott, director, Jeppesen navigation and flight deck programs. “The IDM interface for Windows is intuitive, and with a secure network the application provides pilots and flight departments with quick access to critical data updates anywhere in the world.”
For more information, visit www.honeywell.com or www.jeppesen.com.
Latitude Technologies Corp.
Headquarter in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Latitude Technologies introduced its new DL150 FANS 1/A+ satellite date unit. According to the company, the DL150 is targeted to business and commercial jet operators who are looking for a lightweight, multifunction, affordable datalink device to complete their FANS 1/A+ installation.
The company said qualification is currently underway for TSO-C159b, DO-262B, DO-178C Level D, and DO-160G for Next Generation Satellite Systems. The DL150 supports ATS notification, ACARS and CPDLC messaging, and ARINC-741 and ARINC-618 protocols. The DL150 also supports optional flight-tracking and 3-axis acceleration monitoring. The unit has discrete inputs and outputs for optional event reporting.
“I am very pleased to see Latitude expanding our footprint in the long-range business and executive jet market,” said Mark Insley, Latitude president. “Our new DL150 SDU has been developed with the same focus on delivering robust, reliable performance that has been the hallmark of our world-renowned SkyNode and IONode data devices. We are growing our roster of authorized installers and dealers who serve the business jet market. We are booking orders for early delivery of the DL150 to those operators wanting to beat the rush when the FANS mandate becomes operational in February 2015.”
In addition, the company received FAA STC ST07675NY, validating installation of all versions of Latitude’s SkyNode S200 flight-tracking and Satcom voice and data transceiver, as well as Latitude’s IONode ION100 FDM on Bombardier Dash 8 series including Q100s, Q200s, Q300s, and Q400s. The SkyNode S200 and IONode FDM system automates real-time in-flight event notifications as well as postflight analysis from an aircraft’s analog plus digital bus operational and maintenance related parameters.
For more information, visit www.latitudetech.com.
Satcom Direct
Satcom Direct said it has added proactive security threat monitoring to its SkyShield service. According to the company, it will be available in the first quarter of 2015, and the upgraded SkyShield will provide five levels of data filtering, adding security to Internet connections.
“Using SkyShield frees up your in-flight data connection for what is most important to your mission,” said Jim Jensen, Satcom Direct founder and chief executive officer. “By enhancing SkyShield with proactive threat monitoring, customers and flight departments are quickly notified of any issues so that they can be resolved.”
In addition, the company said its AeroV+ now allows smartphone users to talk and text during flight at any altitude, anywhere in the world. The produce was the first Voice over Internet Protocol solution designed and built specifically for aviation. AeroV+ expands the capabilities of AeroV to include the use of personal smartphone numbers for calling and SMS messaging.
For more information, visit www.satcomdirect.com.
True Blue Power
True Blue Power became the first company in the world to achieve FAA TSO and EASA ETSO certifications for three sophisticated lithium-ion battery products. The TS835 Series Emergency Power Supply received certification in April 2010, followed by the TB17 (17 amp hour) main ship battery in February 2014, and the most recently certified TB44 (44 amp hour) main ship battery.
True Blue Power said it is in the process of integrating the TB17 and TB44 on 11 OEM business jet and rotorcraft platforms. The company’s aftermarket STC certification plan includes Beechcraft Bonanza and King Air, Cessna Caravan, Pilatus PC-12, and the Bombardier Dash-8.
According to the company, True Blue Power lithium-ion products use proprietary Nanophosphate chemistry that was developed at MIT and commercialized by A123 Systems, LLC. Safety is addressed at multiple levels including chemistry, cell design, containment, and the integration of sophisticated electronic protection systems.
“Aircraft design teams strategically use this new technology to reduce battery weight by 40 percent, extend aircraft range, and improve payload options, all while significantly reducing carbon emissions,” said Rick Slater, True Blue Power division manager. “This is a key technology that can help make aviation more economical and facilitate safe ‘more electric aircraft’ systems.”
For more information, visit www.truebluepowerusa.com.
TrueNorth Avionics
TrueNorth Avionics unveiled its next generation product family, Optelity, featuring the Optelity Valet Handheld device. According to the company, the new family of in-flight connectivity products is a leap forward in communications systems and will give the user the ability to control the cabin environment, access email and the Internet, and make a phone call.
“We’ve always been obsessed with business jet connectivity, but more than that, connectivity that fits the user’s style and needs with ease,” said Mark van Berkel, TrueNorth chief executive officer. “We’re designing this product to be quite possibly the only system you’ll need in your cabin – for life. It has always been important to us that systems are future ready, so naturally, the Optelity family is just that.”
TrueNorth said that only Optelity offers the purchaser a comprehensive package as part of the communications system purchase price.
“We’ve taken a page from the aircraft engine ownership model, which means owners and operators can be assured that future software and hardware upgrades, and customer care will be up-to-date for the life of the system without additional unexpected costs,” van Berkel said.
For more information, visit www.truenorthavionics.com.
Universal Avionics Systems Corp.
A crowded booth was on hand during the NBAA Convention for the first public unveiling of the newest avionics suite from Universal Avionics Systems Corp. – the InSight Integrated Flight Deck. The company’s president and chairman of the board, Ted Naimer, introduced the system that is embedded with next generation synthetic vision system with advanced mapping capability and intuitive system-wide Graphical Pilot Interface.
According to the company, primary hardware components of the InSight Integrated Flight Deck include a 10.4-inch EFI-1040 Display acting as PFD and/or MFD, Electronic Control Display Unit, Alphanumeric Keyboard and Data Concentrator Unit II. The 10.4-inch high-resolution LED backlit LCD EFI-1040 Display offers multiple processors/partitioning, an Ethernet-based architecture, and future size and orientation options. Pilot interface and control of the system is provided through the ECDU, a 5-inch flat-panel display, and a Cursor Control Panel – a unique ‘point & click’ system controller. The ANK allows for alphanumeric entries, Flight Management System function keys and a database SD card server. A second-generation data concentrator, the DCU II, provides analog/digital conversion/concentration.
“We have an extensive knowledge base in retrofit display systems garnished from our work with our EFI-890R, which is currently STC’d in over 30 aircraft types,” said Dan Reida, Universal Avionics vice president of sales, marketing and support. “We listened to our customers, combined their input with this knowledge and incorporated what we’ve learned into the InSight design. The result is a user-friendly and flexible system that provides our customers with a feature-rich platform for operating in the NextGen and SESAR environment.”
According to the company, the InSight display system is designed as an integrated flight deck solution, featuring an embedded SVS with advanced mapping capability, electronic charts, radio control, broadcast weather support and graphical flight planning. The second-generation SVS includes 3 arc second resolution, terrain shading, ice/water features, obstacles, urban area outlines, high-resolution airport maps, runways, taxiways, ramp areas and pilot-selectable viewing angles. The electronic maps and charts feature airport and terminal, airway depiction, geo-referenced ownship, special use airspace and remaining runway distance. Embedded radio control allows tuning from the electronic control display unit, suggested frequencies and ‘point & click’ tuning from the map. Broadcast weather support includes XM, METARS/TAFS, Airmets/Sigmets, TFRs, lightning, winds aloft and flight information services-broadcast provisioning. Graphical planning allows for ‘point & click’ flight plan edits and DTO, and “nearest” search.
The MFD features multiple pilot-selectable formats with a configurable power-on default option. In addition, the advanced PFD allows for pilot-selectable display information windows, which also is available for pilot preference.
The first InSight installation is on the company’s Cessna Citation VII with the supplemental type certificate expected in the second quarter of 2015.
The InSight system is designed for forward-fit applications. MD Helicopters Inc. is the launch OEM customer with the InSight Integrated Flight Deck on the Next Generation MD Explorer helicopter.
In other company news, Universal Avionics and Chicago Jet Group announced the STC for the Falcon 900. Chicago Jet Group is an authorized dealer for Universal Avionics and was awarded the STC, which is the first certified retrofit installation for future air navigation system 1/A+/controller-pilot datalink communications over Iridium in a Dassault Mystere-Falcon 900. The installed system provides the foundation to meet ADS-B and Link 2000+ Programme mandates.
Universal Avionics also named Scandinavian Avionics, the SA Group, as its 2014 top international dealer award winner. Duncan Aviation was named this year’s top dealer for the company in North America.
For more information, visit www.uasc.com.