January 2013

October 2012October 2012

FUTURE OF GPS

October 2012October 2012

FUTURE OF GPSWhat’s next for the network?

TEST EQUIPMENTStandards push development

January 2013

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OUTLOOKCommercial Avionics

BUSINESS CONNECTIVITYNew systems, services to hit the market

PRODUCT FOCUS: SWITCHESTouchscreens coming to a cockpit near you

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inside

The editors welcome articles, engineering and technical reports, new product information, and other industry news. All editorial inquiries should be directed to Avionics Magazine, 4 Choke Cherry Rd., Second Floor, Rockville, MD 20850–4024; 301-354-1820; fax: 301-340-8741. email: [email protected]. Avionics Magazine (ISSN-1085-9284) is published monthly by Access Intelligence, LLC, 4 Choke Cherry Rd., Second Floor, Rockville, MD 20850. Periodicals Postage Paid at Rockville, MD, and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: Free to qualified individuals directly involved in the avionics industry. All other subscriptions, U.S.: one year $99; two years $188. Canada: one year $129; two years $228. Foreign: one year $149; two years $278. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Avionics Magazine, P.O. Box 3092, Northbrook, IL 60065-3092. Change of address two to eight weeks notice requested. Send both new and old address, including mailing label to Attn: Avionics Magazine, Customer services, P.O. Box 3092, Northbrook, IL 60065-3092, or call 847-559-7314. Email: [email protected]. Canada Post 40612608. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: PitneyBowes, P.O. BOX 25542, LONDON ON N6C 6B2 ©2011 by Access Intelligence, LLC Contents may not be reproduced in any form without written permission.

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January 2013 • Vol. 37, No. 1


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■ E-Letters• Review of top developments in the civil

and military aircraft electronics industry

■ Webinars www.aviationtoday.com/webinars

• Beyond Line of Sight: Using Satcom Datalinks to Enhance UAV Operations

• Navigating the Skies: The Future of GPS

• Driving Innovation: A Software-CentricApproach to Avionics Development

• Harnessing the Power of Social Media in Avionics

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Editor’s NoteFiscal Cliff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

System DesignMysterious Noises Re-Visited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

DepartmentsScan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6New Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Commercial Avionics Outlook ................. 10Airspace modernization mandates in the United States and Europe are

prompting a round of cockpit equipment upgrades for commercial airlines

by Charlotte Adams

commercial

Business Connections ............................. 14New slate of satellite service offerings provides a variety of in-flight

connectivity choices for business aircraft operators

by Emily Feliz

business/ga

product focus

18

Cockpit Switches ..................................... 18Touchscreen technologies are coming to cockpit display systems, but experts

don’t see them replacing traditional switches and dials just yet

by Ed McKenna

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editor’s noteb y E m i l y F e l i z

Fiscal Cliff

As I write this, the country is perched on the edge of the so-called “fiscal cliff,” a series of deep budget cuts prompted by an impasse in budget

talks. Politicians on both sides are point-ing fingers, both saying the other side won’t budge and claiming the other’s plan will lead to economic ruin for the country.

And, again, as I write this in mid-Decem-ber, Congress is lodged in a fierce debate on the topic. The clock is ticking down, but I do believe Congress will come to an agreement to avoid falling over the fiscal cliff. No politi-cian wants to be associated with “falling” or “cliffs” after all.

“We’re getting closer to a ‘Thelma and Louise’ moment, when we careen off into the void,” Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Marion C. Blakey said in early December at the association’s annual forecast luncheon. AIA has been par-ticularly vocal in recent months in its urging of Congress and the President to reach an agreement to avoid sequestration.

Politics and rhetoric aside, the picture of the aerospace industry in the aftermath of sequestration is cloudy, to say the least. The industry, in a sense, has been holding its breath since before the presidential election, and may only pause to take a quick breath after the first of the year. Sequestration has been avoided. Now what?

“Sequestration would, of course, hit the aerospace and defense industry very hard as it will be difficult to address the irrational approach to these cuts in the short term,” said Northrop Grumman President Wes Bush. “But it will also have very negative impacts in the long term as it will also dam-age our industry’s ability to attract and retain the kind of highly-trained technical talent our nation needs to help keep its technologi-cal superiority in security and defense second to none.”

The U.S. aerospace industry has become so tentative in recent years that it seems unwise to think about anything longer-term than the next quarter. Resources are stretched so thin that even a hint of uncer-tainty has the potential to lead to layoffs and/or share price drops. Worse yet, the uncertainty seems to have many in the indus-

try paralyzed, unable to move forward until something, positive or negative, happens.

“Sequestration has created uncertainty in the marketplace over the past year and has had a real impact on jobs, investment and innovation. Uncertainty is forcing compa-nies to defer investments and hiring today, when we need it most. And, if sequestration goes into effect, the long-term impacts could prove devastating to our national defense, economic well-being and global competitive-ness,” said David P. Hess, president of Pratt & Whitney. Hess was one of 130 aerospace and defense CEOs who signed a letter to President Obama and Congress in early December “urging them to work together on a deal to avert sequestration and adopt an approach that addresses the country’s long-term fiscal challenges.”

I don’t believe that once sequestration is avoided, and again, I think it will be, that companies’ money bags will magically open and they’ll begin spending billions in new product development, hiring sprees, etc. But when the election, sequestration, and for that matter, the long-awaited, long-term FAA funding paradigm passed in early 2012, become part of the past, rather than the future, I think it’ll go a long way to providing some stability to the industry. And, outside the fire-and-brimstone sequestration talk, there are some reasons for optimism for this industry. AIA said 2012 aerospace and defense industry sales are projected to increase by 3.4 percent from $210.8 billion in 2011 to $217.9 billion. The sales increase, along with a healthy expansion of aerospace and defense exports from $85.3 billion in 2011 to an esti-mated $95.5 billion in 2012, is largely due to strong civil aircraft sales, AIA said.

This is all speculative on my part, of course, because I’m writing this on this side of the financial cliff. The news on Capitol Hill changes by the minute. I could be com-pletely off base, and we could careen off the cliff, ala Thelma and Louise. Regardless, I’ll see you on the other side.

When the elec-

tion, sequestration,

and for that matter,

the long-term FAA

funding paradigm,

become part of the

past, rather than the

future, it’ll go a long

way to providing

some stability to the

aviation industry.

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LiveTV, Greenwich

AeroGroup Bring Iridium’s

OpenPort to the Skies

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LiveTV and its partners are mov-ing forward with a system to bring global connectivity ser-vices to business aircraft opera-tors, commercial airlines and

helicopters.OpenPort Aero is a modified version

of Iridium’s maritime satcom platform which provides high-speed data and voice connectivity on the aircraft. The companies said the system’s relatively simple architecture and high bandwidth capability make it a lower cost alterna-tive to Inmarsat airborne systems. The system, which weighs about 30 pounds, provides bi-directional speeds of up to 134kbps and includes three independent phone lines, enabling simultaneous voice and data connectivity.

Greenwich AeroGroup, based in Wichita, Kan., sells, supports and installs the system; JetBlue Airways sub-sidiary LiveTV is the system integrator and developer of the onboard equipment and Iridium is the service provider.

Components of the system include a seven-panel, phased array antenna; satel-lite-modem line replaceable unit (LRU); and a wireless access point.

In October LiveTV and Greenwich AeroGroup began flight tests on Chal-lenge 604 business aircraft belonging to Dean Foods. During the hour-long test, the flight crew used four iPads and two smartphones to test speed levels, access Websites, download data, email, text and make phone calls over the Iridium net-work. Dean Foods is the launch custom-er of the system on a business aircraft, the partners said.

“To have this system installed for the first time, fly with it for the first time, and have it come off flawlessly was a very exciting,” said LiveTV Flight Engineer Chris Brown. “The pilot was download-ing weather information onto his iPad.”

The first business aviation supple-mental type certificate (STC) is expected to be completed by the end of the year for the Bombardier Challenger 601-3A/3R, 604 and 605 models. The system has already been certified for use on A320s.

“With our first STC in-hand for the terminal, this really opens the door for airlines looking for low-cost connectiv-ity solutions to support crew and pas-senger connectivity such as [electronic

flight bags] and wireless in-flight enter-tainment,” said Mike Moeller, vice president of sales at LiveTV.

Greenwich AeroGroup said the next planned STCs for the OpenPort Aero system are the Falcon 2000 model aircraft and the Gulfstream IV, 450, V and 550 model aircraft with tail radomes by mid 2013. Additionally, the company said it is starting its first STC in a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter at its Summit Aviation facility in Middle-town, Del.

“We see a big market for OpenPort Aero’s Wi-Fi system on helicopters. Since Iridium’s satellite system is not hampered by the rotor of the helicopter as other satellite systems have discov-ered, our recent testing of the OpenPort Aero system in the rotorcraft environ-ment worked flawlessly,” said Mark Fis-cher, Greenwich AeroGroup’s director of avionics products. —Emily Feliz

This is an exercept of a story that appeared in Avionics Magazine’s digital e-zine In-Flight Connectivity Insider. Visit www.aviationtoday.com/av/in-flight-connectivity/

Dean Foods is the first business aviation customer of the Open Port Aero System. The company’s Challenger 604 aircraft, above, was part of the October flight tests involving LiveTV and Greenwich AeroGroup.


s

COMMERCIAL

Thales to Acquire SysgoThales capped November with a pair of acquisitions, the most recent one being the purchase of Sysgo AG, the German supplier of operating system products, middleware, and software services for the real-time and embedded market.

Thales said the acquisition will strengthen its leadership in embedded computing solutions for mission-critical applications. At the same time, it will bring Sysgo access to the market for Thal-es solutions, consolidating the company’s position as Europe’s leading provider of safe and secure operating systems while supporting its capacity to expand into new markets such as automotive.

Luc Vigneron, chairman and CEO of Thales, called the acquisition “an excellent opportunity to bring on board dynamic teams of experts in advanced software technologies. This will accelerate the development of the next generation of operating systems, particularly for avionics applications. All of our markets will benefit from the key competencies of Sysgo, as the group addresses growing safety and security requirements with new generations of multi-core processors.”

Sysgo, which employs 80 people in Germany, France and the Czech Repub-lic, will be a subsidiary of Thales, with its headquarters in Klein-Winternheim, near Frankfurt, Germany. Sysgo customers include Airbus, EADS, Raytheon, Rock-well Collins and Rohde & Schwarz.

Earlier in November, Thales announced plans to acquire the helmet mounted display and motion tracking businesses from Gentex Corp., based in Carbondale, Pa.

Carlisle AcquisitionCarlisle Companies, based in Charlotte, N.C., will pay $265 million to acquire the Thermax-Raydex business, a supplier of hook-up, data and coaxial wire and cable for mission-critical applications for commercial aerospace, defense and indus-trial customers.

With annual sales of about $112 million, the Thermax-Raydex business, which is a unit of Belden, of St. Louis, Mo., designs, manufactures and sells customized wire and cable for transmis-sion of data and power on aircraft and

defense platforms, as well as in high-end industrial equipment. The business will operate as part of Carlisle Interconnect Technologies.

“We are excited about the acquisition of Thermax-Raydex, as the company adds capabilities and technology to strengthen our interconnect products business in very attractive aerospace and industrial sectors. Thermax-Raydex expands our product, technology and service ranges to our customers. This acquisition is consistent with our focus on higher margin, highly engineered prod-ucts and is an excellent fit with Carlisle,” said David A. Roberts, Carlisle chairman, president and CEO.

Etihad Launches Wi-Fly Etihad Airways in December launched its Etihad Wi-Fly in-flight Internet and mobile connectivity service, powered by the Panasonic Avionics Global Com-munications Suite. The airline’s first aircraft equipped with Panasonic’s com-munications technology, an Airbus A330-200, took flight on Dec. 4 for Brussels, offering high-speed broadband Internet connectivity as well as data and mobile phone services, the airline said.

The A330-200 will be used for long-haul destinations across Etihad Airways’ network, such as Brussels, Dublin, Man-chester, Munich, Frankfurt and Milan. Etihad Wi-Fly is a result of the 10-year, $1 billion agreement we signed with Panasonic Avionics in November 2011, according to the airline.

“We continue to invest in our product and consider ways to offer our guests the most engaging and dynamic in-flight entertainment options. The broadband Internet is high-speed, in line with what our guests would experience at home or at work, so we believe this will be hugely popular,” said James Hogan, Etihad Air-ways president and CEO. “By the end of Q1 2013, we will have 10 ‘Etihad Wi-Fly’-equipped aircraft, and I am pleased to announce that by the end of 2014, every single Etihad Airways aircraft will be equipped for in-flight connectivity.”

All Etihad Airways narrow-body aircraft will be outfitted with data and mobile phone connectivity, while wide-body aircraft will be additionally equipped for broadband Internet services.

The “Wi-Fly” connectivity solution is offered to guests at a cost of $13.95 for

one hour or $24.95 for 24 hours. Etihad Airways also currently operates

six connectivity-enabled aircraft under an agreement with OnAir: three Airbus A320s and three Airbus A330-300s.

ITT Exelis Buys C4iITT Exelis in early December signed a definitive agreement to acquire C4i Pty. Ltd., based in Melbourne, Australia, from the Longreach Group Limited, for $16.8 million.

C4i provides advanced communica-tions software that is central to the needs of air traffic management systems and mobile communications solutions for commercial, homeland security and defense systems around the globe. Its Internet Protocol (IP)-based voice con-trol and switching solutions allow for large networks of radio devices to be seamlessly integrated. This technology provides operators with a fully integrated command and control system enabling enhanced safety and efficiency for air traffic control.

“C4i’s interoperable communications solutions and engineering talent will complement Exelis’ strong and success-ful record of integrating, deploying and operating large scale communications networks for our air traffic management, commercial and defense customers,” said Michael R. Wilson, president of Exelis Information Systems. “This acquisition expands our portfolio of critical infra-structure solutions, builds on our pres-ence in Australia, and brings us closer to our customers and markets of interest.”

Pending shareholder approval, the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2013 subject to customary clos-ing conditions and regulatory approvals.

UNMANNED SYSTEMS

UAS Partnership AeroVironment entered into a strategic relationship with Sweden-based CybAero AB to develop and distribute a Tier II vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system. The relation-ship gives AeroVironment exclusive rights to provide CybAero AB systems to U.S. customers and to government customers in NATO and other countries. AeroVironment has agreed to purchase up to $3 million in convertible notes from

industry scan


CybAero to facilitate the company’s growth.

U.S. military customers typi-cally segment the numerous types of unmanned aircraft systems they employ by size, weight, endurance and range into different tiers. Man-portable, hand-launched systems such as AeroViron-ment’s RQ-11B Raven, RQ-20A Puma AE and Wasp AE that weight less than 20 pounds comprise the Tier I segment. Tier II UAS include heavier, larger and longer endurance systems with longer range, such as CybAero’s VTOL offer-ing. Tiers III and IV include air vehicles of increasing size, capable of even lon-ger endurance and range and requiring larger support teams and infrastructure requirements.

“CybAero is a pioneer and leader in the Tier II VTOL market. Our joint team has demonstrated this reliable, cost-effective Tier II UAS solution that will build on AeroVironment’s family of small UAS, expanding our customer offering,” said Roy Minson, AeroVironment senior vice president and unmanned aircraft systems general manager.

“With its significantly greater endur-ance and payload capacity, small foot-print and ease of use, this new system

will join our family of UAS and deliver a robust vertical takeoff and landing capability to current and new customers seeking that Tier II solution.”

“We are working with CybAero to integrate their product into our system solution and will invest to add critical capabilities required to bring the most competitive offering to market,” Minson added.

RTOS on Pro Line Fusion

LynuxWorks, based in San Jose, Calif., said its LynxOS-178 Version 2.2.2 real-time operating system (RTOS) has been certified for use by Rockwell Collins in its Pro Line Fusion integrat-ed avionics system.

Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion was granted certification this year from Transport Canada (TC) on the Bombardier Vision Flight Deck, mark-ing the first certification of Pro Line Fusion on a customer aircraft. The sys-tem features synthetic vision on a head-up display, which leverages LynxOS as part of the Pro Line Fusion avion-ics system on the Bombardier Vision Flight Deck.

“The latest certification of LynxOS-178 by Transport Canada in the Rock-well Collins Pro Line avionics system

is another major milestone for Lynux-Works in the avionics market,” said Robert Day, marketing vice president for LynuxWorks. “This further demon-strates that a standards-based approach for software reuse in airborne systems is viable and can significantly reduce the time and cost of achieving certification.”

Earlier this year, LynuxWorks received Advisory Circular AC 20-148 approval from FAA for reusable soft-ware components authorized for the LynxOS-178 product used in the Rock-well Collins Adaptive Flight Display Runtime, Common Computing Module Runtime, Data Concentration Module Runtime and Synthetic Vision Module Runtime for Pro Line Fusion.

CONTRACTS

➤ Rockwell Collins has been selected by the Naval Air Systems Com-mand (NAVAIR) to provide a suite of avionics equipment for the U.S. Navy C-130T Avionics Obsolescence Upgrade program. The equipment will be installed on 20 aircraft with work scheduled to begin in 2013. The select-ed equipment includes the MultiScan Hazard Detection Weather Radar, the software-defined V/UHF radios, along

Garmin Selected for Firebird

Northrop Grumman selected Garmin to supply the avion-ics suite for its Firebird optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The Firebird is equipped with a tailored ver-sion of Garmin’s touchscreen-controlled integrated flight deck system.

“Commercial avionics are an increasingly compelling option for government and military aircraft because they offer excellent features with significant time and cost sav-ings,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing.

The Firebird cockpit is equipped with three 14-inch, HD widescreen displays. Primary flight information is displayed to both the pilot and co-pilot along with additional displays capable of showing sensor data, moving maps, charts, engine indications and other important flight information. In addi-tion, the cockpit is equipped with two touchscreen display/controllers that provide a centralized and intuitive interface to the system, giving pilots rapid access to the flight informa-tion they want. The touch controllers also allow for the con-trol of external missions systems.

The Firebird is also equipped with Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology, which presents a 3-D depiction of ter-rain, obstacles, traffic and the runway environment on the

flight displays. Garmin’s GWX 70 Doppler-capable weather radar and GTS 850 Traffic and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS I) are also on board the aircraft.

The triple widescreen displays, dual touchscreen display/controllers and flight management systems are also used in the ground control station that is used to fly the aircraft when it is operated as an UAV.

Northrop Grumman Firebird optionally piloted vehicle


with other communication equipment. ➤ Rockwell Collins has been awarded a $54 million full rate production con-tract, with unexercised options valued at an additional $241 million, by the U.S. Navy to upgrade 11 aircraft as part of the E-6B Block I Modification program.The initial $54 million award covers the procurement of the material, installa-tion and associated activities for the next three aircraft. The total program includes production engineering sup-port, field service support, operator and maintenance crew training classes and maintenance trainer updates.➤ Curtiss Wright Controls signed a $1.6 million contract with Northrop Grum-

man to provide rotary actuators for the U.S. Marine Corps Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) program. The rotary-geared actuators are being delivered to Northrop Grumman. The actuators transmit power from an elec-tric motor to lift and lower the G/ATOR system’s flat-screen antenna array, Cur-tiss-Wright said.➤ Luxemburg carrier Luxair has signed a seven-year avionics by the hour agree-

ment with Thales to provide spares pro-visioning and component maintenance services for its fleet of Bombardier Dash8-400s. The agreement will provide advance exchanges and access to a pool of avionics components based in France.➤ Piper Aircraft has selected Garmin’s G1000 integrated flight deck for its Archer and Seminole models. ➤ LAN Airlines and U.K.-based IFE

Services have signed a new in-flight entertainment agreement. The agree-ment covers the provision of IFE con-tent across its fleet of wide and narrow body aircraft, the company said. IFE will also manage digital encoding and audio visual on-demand content for LAN.➤ Saab Sensis has been selected as the air traffic control Decision Support Tool developer subject matter expert for the NextGen Institute’s Trajectory-Based Operations research. The research will involve providing current and future air traffic demand scenarios and system-wide simulations to evaluate current and future air traffic management concepts.➤ Airbus ProSky has teamed with the

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to support the modernization of the air transportation system in Sin-gapore and throughout the Asia Pacific region. The partnership resulted from a series of joint technical workshops between the two entities, where they determined that it was necessary to mod-ernize the air traffic management (ATM) practices in the Asia Pacific region to support the growth in air traffic. Under the new partnership Airbus ProSky will assist CAAS in building the Center of Excellence for ATM in Singapore, which will host companies that are looking to develop and adapt new ATM concepts.➤ United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Bayanat Airports Engineering & Supplies signed a strategic partnership agreement with Frequentis AG to provide airports air traffic management systems for civil and defense markets, airport technol-ogy products, tower automation, and aeronautical information management systems in the UAE. Under terms of the partnership, Frequentis will install a bi-directional flight plan format converter for Abu Dhabi Airports Company.

commercial


By Charlotte Adams

Despite the seemingly nonstop economic crisis, avionics developers continue to gener-ate safety-enhancing, cost-effective systems that airlines

want to buy.And while the overall economic outlook

might be murky, there is some cause for optimism for the avionics community. Gov-

ernment mandates are driving demand for upgrades and new equipment. Additionally, a mature data link technology is helping to bring cloud computing to real-time flight operations. Two remote processing applica-tions target safety and efficiency.

The expected convergence of NextGen in the United States and SESAR in Eruope airspace requirements, augmented vision adoption and cathode ray tube (CRT)

obsolescence also will brighten the outlook for large-format displays, predicts Craig Peterson, director of avionics and flight control marketing in commercial systems for Rockwell Collins.

A wild card is the iPad, which airlines are increasingly adopting as a lower-cost Class 1 or 2 electronic flight bags (EFB) to store flight manuals and other data. But much more seems possible. One company

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al AvionicsOUTLOOK

modernization mandates in the

Europe are prompting a round

upgrades for commercial airlines

has even developed a means of plugging iPads into the ARINC 429 data stream. Although FAA currently opposes the in-flight presentation of own-ship position on airline Class 1 and 2 EFBs, the agency has shown itself open to this for Class 2 EFBs in ground operations.

Here’s a look at some of the other technologies under consideration by U.S. airlines:

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-

Broadcast (ADS-B)

Although the most immediate focus of airspace mandates is Europe, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B)-Out will be required in the United States, as well. Forward-fit and retrofit aircraft must be compliant there by 2020. The mandate allows air traffic control to monitor aircraft position and other

parameters, eventually replacing radar as the primary method of surveillance. ADS-B-In, the logical successor to ADS-B-Out, will enable pilots to access traffic data, such as position, altitude, speed, heading and distance.

ADS-B-Out basically affects the tran-sponder and the navigation system, Peter-son explains. GPS, for example, has to meet certain levels of accuracy, availabil-

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ity and integrity. Rockwell Collins and Honeywell, among others, have products supporting the mandate.

JetBlue Airways, for one, said it looks forward to ADS-B implementation as an aid to operations in its crowded airspace. The airline is part of a FAA program to explore the benefits of ADS-B-Out. Phase 2 of that program, when it goes for-ward, would demonstrate the advantages of ADS-B-In.

Honeywell’s SmartTraffic product is an interesting application of ADS-B-In. Certified with Airbus, SmartTraffic merg-es traffic collision and avoidance system (TCAS) and ADS-B data for presentation on an EFB or multifunction display, says Carl Esposito, vice president of product marketing at Honeywell. A software upgrade to Honeywell’s TCAS system, SmartTraffic can help pilots obtain the most efficient altitudes in transoceanic flight, reducing fuel burn.

Remote Processing: Runway

Condition Monitoring

An unusual emerging technology involves using aircraft as data collectors for run-way condition calculations. The Aviation Safety Technologies (AST) software application promises to provide more objective and accurate information — and to deliver it more quickly — than is currently possible. Data from aircraft at the end of rollout — along with other inputs — is processed by a remote server and the results are posted to a Web portal in near real time.

“We add a small piece of software to the aircraft condition monitoring system that allows us to buffer up a little data report” which is sent to a carrier’s aircom server via ACARS data link, cellular or Wi-Fi, said Mike Dahl, senior managing director at Chicago-based AST. The report is then routed to AST via a virtual private network. “We use the flight data, along with environ-

mental and tire/surface interface data, to compute the total available friction on the runway during that landing.”

Dahl says the computation takes about a second and is immediately posted to a company Internet site. He’s seeing a 55-60-second turnaround time from the end of rollout to report publi-cation. “There are no other methods that provide friction data, except by the use of ground-based devices which require shutting down the runway. And the ground device readings don’t correlate to aircraft braking performance.” That said, the technology is still being fine-tuned and probably would be brought to the market in partnership with a larger company.

Alaska Airlines, a carrier known for its challenging operating environment, has a prototype agreement with AST to evaluate its technology product, said Linda Chism, fleet engineer, flight oper-ations. Along with other airlines, Alaska automatically sends AST information to help calculate the available landing fric-tion on a runway.

Alaska also is participating in a cooperative program with AST and the Anchorage and Juneau airports. This program, which runs until March 2013, will collect and compare aircraft mea-surements, facility measurements, mete-orological conditions and pilots’ reports of braking action.

The primary benefit of a mature technology would be safety — knowing, particularly at high-volume airports, that you have very tight, science-based numbers, Chism says. “The safety benefit for an airline operation of having better intelligence on braking action could be priceless,” she adds. “When mature, this system would be useful to an airline’s dispatch operation for assessing the air-port’s condition for future operations.”

For the next aircraft to land, the facil-

ity and air traffic control, the mature product will provide valuable near real-time information on the runway condi-tion, Chism says.

Remote Processing: Cockpit

Calculations

Other crucial calculations can be executed promptly but remotely, saving pilots’ time and even enhancing revenue. JetBlue, for example, is moving aircraft performance calculations from pilot laptops to a remote server-based application provided by AeroData.

So just before pushback pilots will enter data, such as passenger, fuel and cargo weights, and submit it via an ACARS message. The system will cal-culate performance numbers and weight and balance, says Chuck Cook, the car-rier’s manager of fleet programs and tech-nology. The results of the calculations are returned via ACARS in about 30 seconds.

The system also will do automatic tail verification, he says, “to ensure the right aircraft has the right release and crew.” It even provides an excess capacity number right before pushback, enabling pilots to safely add a couple of standby passengers or more cargo on a flight.

The server-based system central-izes several operations center business processes. “We are streamlining many different workflows in the dispatch and load planning stages,” Cook says. “Addi-tionally, we expect our pilots will spend one to two minutes less time during the very critical time window, waiting to push back from the gate.”

Cook said he expected to have the application up and running by early 2013.

Augmented Vision

Rockwell Collins, the first in the corpo-rate market to offer synthetic vision on a head-up display, describes a “synthetic world” concept, involving greater situ-ational awareness head-up and head-down. The company envisions not only the integration of synthetic and enhanced vision technologies but also the expansion of synthetic vision — head-up and head-down — to show traffic and weather, as well as terrain, obstacles and runways. Peterson sees technologies like synthetic and enhanced vision starting to arrive in airline cockpits in the next two years.

“The day that happens is the day the value proposition of the technology sub-sumes the cost,” he says. Two things will happen to make that possible, he says. First is the “Moore’s Law” effect, where the technology gets smaller, faster and

JetBlue said it is planning to retire its current Class 1 EFBs — pilot laptops — and replace them, in part, with iPads.The carrier planned to launch a test group of some 50 iPads in late 2012 and, if all goes well, to deploy them early in 2013.

Photo courtesy JetBlue Airways


cheaper as it progresses until it reaches the point where affordability favors adoption.

As the cost trends downward and as tangible and quantifiable benefits culled from experience in business aviation trend upward, the affordability and advantage of the technologies will spur adoption. Peterson sees airlines with challenging conditions, such as low visibility, moun-tainous terrain and high-cost-of-diversion airspace, as potential early adopters. Among the expected benefits of synthetic vision technology are lower approach minimums, more stabilized approaches, more consistent touchdown points and fewer diversions. Rockwell Collins, Hon-eywell and other avionics companies have invested heavily in augmented awareness technologies.

iPads in The CockpitConsumer technology is also making a hit in the cockpit. One airline executive jokes pilots call the built-in, Class 3 EFBs expensive docking stations.

Despite current regulatory constraints, the devices probably have legs. The big advantage is that they are so easily mobile, says Marcel Versteeg, managing director of Netherlands-based VZM Man-agement Services. He envisions iPads not only as flight bags but as electronic tech logs, where the pilot can report mainte-nance issues and send the information to the ground.

JetBlue sees a bright future for the devices. It is planning to retire its cur-rent Class 1 EFBs — pilot laptops — and replace them, in part, with iPads. Although JetBlue is technology-agnostic, the iPad form factor, Internet connectiv-ity, search and display capabilities are attractive, Cook says. JetBlue said it

planned to launch a test group of some 50 iPads in late 2012 and, if all goes well, to deploy them early in 2013.

“I see the iPad as the pilot’s mobile flight kit that he takes with him in and out of the cockpit, that has his manuals, e-mails and information-changing notices — an Inter-net resource to grab information.”

Other airlines are also announcing iPad EFB programs. In September, FAA approved American Airlines’ expansion of its iPad EFB program, making it the first commercial carrier to receive FAA approval to use the iPad in the cockpit during all phases of flight. Ameri-can pilots will use the FAA-approved Jeppesen iPad application to replace the 35-pound standard bag from each AA plane, which will save the carrier an estimated $1.2 million of fuel annually. Additionally, in August, Mesa Air Group received FAA approval to begin a six-month validation process using iPads as Class I EFBs. Qantas Airways will be the launch customer for the Airbus iPad EFB “FlySmart with Airbus” application.

The next big business case could be cockpit digital charting, Cook says. The logistics support chain for paper charts can be very expensive and time-consuming. iPads could transform an up-to-two-week distribution cycle to “a simple button click” and a few minutes’ wait, he says.

JetBlue has an application from WSI that lets you update the weather before departure. The graphical display is much easier to interpret and tell where turbu-lence is than the textual description used in the carrier’s flight release system now.

Avionics & Systems Integration Group (ASIG) is in the forefront of the iPad push. It has developed the flyTab Class 2 implementation, including crash-worthy mounts, power conditioning and a converter box that allows the iPad to display data from the 429 bus. The abil-ity to hook into the wire eliminates the latency issue, says Luke Ribich, ASIG managing director. The company’s FlightTab application is able to show things like own-ship position on maps, moving maps, chart centering, time to/from destination or waypoint, route and traffic, he says.

The company is working on three supplemental type certificates (STCs) for applications involving a “quasi-govern-mental” operator in Canada and a Part 125 operator, Ribich says.

There are, however, limitations to iPad use even if the device is connected to the avionics system. Current regula-tions prevent tethered devices from dis-playing an aircraft’s own-ship position while airborne, ruling out display of sys-tems such as traffic avoidance and radar.

Ribich acknowledges the regulatory hurdles facing in-flight, own-ship dis-plays in commercial aviation. However, “based upon the FAA’s own NextGen roadmap and other public statements, we believe it is only a matter of time (less not more) until the FAA capitu-lates on this issue, provided the source of position data for things like taxiway incursion and other ships position[s] … is predicated upon ships systems[and] sensors,” he adds.

ASIG envisions applications such as traf-fic overlays, weather overlays — based on radar information, not Internet connectivity — terrain awareness warning and cockpit/cabin security. The iPad could even replace displays for non-flight-critical functions, the company says. And, in the instance of instru-ment failure, an iPad would certainly be bet-ter than nothing.

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In 2011, Alaska Airlines announced plans to issue iPads to all of its 1,400 pilots for use as electronic flight bags (EFB), becoming the first major domestic airline to do so. Other airlines, including American and United Continental, have followed.

‘I see the iPad as the pilot’s mobile flight kit that he takes

with him in and out of the cockpit, that has his manuals,

e-mails and information-changing notices — an Internet

resource to grab information.’Chuck Cook, manager of fleet programs and technology at JetBlue

business/ga


New slate of satellite service offerings provides a variety of

in-flight connectivity choices for business aircraft operators

ConnectivityBusiness


By Emily Feliz

The decision of whether to install a connectivity system in a business aircraft is relatively easy; in our always-connected world, it’s the cost of doing

business. However, the selection of which system to install and when can be more complicated.

The connectivity market, particularly for business aviation, has undergone a period of very rapid change as the tech-nologies in the consumer market have transitioned to the aircraft. New avionics systems, seemingly, were being intro-duced every week, adding new capabili-ties and support for the latest tablets and smartphones. And that continues. But in the coming years, the service end of the connectivity equation will be catching up, including the enhanced services of Iridium, Gogo Biz air-to-ground network, Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband and Ku-band satellite services. There are also three emerging technologies –– Ka-band satel-lite, Iridium NEXT and Aircell’s ATG-4 — which are in various stages of develop-ment for business aviation –– which prom-ise to bring huge amounts of bandwidth and fast speeds to business aircraft.

Additionally, the authorization of use of the Iridium network for safety-critical services, for oceanic services over the North Atlantic and others, is ramping up demand as well.

It’s a dilemma we all face on the ground or in the air –– is it the right time to buy the next-generation technology or wait until the next one? Buy the iPhone 5 or wait for the 6? Buy the latest tablet prod-uct, or wait until next year when all the bugs have been fixed?

“Staying current on what network services are available now — and what’s on the horizon — is perhaps the best way to ensure you continue to make the best decisions for your flight operation,” Aircell said in a technology brief in October.

The challenge for business aircraft operators becomes choosing a system that can be future-proofed and/or one with a clear upgrade path for future systems, according to the installers and maintainers of these systems.

“Virtually every aircraft we touch that does not currently have a system is asking to have one installed,” said Rick Brainard, vice president of business development at West Star Aviation, a maintenance and installation company headquartered in East Alton, Ill. The company averages about five connectivity system installs a

Connectivity

month. “We see most customers want-ing connectivity now. New or enhanced systems coming out in the future are not really seen as a deterrent to getting the connectivity that fits their needs.”

That drive for connectivity presents a challenge for avionics companies to develop cutting edge systems, but being ever mindful of upgrade possibilities for operators.

“Clearly if you’re buying an ultra-range range, large cabin aircraft today and you want high bandwidth capability to the cabin, you’re unlikely to hold off. We see sales of Ku-band based systems continuing and I think the broad market sees that as well,” said Bob Ellis, director of flight information solutions marketing at Rockwell Collins.

The other half of the connectivity equation is the services side.

“Over the last 12 months the prod-ucts have somewhat stabilized. Service prices, which have impeded sales, have come down quite a bit. No, we don’t have people waiting for the next system, they either perform the installation or decline due to services and/or installation costs and some feel the speed is too slow to satisfy the boss. Most systems designed

today require just an antenna change to increase the speed, which makes the upgrade path quite simple and economi-cal,” said Brian Wilson, director of avion-ics at Banyan Air Services, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Banyan said his team averages about 2 or 3 connectivity system installs a month, typically done during regular maintenance inspections of the aircraft.

Maintenance, repair and overall (MRO) facilities around the world are adding supplemental type certificates (STC) for the installation of these sys-tems. Earlier this year, Banyan was awarded a FAA STC for the installation of a Honeywell Aspire 200LG satcom system on Gulfstream GII/GIII/GIV. Other Banyan STCs include installation of Thrane & Thrane AVIATOR 200 Inmarsat Satellite Communication on Citation, and recent retrofit installations include Rockwell Collins Tailwind 550 airborne TV system and Venue cabin management system. West Star Aviation was awarded STC approval to install Wi-Fi on the Gulfstream V. The certifica-tion includes connectivity via both or either Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and the Aircell Gogo Biz networks using the

Aircell CTR wireless router.Generally speaking, smaller busi-

ness aircraft opt for the smaller, and less expensive, air-to-ground networks while the super midsize aircraft and larger opt for larger, and more expensive, satellite systems.

“The faster the speed, the pricier the installation,” Wilson said. “The faster the speed, the size of the antenna increases which eliminates the small and mid-size airframes. Passengers want capabilities similar to what they have on the ground and in their office or home. But this is where the misconception starts; tech-nology today can’t provide that service. Checking email, making calls from your smart phone, light browsing of the Inter-net is what the masses can have. YouTube videos, social media, large attachment files are limited to the large airframes with clients who can spend $500,00+ for the installation and up to $8,000 a month for the service.”

Among the next generation connectiv-ity services:

–– Inmarsat’s global GX Aviation network is slated for launch in 2013 with initial service available in 2014. Earlier this year, Honeywell signed a $2.8 billion exclusive agreement with satellite opera-tor Inmarsat to provide global in-flight connectivity services via Inmarsat’s GX Aviation Ka-band network.

“Ka capability will not be considered a nice to have function in the aircraft, it will be considered a minimum to operate in a more and more data intensive busi-ness and personal entertainment environ-ment,” said Paul Lafata, cabin systems business leader at Honeywell.

–– Iridium’s NEXT constellation, with satellite launches are scheduled to begin

FalconCabin HD+ cabin management system (CMS) aboard Dassault’s Falcon 7X, 900LX and 2000LX, leverages technol-ogy from Rockwell Collins’ Venue CMS, including including Skybox Apple TV system and Airshow for iPad.

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The Gulfstream Elite interior, as seen on a G450, includes streamlined passenger ser-vice unit, HD entertainment system and Gulfstream Cabin Management System.

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in 2015 with service availability expected in 2017, will provide voice and data ser-vice via an all-new constellation of low-earth orbit satellites. “Iridium NEXT is on track to further Iridium’s position as a vital player in the global communications infrastructure. Our organization and its ecosystem of partners around the world are very excited about the influence this tremendous, next-generation network will have on continuing to connect organiza-tions and people in ways never before thought possible,” said Scott Smith, exec-utive vice president, Iridium NEXT.

–– ATG-4 is a higher-capacity incar-nation of the current Gogo high-speed Internet service. “For operators of larger business aircraft that seek bandwidth capabilities beyond Gogo Biz service, ATG-4 is worth watching,” Aircell said.

Operator Weighs InFrom the operator’s perspective, even the smallest upgrades can yield big gains for the end user. General Mills’ Air Trans-portation department, based in Minne-apolis, operates a fleet of three Citation Xs installed with AVIATOR 300 Swift-Broadband system, developed by Thrane

& Thrane, now a part of Cobham. Eric Olson, aircraft maintenance man-ager at General Mills Air Transporta-tion, said the company’s upgrade plans include the addition of a new onboard router developed by Satcom Direct, the Satcom Direct Router (SDR), which “will increase the user experi-ence of the system both in the cabin and the cockpit,” Olson said.

“Our passengers are typically in meetings all day and once onboard the aircraft, have the opportunity to catch up on communications while traveling to the next destination or back home. The feedback we receive from our pas-sengers indicates they are extremely happy with the availability of Internet on the aircraft,” he said.

“We operate in a manner that everything we do has some positive effect on our core mission. Connectivi-ty for our passengers is part of the user experience we offer for them. Acces-sibility for the flight crew and mainte-nance is one of many tools we use to support the operation,” he added.

Commercial-off-the-shelf sys-tems, namely iPads, are also helping operators wring new efficiencies out of their current systems. Olson said his company is operating with iPads in the cockpit, which provide flight crews and maintenance technicians with applications that have “a direct positive relationship on the increased safety of our operation,” including using satcom systems to transmit vital information on aircraft discrepancies from the flight crew to maintenance.

“Just the other day, one of the cockpit displays was indicating the digits backwards and inverted. It hap-pened only for a short time, but the crew was able to snap a picture of it, send it to maintenance and we had the opportunity to troubleshoot the issue prior to the aircrafts arrival. In many cases, having the Internet onboard and the ability to send the maintenance group a picture or note on an issue has saved valuable troubleshooting time,” Olson said.

Business Aviation

Looks Flat in 2013Thanks to the sluggish global economy, business aviation is expected to remain soft in 2013, ac-cording to market forecasts, with some growth in the larger, longer-range jets, but decreases across other categories.

The Honeywell Business Aviation Outlook, which was released ahead of the National Busi-ness Aviation Association’s (NBAA) annual event, predicted 10,000 new business jet deliveries worth about $250 billion from 2012 to 2022, a 9 percent increase in terms of dollar value from last year’s forecast. However, the number of jets forecasted is roughly the same as last year; the 9 percent comes from pricing increases and a change in expected jet mix toward larger business jet models. The company sees 2012 deliveries of about 680 to 720 business jets, a single-digit in-crease over levels reported in last year’s forecast.

“Next year’s totals are anticipated to be of simi-lar magnitude, reflecting the protracted nature of the global economy,” said Rob Wilson, president, Honeywell Business and General Aviation. “Over the medium term, a return to historical growth conditions supported by globalization, wealth creating in developing nations and new aircraft development should boost orders and support ac-celerated growth beginning mid-decade. Despite the economic challenges our industry has been dealing with for the past 40 months, we believe some progress is being made. “The trend toward larger cabin aircraft with ever-increasing range expectations and advanced avionics continues to be reflected in this year’s survey,” Wilson added.

Additionally, Honeywell said the overall demand from outside North America continues to increase as well. This year, roughly 53 percent of projected demand comes from North American operators, down two points from the 2011 survey.

Additionally, Rockwell Collins executives in Oc-tober expressed similar flat projections for 2013. “As bad as the timing of the recovery has been for business aviation, the only silver lining is here” in upgrading aircraft with you systems, said Colin Mahoney, vice president, Commercial Systems Marketing and Sales for Rockwell Collins. “What you’re seeing is people saying I can’t sell their aircraft, it’s not worth anything or I don’t want to sell it for what it’s worth, so I’m going to put some money into it. We see some increasing interest in updates of all kinds — flight decks and cabins.”

Other forecasts echoed Honeywell’s relatively soft predictions. Avinode, which calls itself a mar-ketplace for air charter professionals, predicted an even more dour forecast, showing a 0.1 percent decrease is business jet activity in the United States; Europe is shown posted a 3.2 percent overall decrease. The company pointed to the sluggish global economy, with operators looking to downsize their aircraft and fleets to save mon-ey. “We see entry level jets taking market share from light jets, super lights taking business from midsize jets, super midsize taking from heavy jets,” said Avinode Business Unit Director Magnus Henriksson. “Only ultra long range aircraft show little, if any, price sensitivity.” —Emily Feliz

Cessna’s Citation X midsize business aircraft features Clairity, Cessna’s proprietary cabin technology system.

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‘Virtually every aircraft we touch that does not

currently have a system is asking to have one

installed.’

Rick Brainard, vice president of business development at West Star

Aviation


military trainers and PilotView Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) deployed on variety of commercial aircraft. It is also looking at deploying touch control on its Smart-Deck Integrated Flight Controls System. “The technology deployed on the demo is resistive, (but) final technology is still under evaluation,” said McKay.

The company “has discussed (its) touchscreen intentions with the Canadian certification authority in general terms, and … (currently expects) to open a program for touchscreen certification in (2013),” said McKay. To gain certifica-tion, the touchscreen controls must be fully redundant with traditional hard and soft key functions, he said. “So should the touchscreen fail for any reason, there will be no loss of functionality from the system, and the pilot will simply continue operations using the bezel keys, voice activation, and rotary controllers.”

In fact, the company plans “to provide pilots with options for control methods that will complement each other seam-lessly and allow pilots to select their preferred control methods based on the situation, tasks at hand, and personal preferences,” said McKay.

In addition to being more intuitive, especially for those accustomed to using mobile touch devices, the touch technolo-gy allows pilots who are “using (it) in the primary field of view” to keep their heads “in closer proximity to out-the-window views” making it easier “for pilots who are transitioning between the instruments

and visual flying,” Otto said.

In a new software load for its GTN prod-ucts last year, Garmin added, among other features, the ability to display digital weather radar, Alpiser said. “We are also optimizing the software to take advan-tage of some of the ADS-B In technology that will soon be avail-able,” said Alpiser. The Garmin Pilot app can also now display and post charts and section-als and bring in weather and ADS-B traffic and weather information and use it for preflight, he said.

The company has also added support “in the GTN 750 and its

accompanying GMA 35 audio control-ler for … what we call Telligence Voice Command,” which permits the pilot “to speak to the GTN itself and command it to do different things,” said Alpiser. The pilot can, for example, activate audio panel functions in response to spoken commands, according to Garmin. By pressing a push-to-command button on the yoke and saying “Comm One,” for example, the pilot can select the radio. The use of voice recognition will continue “to expand, but it is going to take a little closer cooperation with the approving agencies” to boost the comfort level with the use of the technology, said Alpiser.

Voice recognition has attracted the interest of many vendors. “We continue to monitor the technology,” said Otto. “It is challenging in the noise environment we are in and still there are challenges with dialects and other things from a spoken standpoint,” he said. “It will get there and when it does I think there will be some good applications.”

With all this momentum for change, is the transition to at least the expanded used of touch technology a fait accompli?

“Clearly pilots must say they want it, but I’m curious how it will be accepted over the long haul,” said Bruce Maxwell, president of Luma Technologies. There are still obstacles its broader use includ-ing overcoming the impact of turbulence but also “concerns over pilot distraction with all the gadgetry, and … how are they going to lean forward and manipulate

the screens if they’re tightly belted into their seats?” Based in Bellevue, Wash., Luma offers its Lumatech 2000 Series low profile (less than a half-inch deep) sunlight readable hall-effect switch to the LRU and Control Panel OEMs making products ranging from Audio Control and Terrain Awareness Systems all the way to flight critical Mode Control and Autopilot Systems.

“The touch systems are definitely coming in some applications,” but the industry is “still evolving” on what those uses will be, said Steve Edwards, vice president of product development at Aerospace Optics.

The one certainty is that these technol-ogies will mean a decrease in the number of mechanical switches in cockpit. The cutback has already been well underway with the introduction of digital technol-ogy and the multifunction display. These displays have existed for some time but now can contain more information “and are producing a reduction in analog switching, said Bryan Bakker, product manager for integrated systems at Ester-line Control Systems. Furthermore, touchscreen “puts commands onto that screen that used to be a discreet switch.”

“In the next five years, there will prob-ably be … a mixed mode introduction” of touch along with mechanical switches, “and it will move slowly like we saw with (the introduction of the) digital … signal,” said Bakker. “The information that goes to the touchscreen may not be as critical … so if I am doing things like turning off and on lights or taking care of temperature in the cabin … that can be put on the display as a touchscreen, but if I am transferring fuel or another type of (critical function) I am still going to need some analogue hardwire to interface the device,” added Mark Cochran, Esterline Control Systems’ vice president of prod-uct management.

Meanwhile, push button switch pro-viders like Aerospace Optics are refining their products to address the changing circumstances. Responding to the growth of multifunction display, Aerospace Optics developed a “multifunction body assembly on our switches” which has proved quite successful, said Craig Morgan, senior vice president of sales at Aerospace Optics. “We have sold a significant number of what we call the electronic latch, which adds functionality to the traditional push-button switch, and based on that success, we have evolved it (adding) four or five additional features, including a pulse timer “which allows the

Esterline CMC Electronics Cockpit 4000 NexGen technology demonstrator includes a 20-inch by 7-inch large area dis-play with touchscreen capabilities and head-up display.

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old, traditional push-button switch to be an edge detector and then … produce an outbound signal.” With these versatile products, “we are now able to provide more capability with less space, weight and power than ever before.”

The company is also targeting new opportunities, such as providing switches for the growing number of night vision cockpits used by civil operators in emer-gency medical services, police and fire departments and homeland security. “In fact, over half of our business right now is going to night vision compatible prod-ucts,” said Edwards. Aerospace Optics helped facilitate the use of night vision, which is common place on military air-craft, on civilian platforms by develop-ing a “new color of red that matches the commercial aviation’s (expectations),” Edwards said. The military “red” was more an orange color.

Aerospace Optics and others are seeing a surge in the retrofit market, supplying older, sometimes hard to get products for the growing number of legacy aircraft in the fleet. With a weak economy, “everybody is … updating legacy aircraft, and we see that as a very attractive market niche for some time to come,” said Edwards.

A growing problem within this mar-ket is specific product shortages caused by the “original manufacturers that are no longer supporting the line or worse yet may be out of business,” said Luma’s Maxwell. “Combine that with their being incandescent and somewhat fragile, and you have a pretty pricey problem.”

“The opportunity to address these shortages will stay strong in the near term,” (but the number of companies capable of meeting this demand “has been shrinking,” said Morgan. “You can count the companies that can play on this field on one hand … so that is an attractive market for those of us that will remain in it.”

Meanwhile, a mainstay for many companies for several years has been replacing incandescent switches with LED technology. “LED is the stan-dard in the industry now,” and since it is “really a solid state illumination we developed a solid state switch to accom-modate that,” said Bakker. Esterline Control Systems introduced its “Opti-con” line of low-profile, low weight cockpit solid state switches about three years ago. The retrofit process can be challenging, so operators upgrade only those “systems are used more often

than others in the aircraft” such a land-ing gear panel, said Cochran.

“All of our products are form fit function compatible with each other,” said Edwards. “If you want to switch over from a incandescent to an LED you can do yourself in about 30 seconds with no training; all you have to do is take one cap out put the other in.”

Other industry developments:➤ Staco Systems, based in Irvine, Calif., in August was selected by Panasonic Avi-onics to provide custom designed 64-key panel mount keyboards for Panasonic’s eX3 in-flight entertainment and con-nectivity system. This custom keyboard will be used with the In-Flight Enter-tainment (IFE) Remote Control Center that will be installed onboard the Airbus A350 series.

This compact USB keyboard has 64 keys. The keys are LED backlit and the illumination levels are controlled by a 5-step dimming control circuit, the com-pany said.➤ Astronics Luminescent Systems in May was selected by Learjet supply LED cock-pit instrument panels for the Learjet 70 and Learjet 75.

Next month: Synthetic Vision Systems

Avionics Magazine’s Product Focus is a monthly feature that examines some of the latest trends in different market seg-ments of the avionics industry. It does not represent a comprehensive survey of all companies and products in these markets. Avionics Product Focus Editor Ed McKenna can be contacted at [email protected].

Companies

Aerospace Optics www.vivisun.com

Ametek Aerospace www.ametek.com

Aspen Avionics www.aspenavionics.com

Avionics International Supply www.avionicsinternational.com

Astronics Corp. www.astronics.com

Avtech Corp. www.avtcorp.com

Cole Instrument Corp. www.cole-switches.com

Crane Aerospace & Electronics www.craneae.com

Dallas Avionics, Inc. www.dallasavionics.com

Ducommun Technologies www.ducommun.com

Eaton Corp. www.eaton.com

Electro-Mech Components www.electromechcomp.com

Electro Switch Corp. www.electroswitch.com

Esterline (CMC Electronics, Leach, Korry) www.esterline.com

Flame Enterprises www.flamecorp.com

Garmin www.garmin.com

HS Electronics www.hselectronics.com

Honeywell www.honeywell.com

Interface Displays and Controls www.interfacedisplays.com

Luma Technologies LLC www.lumatech.com

Marine Air Supply Co. www.marineairsupply.com

Peerless Electronics www.peerlesselectronics.com

Rockwell Collins www.rockwellcollins.com

Spectralux Corp. www.spectralux.com

Staco Systems www.stacosystems.com

TE Connectivity www.te.com

Teledyne Relays www.teledynerelays.com

Zodiac Aerospace www.zodiacaerospace.com

Garmin’s GTN 650 and 750 series touchscreen avionics system has received FAA and EASA certifications.

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AS9100 CertificationSandel Avionics, based in Vista, Calif., received its AS9100, Rev C and ISO 9001:2008 certification from NSF Inter-national.

The Quality Management System standard (AS9100) is designed to meet stringent, complex and unique demands of the defense and commercial aerospace industry. With nearly 100 additional requirements specific to aerospace, being certified by an accredited AS9100 and ISO9001 registrar provides organizations with a comprehensive standard focused on areas directly impacting air worthi-ness, safety and reliability.

Visit www.sandel.com.

West Coast LocationWireMasters, based in Columbia, Tenn., expanded its operation to include a ware-house facility in Mesa, Ariz.

The company said it has experienced consistent growth in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico in the last few years. The 10,000-square-foot warehouse will stock about $1 mil-lion worth of Mil-Spec wire, cable, con-nectors and tubing available for same day shipments, the company said.

Visit www.wiremasters.net.

HUD AvailabilityWest Star Aviation, based in East Alton, Ill., announced the availability of the Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS), known as HUD Vision Access (HVA) for the Challenger 604 and Challenger 605.

The HVA system consists of three line

replacable units. Benefits of the system include safer operation in low visibility, enhanced situation awareness, terrain avoidance, runway incursion detection and lower landing credits to minimums of 100 feet above the ground.

Visit www.weststaraviation.com.

Satcom Support AppSatcom Direct, of Satellite Beach, Fla., launches Unity, a mobile satcom support product that allows avionics technicians to connect to multiple satcom systems for troubleshooting, diagnostic and con-figuration management.

The Unity product kit includes a selection of terminal adapters and the new Get Satcom mobile application, which accesses data from the satcom systems. The Get Satcom app supports and operates on the latest Apple iOS and allows customers to use their iPhones and iPads to interface with satcom equipment.

Visit www.satcomdirect.com.

EFB AppThe FliteDeck Pro Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) system from Jeppesen, of Englewood, Colo., is now available for the iPad.

Flight information, including world-wide navigation charts, is delivered to Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro through the Jeppesen Distribution Manager Pro system. The system distributes encrypted and virus-free operational data and documents across a Web-based system. The system also provides for grouping

of devices and configuration reporting, and supports the needs of operators for regulatory audits.

Visit www.jeppesen.com.

Pro Line 21 Upgrade STCHawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) received FAA supple-mental type certification for the Rock-well Collins Integrated Display System (IDS) flight deck upgrade for the Beech-craft 1900D. This upgrade removes the factory installed Pro Line II EFIS 84 sys-tem, as well as other analog instrumenta-tion, and replaces it with an integrated three-display Pro Line 21 IDS system.

The Pro Line 21 IDS utilizes three 10-inch by 8-inch LCDs. The Primary Flight Display combines attitude, alti-tude, air speed and heading references with a graphical interface. Its multifunc-tion display enables pilots to quickly ref-erence information in order to facilitate strategic decision making, the company said. Visit www.hawkerbeechcraft.com.

Air Data Test SetBarfield introduces an automated and Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum-compliant air data test set, model DPS1000.

Features of the product include automated operation, a user-friendly interface with color touchscreen and customer programmable test routines, according to the company.

Visit www.barfieldinc.com.

Airborne Processing Unit

Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solu-tions (CWCDS) announced the avail-ability of its SYS-C365 Deployable Rugged System, a rugged commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) system for airborne platforms.

Designed for a specific military pro-gram, with more than 500 units already

Standby Attitude Module

Mid-Continent Instru-ments and Avionics, of Wichita, Kan., intro-duced MD302 Standby Attitude Module (SAM), a 2-inch by 5-inch standby display. This self-contained, solid-state instrument provides attitude, alti-tude, airspeed and slip information to the pilot during normal operation or in the case of primary instrument failure, according to the company.

Mid-Continent said the unit is designed to fit in less panel space than a standard set of 2-inch mechanical attitude, altitude and airspeed indicators. Its two-screen display features selectable horizontal and vertical orientation. Visit www.mcico.com.


deployed in airborne platforms worldwide, the SYS-C365 is a Power Architecture (PowerPC) based processing unit that provides an array of I/O and standard multi-protocol communication channels, the company said.

Designed for deployment in harsh mili-tary environments, the SYS-C365 features a fully rugged conduction-cooled enclo-sure. It has been designed to operate in a temperature range from -40 ºC to +71ºC, with specific emphasis on avionics require-ments, according to the company.

Visit www.cwcdefense.com

Flight View Camera

Flight Display Systems, based in Alpharetta, Ga., introduced a high-def-inition glareshield color camera. When mounted in the cockpit of an aircraft, this camera will provide passengers with the opportunity to observe taxi, take-off and landing, the company said.

The camera produces 1080p output at 30 frames per second and 720p at 60 fps via HD-SDI. The effective pixel resolu-tion is 1944(H) x 1092(V). Optics include a 6mm, f=3.6 lens. The minimum illumi-nation is 0.1 Lux. Camera will include a mounting base.

Visit www.FlightDisplay.com.

Cabin LightingHeads Up Technologies, based in Carrollton, Texas, added RGB and Variable White LED lighting systems to its family of cabin lighting products. These products integrate with Heads Up Technologies’ Lumin Cabin Man-agement System (CMS), the company said.

The RGB and Variable White LED lights communicate with the CMS via RS-485 data buss protocols. The onboard intelligence provides a greater degree of control over real time color

control and dimming, creating notice-ably better responsiveness than previous designs, the company said.

Visit www.heads-up.com.

New FacilityLCR Electronics, a Norristown, Pa.-based manufacturer of backplanes and ruggedized integrated chassis, electronic control products, and EMI filters for military, telecommunications and com-mercial applications, opened a Systems Integration Design, Development and Test Facility in Ridgeland, Miss.

Visit www.lcr-inc.com.

TransponderGarmin, based in Olathe, Kan., intro-duced the GTX 3000, a remote-mount, Mode-S transponder designed to accom-modate the environmental and operation-al demands of transport category aircraft.

The GTX 3000 meets the require-ments for TCAS II/ACAS II compatibil-ity and also meets the latest standards for full automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) Out compliance, the company said. The GTX 3000 has received TSO/DO-260B authorization allowing it to meet current compliance standards as a certified ADS-B Out solu-tion, when paired with a compatible posi-tion source. The GTX 3000 broadcasts on the 1090 MHz ADS-B frequency.

The GTX 3000 will be standard equip-ment on several new aircraft platforms including the Cessna Citation X, Citation Latitude, Citation Longitude and Citation Sovereign, the Bombardier Learjet 70 and Learjet 75, the company said..

Visit www.garmin.com.

Power SystemAstronics Corp., based in East Aurora, N.Y., added USB charging capability to its EMPOWER System line of products for the business jet market.

The EMPOWER 28VDC to 115VAC System supports power requirements for passenger and crew portable electronic devices.

The company said the flexibility of a combined AC/USB outlet conserves valu-able cabin space and provides customers with two modes of available power at each seat location. Should customers desire, the AC and USB outlets can be installed separately.

Visit www.astronics.com.

Wide-Screen ESISL-3 Aviation Products introduced its GH-3900RSU Electronic Standby Instrument System (ESIS) . Slated to be certified in 2013, the new system fea-tures a 4.2-inch diagonal high-resolution display (DU-42) and a separate Remote Sensor Unit (RSU).

L-3 has developed a two-part system that separates the display from the sen-sor array, allowing technicians to install the system behind the aircraft’s panel, including areas with limited space. A RSU houses rate/level sensors, air data transducers and optional accelerometers, which deliver attitude, altitude, air-speed and navigation data to the DU-42 display. The GH-3900RSU allows the installer to define data I/O interfaces, Static Source Error Correction and Velocity Maximum Operating values, as well as customize display parameters. Visit www.L-3com.com/aviationproducts.

Leak Detection System

Spectroline, based in Westbury, N.Y., introduced OPTI-LUX 365, a LED leak detection flashlight for all aviation fluid system applications.

The OPTI-LUX 365 works with Spec-troline Aero-Brite universal fluorescent dye. The flashlight has an inspection range of up to 10 feet. Powered by one rechargeable lithium-ion battery (extra battery included in kit), it provides 4 hours of continuous inspection between charges. Visit www.spectroline.com.

AFIRS STCFLYHT Aerospace Solutions, based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, received an activation Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for its Automated Flight Informa-tion Reporting System (AFIRS) 228 on ATR 42/72 model aircraft from Trans-port Canada.

AFIRS 228 provides a fully certified avionics platform capable of meeting all


air navigation communications require-ments in Europe, the United States and other jurisdictions around the world, the company said. Additionally, it will also provide the input and outputs necessary to enhance the value of real-time data for FLYHT’s customers globally.

Visit www.flyht.com.

Pitot Static Tester

Laversab, based in Sugar Land, Texas, introduced the model 6300 Automated RVSM/Pitot Static/Air Data tester.

The system meets RVSM requirements and needs to be calibrated only once a year. Using a small remote a user can operate the tester from the cockpit and safely test the entire pitot and static sys-tem of the aircraft, including altimeters, encoders, climb indicators, airspeed/Mach indicators, air data computers and auto-pilots, according to the company.

The model 6300 Pitot Static Tester includes built-in vacuum and pressure pumps and emergency manual bleed-down valves.

Visit www.laversab.com.

Avionics PartnershipMarilake Aerosystems, a U.K.-based avionics and instrument repair company, formed a strategic partnership with RGV Aviation to offer light aircraft owners and operators a full workshop-based avionics and instrumentation repair capability.

The partnership allows RGV to offer avionics and instrumentation component repair capability for its customers in addi-tion to the many avionics installation and support options already offered at its facility at U.K.’s Gloucester Airport.

Visit www.marilake.com.

Communications SystemARINC Direct introduced its DirectCon-nect Onboard Communications System. The new system offers distinct capabili-

ties in one portable device –– complete ACARS messaging (including graphical weather), utilizing an iPad app as the user interface, high-quality voice using an iPhone or Android device, and managed email via Iridium or Inmarsat satellite networks.

The company said the system enables global connectivity and seamless opera-tion of common communication forms for both pilots and passengers. With two channels, the system supports simultane-ous voice and data communications or even two simultaneous voice calls.

Visit www.arinc.com.

UAV AvionicsUAV Navigation released its LCAP GPS and Air Data System (ADS)-aided avion-ics system for mini UAV targets, hand-launched helicopters, and other types of high performance UAVs.

According to the company, the LCAP avionics system can survive any single sensor failure, including GPS outage, and still provide adequate navigation capabili-ties. The system includes a Flight Control CPU that hosts the control software, a high-performance GPS module, ADS and a set of interfaces including Digital and Analog IOs, CAN and Ethernet. It can also be fitted with additional external sensors such as radar altimeters or mag-netometers.

Visit http://uavnavigation.org.

XMC Card

Data Device Corp. (DDC), based in Bohemia, N.Y., introduced the BU-67112 Mil-Std-1553 XMC card designed to meet the data demands of mission critical military aerospace applications.

The card’s advanced I/O incorporates DDC’s Total-AceXtreme Mil-Std-1553 component with low-power ASIC design. By combining protocol, transceivers and transformers all in one component, the Total-AceXtreme utilizes significantly

less parts compared to other designs, enabling the card to deliver significant power savings and increased performance, along with a greater MTBF, and a high channel count, according to the company.

Visit www.ddc-web.com.

Field Guide Duncan Aviation, based in Lincoln, Neb., released a new field guide, “HD Cabin Entertainment Upgrades: Requirements, Upgrade Paths and Alternatives,” which aims to answer common questions about creating an HD-capable entertainment system for business aircraft, image qual-ity, upgrade alternatives and equipment selection.

Written by industry experts, the field guide includes comparison charts that illustrate factors that influence image quality. Visit www.DuncanAviation.aero/fieldguides.

Turret SimulatorL-3 WESCAM launched its MXTM-Sim, a training product that simulates the complete operations of WESCAM’s MX Series of electro-optical and infrared imag-ing turrets.

L-3’s MX-Sim, developed with INSY-EN AG, based in Germany, connects to multiple L-3 WESCAM standard control systems, including hand grips, joysticks and mission grips. Pre-planned scenarios, including improvised explosive device sur-veillance, search and rescue, and counter-terrorism missions have been created to better replicate expensive in-flight training experiences, the company said.

Visit www.wescam.com.

LCD MonitorAircraft Cabin Systems, based in Red-mond, Wash., and Gulfstream developed LCD video monitors and touchscreens that interface with the Gulfstream Cabin Management System (GCMS).

Three new HD LCD Video Monitors have been developed — 26-inch credenza monitor and two bulkhead monitors (26 inches and 17 inches) are strategically placed in the cabin to facilitate passenger crew rest viewing, the company said.

Two touchscreens, one using a 10-inch LCD screen is located in the Galley and the other using a 5.7-inch LCD screen is located in the Vestibule. The 10-inch monitor is also used for pre-screening


video sources as well as controlling a mul-titude of cabin functions such as window shades; video programming presented to the cabin video monitors, etc.

Visit www.aircraftcabinsystems.com.

Signal RecordingPentek, based in Upper Saddle River, N.J., introduced the Talon RF/IF signal recording and playback system; Model RTR 2727 rugged portable recorder is suitable for military and aerospace appli-cations.

The system features recording and playback of IF signals up to 700 MHz with signal bandwidths to 200 MHz. The RTR 2727 has up to eight hot- swap solid state drives (SSD), front panel USB ports and I/O connections on the side panel. The aluminum alloy case is reinforced with shock absorbing rubber corners and an impact-resistant protective screen. cles, ships and aircraft. The drive

Visit www.pentek.com.

Site Acceptance TestFrequentis passed Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) for the implementation of its Com-munication Solutions in the Air Traffic Control Center and the Control Tower in San Andres, Colombia.

The signing of this acceptance enables the Colombian ANSP “Aeronautica Civil de Colombia” to operate with technology for Voice Communication and Record-ing combined with synchronise replay of voice and local recorded 3rd party radar data, the company said. The Frequentis Voice Communication System is also equipped with a IP Backup System for all radio and telephone connections.

Visit www.frequentis.com.

Mobile Phone SystemTrueNorth Avionics, based in Ottawa, Canada, introduced its GSM-based mobile phone system called Simphone Mobile, which enables business jet own-ers and operators to offer airborne voice and text services, allowing passengers and crew to talk and text with their own mobile phones from the moment they board the aircraft. Simphone Mobile leverages TrueNorth’s Simphone Chorus system, which provides Internet access, Wi-Fi enterprise email, and high defini-tion onboard voice capabilities.

Simphone Mobile is a single line

replaceable unit (LRU), in an ARINC 600 form factor, GSM phone solution. The LRU is installed alongside the TrueNorth Simphone Chorus system, which already provides Internet, email and Wi-Fi capabilities, as well as high definition onboard voice. The addition of Simphone Mobile provides new voice and texting capabilities.

Visit www.truenorthavionics.com.

WAAS Sensor

The NexNav mini GPS WAAS Class Beta-1, developed by Accord Technology of Phoenix, is now available for the Trig TT31 transponder.

U.K.-based Trig Avionics recently gained FAA Approved Model List (AML) of the Supplemental Type Certifi-cate (STC) that incorporates the NexNav mini sensor line replaceable unit (LRU) as a qualified position source. The flight test program was successfully completed by Peregrine of Englewood, Colo., using a Mooney M20 aircraft.

Accord Technology received TSO-C145c for its NexNav mini in 2010 and fully qualified as GPS source per the FAA Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Advisory Circular 20-165.

Visit www.accord-technology.com.

Data Management SystemInternational Communications Group (ICG), based in Newport News, Va., announced the development of a new product series designated the eRouter, a data management system and communi-cations access point.

A baseline product called the ERT-100 and ERT-120 will perform data routing functions while the ERT-140 provides enhanced features such as VoIP, analog and digital telephony and data transfer

enhancements such as acceleration and compression.

The eRouter is a small (12 inch by 8 1⁄2 inch by 3 3⁄4 inch) flange mount device that offers will provide airborne connectivity for Electronic Flight Bags, passenger PCs, Smartphones and other IP devices.

In addition to Wi-Fi connectivity, the eRouter offers 4G GSM service that can be used for file transfers when the aircraft is on the ground. Visit www.icg.aero.

Attitude TrainingStallion 51 Corp., of Kissimmee, Fla., offer real-time, real-life Unusual Attitude Training in a specially equipped L-39 turbojet.

The newly formed UAT Company aims to train pilots to recognize and respond accurately and quickly before the situation progresses into one from which they may be unable to recover.

The UAT L-39 is outfitted with an Electronic Flight Instrument System with the design capability to withstand extreme flight attitudes. The EFIS equip-ment closely simulates current corporate and executive aircraft cockpit layouts. The UAT L-39 is also equipped with specially designed onboard cameras that allow for accurate visual and audio debriefs of the training from both inside the cockpit and outside the airplane, the company said.

Visit www.stallion51.com.

Completion CenterOnAir, a joint venture of SITA and Air-bus, expanded its network of completion centers, with the addition of Boeing Busi-ness Jet (BBJ) specialist PATS Aircraft Systems, of Georgetown, Del.

The first joint project is the installa-tion of Mobile OnAir on a Boeing 737-900ER BBJ, due for delivery in the first half of 2013, the companies said.

Visit www.onair.aero.

9001:2008 CertificationMGT Trading Aeronautics, a landing gear parts sales and distribution company based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., achieved certification to the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system. American Systems Registrar (ASR), of Wyoming, Mich., will serve as the company’s registrar.

Visit www.mgt-trading.com.

system designb y W a l t e r S h a w l e e 2

Mysterious Noises Re-Visited

Many years ago, I put together an index of airframe problems and published it as an article titled “Mysterious Noises.” A lot of people have used that information to good effect since then, but

with so many technological changes, I thought it was over-due to re-examine the whole problem of how systems interfere with each other, and how this set of problems manifests in the airframe, especially as audio interference.

There are several paths for interference to occur between systems, it can happen by ground or power interaction, emission and susceptibility, transient behavior, magnetic interference, cable coupling, bad airframe positioning, poor equipment design and improper antenna loading. These situ-ations combine and magnify in the small environment of any airframe to have some impact on all systems, and the balanc-ing act of every avionics designer and installer is to minimize the effects so that airframe operation is as good as possible. Perfect operation under all circumstances is not a realistic outcome, as the implicit limits of the airframe generally pre-vent that, but it is possible to have system operation at a level that makes the shortcomings invisible and irrelevant to the flight crew.

To really understand the airframe environment and avion-ics systems, we have to start with an understanding of the primary power architecture, distribution and grounding struc-ture. Power has to come from somewhere, and in an airframe, it is derived mechanically from the engine via generators or alternators, and distributed after regulation either via DC and AC busses and into a storage battery of some kind. Right at this moment, certain problems are injected into the airframe environment that have to be considered both as design issues and installation problems.

To understand how noise creeps into the audio system, let’s look at the basic power interconnect of the airframe, as this is where many problems first appear. Ideally, this is how we pic-ture the power distribution takes place in a typical airframe:

Unfortunately, the real life system has many parasitic ele-ments, and interactive systems. As composites displace alumi-num, or distances increase, the ground return path becomes much higher in resistance, and more importantly, as ground resistance rises, each ground resistance in turn becomes a volt-age created by changing load currents.

It is very common to see both AC and DC voltages impressed on the ground return, and values can be from mil-livolts to volts across the length of the airframe. Why is this important? If our audio signal is single ended, and shares a ground return path with these noises, then these signals mix with our audio signals and appear as noises, hums, buzzes, clicks and transients in the headset. Since a full microphone signal is only 150-250mV, it’s easy to see how even a few mV

of noise can seriously contaminate the intercom and every outgoing transmission. In addition, every audio signal running through the ground also creates a related current and voltage, so this in turn causes cross-talk or the reception of unwanted audio signals when you thought they should be switched off.


The Real World

Idealized Power Distribution

In a perfect world, DC power is sourced from a large battery charged by a vast generator (or alternator), and then distrib-uted to individual loads that do not interact with each other, and get their return DC path from the airframe ground.

This is the origin of ground loop noise. It is the translation of ground resistances into voltages due to load currents. These voltages then add or subtract from audio signals (which are low level) that share the same grounded audio return path.

The key to controlling noise in an aircraft audio system is to fully understand the cause of each type of noise, and to learn to identify them correctly. It is also very important to understand the limits of the system you are installing, and the impact of each wiring and routing decision you make during installation. The final results are the sum of all these factors, some within your control, and some always out of your con-trol because of design limits, customer decisions and funda-mental airframe limits. Very high performance is possible, but not always with every system, and not always with every ship.

These problems all fall into these two important groupings:— Issues you can influence: system selection (if you pick

it); wiring and routing— Issues you can’t really influence: system selection (if the

customer mandates it); composites; immovable locations and ambient noise

For the most part, audio system noise is literally anything you didn’t want or expect to hear. It can be in-band acousti-cally coupled noise from the ambient cockpit, or 400Hz AC accidentally coupled via the ships wiring. It can also be out-of-band AM RF transmissions detected and processed as demodulated audio, or cross-talk from an un-selected radio you thought was turned off. Most unexpected and objection-able to the flight crew are usually noises linked to other air-craft systems, such as alternators/generators, strobes, pumps and other electromechanical devices, which make their way into the audio stream via ground loop problems, and just never seem to go away, becoming perpetual audio noise thorns in your headset in every flight.

The shared ground signal path with ground loop noise voltages is the entryway for many audio problems, and it high-lights why it is important to use a floating or balanced system for audio signals, rather than a single ended or grounded one to create the cleanest possible audio. This is not critical when only one audio panel or station is used, and if few radios or headsets are involved, but as multiple stations, users, and scat-tered radios appear, the ground loop noise begins to escalate quickly, and soon makes the system’s resulting high noise floor very irritating for the crew.

Audio system design plays a key role at this stage, because the ultimate ability to reject unwanted signals is firmly set at the design stage, not defined at the installation. In particular, factors like power supply noise rejection, cross-talk isolation and signal grounding set the base line performance, it can only deteriorate from there through bad installation practice. How significant can these design differences be? Single-ended designs typically have cross-talk and noise rejection figures of about 30dB, while floating systems typically achieve 60dB, or are a thousand times better at reducing noise and unwanted signals. This difference is not always serious with a single sta-tion, but quickly escalates when 2 to 4 stations are distributed through the airframe.

If your system is floating (the audio lines do not actually share a common path with the airframe ground), you can expect to see very significant reductions in ground loop and common mode noise, and if the design supports it, much

lower cross-talk, especially in multi-station installs. Wiring technique comes into serious consideration at this point, as the final cross-talk and noise are now ultimately influenced by shielding and routing, no matter whether it is an analog, digi-tal or a hybrid design.

Microphone lines are always the weakest part of any air-craft installation, because the signal level is so low, typically 150-250mVrms with a “carbon equivalent” microphone. Even very small amounts of signal contamination (literally 1-2mV) are quite audible, and will affect all radio transmissions and intercom operations. For this reason, correct grounding and shielding of these runs are of critical importance for over-all system performance. These lines are easily influenced both electrostatically and electromagnetically, which makes them very vulnerable to proximity cabling problems, especially AM RF lines, high current lines and 400Hz wiring. Low imped-ance dynamic (8-50 ohm) microphones are even more difficult to wire, as they have only ~250-700 microvolts of signal, and are very easily contaminated by stray magnetic coupling and RF. Use of special co-netic mu-metal foil shielded cable is usually required on these lines.

All systems start with an un-avoidable “noise floor,” which is the self-noise of the audio system itself, and which generally rises with increasing volume settings. You can only influence this factor by equipment selection. Next is the problem of acoustic ambient noise. Again you cannot usually alter the airframe, so your choices again involve the equipment selec-tion if it has noise reduction properties, and particularly the headset/microphone selection. Considerable improvement in the user’s happiness is possible by making good choices at this stage.

Signals couple mainly electrostatically between wires (capacitive coupling), unless significant currents are involved, and shielded twisted pair wiring is very good at rejecting this adjacent signal coupling. Single conductor shielded wire is less effective because one of the conductors is also serving as the “shield.” Coupling primarily moves from high level signals to lower level ones, and increases in voltage as victim wire imped-ances go up.

If high currents are present, coupling is electromagnetic (speaker lines, inverter input currents or output currents, amplifier output or power lines, etc.). This inductive coupling is a serious problem, as conventionally shielded wiring is totally ineffective at stopping this type of interference. Spe-cial mu-metal co-netic shielded cable can provide some relief, but distance is the best solution to reduce coupling in these


Changing loads impress a voltage across the “ground” propor-tional to their load current.


instances. High current lines should never be run with any low level audio wiring. Interestingly, the twisted pair shielded wiring does off both some capacitive and inductive coupling rejection, which makes it the most robust possible signal path. In fact, if you can do nothing else, and have no other tools or methods available, twisting audio line pairs together can often reduce coupling significantly.

No matter what topology you have, it can be seriously compromised by bad routing and wiring decisions, as once unwanted signals (in-band) are physically present in the audio system mixed with audio signals, they cannot generally be processed out. The most serous wiring/routing mistakes to avoid are these:

1. Never combine ANY 400Hz power or indicator wiring with ANY audio lines, even if shielded.

2. Never route AM Comm coax cables with low level audio wiring for any distance. This interference effect is called audio rectification, and occurs when AM RF signals encounter any non-linear junction (diode, transistor, etc.) and detect the envelope modulation, usually in a distorted way. If it is physi-cally impossible to avoid tight cable coupling, use tri-axial cable (TRF-58 for example) for the RF feed line, with the outer shield grounded at one end only, this can dramatically reduce the coupling and interference effect.

3. Never route any high current wiring with audio lines.

These high currents will magnetically couple, and conven-tional electrostatic shielding will not work, only distance is effective (remember the inverse square law).

4. Never run any audio line unshielded, unless the distance is short, and coupling is unlikely.

5. Do not ground mic/headset jacks to the airframe unless absolutely essential for some reason, as this will only increase ground loop noise. Return the signal commons to the audio system, and float the jacks.

One especially ugly combination of problems can occur with largely composite ships: the direct contamination of dynamic microphones (amplified or otherwise) to unblocked ambient RF. It is very difficult to shield microphones, and overhead RF sources with too much window or composite area surrounding the antenna sites can lead to direct RF injec-tion into the microphone, which is basically a loop antenna. Lack of good airframe grounding and the RF transparency of composites increases both ground loop noise, and the oppor-tunity for un-shielded direct RF interference. This is very hard to correct in a post-manufacturing environment, so we can only hope newer airframes will take these issues into better account to yield better avionics installations down the road.

Other radio-based problems that can manifest as audio interference include:

1. AM comms talking to each other, even when set to different frequencies, producing false sidetone or distorted audio. This can be complex to solve, but usually involves antenna re-location to opposite sides of the airframe, or to locations with no line-of-sight path.

2. FM comms coupling to each other harmonically, (150Mhz to 450MHz for example), producing phantom sidetone or distorted audio, or squelch breaking. Again, antenna relocation and breaking the line-of-sight may be required.

3. P-static discharge producing unwanted noise on ADF or AM comm radios. This is particularly troublesome from com-posite airframe structures, which are easily charged but not easily discharged quetly.

Typical Floating System TopologyTypical Grounded Audio System Topology

Typical airframe signal paths, from worst at ground loop and capacitive cable coupling noise rejection (un-shielded grounded) to best, (shielded twisted pairs).


4. AM comms are highly susceptible to “rotor-modulation” caused by the rotating blades overhead in helicopters. This can make transmissions almost unintelligible, and garble incoming signals. Moving the AM Comm antenna to an underside surface with ground area between it and the blade system is usually the best solution.

The aircraft world is a strange mix of good and bad practices, with many hold-over techniques from 50+ years ago and early tele-phone technology. It also contains a large pool of older, marginal installations where everything was tied to the airframe, and where antenna siting was not well implemented. Sometimes, it is hard to

dislodge these practices because of so much inertia and history.To get the best system performance today, it is important

to move past these early bad techniques, and look for areas where improvement is possible though better wiring tech-niques, better airframe layout and advanced equipment using floating audio techniques. The results can ultimately be very impressive.

Walter Shawlee 2 is the president of Sphere Research Corp. in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, and a senior designer at Technisonic Industries. He can be reached at [email protected].

The aircraft world is a strange mix of good and bad

practices, with many hold-over techniques from 50+

years ago and early telephone technology. ...

Sometimes, it is hard to dislodge these practices

because of so much inertia and history.

Conference & Exhibition

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peopleCapt. Richard Carter

JetBlue Airways appointed Capt. Rich-ard Carter to system chief pilot. In his new role, Carter is responsible for devel-oping and executing Flight Operations strategy, the safe and reliable operation of JetBlue’s fleet and representing the airline with FAA.

Most recently, Carter was chief pilot of JetBlue’s Boston operations, hav-

ing worked in the role since the base opened in 2006. Carter started his commercial airline career at Braniff International Airlines. He also held several leadership positions with People Express and US Airways including line captain on the A320, E190, B-727, and B-737 and check airman on both the B-727 and B-737.

Peter TurnerDelta Air Lines’ maintenance division, Delta TechOps, named Peter Turner vice president, business development and MRO.

Turner joins Delta TechOps from Rolls-Royce North Amer-ica where he was vice president, customer business. He was responsible for the Americans region and managed billions of dollars in sales growth.

L2 Consulting HiresL2 Consulting Services, based in Austin, Texas, hired John Letlow as engineering manager. Letlow has more than 20 years of avionics engineering and test experience to the company and has particular expertise with flight management systems and flat-panel display integration.

Prior to joining L2, Letlow was a program manager with Universal Avionics Systems where he was responsible for lead-ing teams in all aspects of new product development and FAA certification efforts.

Additionally, L2 named Michael Haffey as senior avionics engineer. Haffey has more than 20 years of avionics integra-tion and maintenance experience.

Rob CordsStandardAero appointed Rob Cords senior vice president of its airlines and fleets business.

Cords previously was senior vice president of corporate strategy and customer development for StandardAero since joining the company in 2009. Prior to joining StandardAero, Cords was associate partner for Oliver Wyman’s Aerospace and Defense Practice.

NATA Staff ChangesThe National Air Transportation Association (NATA), based in Alexandria, Va., announced two staff changes.

Jim Coon, who most recently was chief of staff for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, joins NATA as executive vice president. Coon has nearly three decades of experience on Capitol Hill, as well as private sector experience in the aviation industry as director of government affairs for Boeing and for the Air Transport Association (now Airlines for America).

NATA promoted Amy B. Koranda to vice president. Koranda will add several major association programs to her current responsibilities as head of NATA’s Safety 1st Program.

A4A AppointmentsAirlines for America (A4A) announced additions to its team.

Vaughn Jennings, a long-time Capitol Hill aide, joins A4A as managing director for government and regulatory communi-cations. Jennings will oversee communications efforts relative to government affairs, in addition to regulatory and policy efforts. Previously, he was press secretary, new media director and leg-islative assistant for Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.). Before that, Jennings was a legislative assistant to then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

A4A also named Keith Glatz, who most recently was senior negotiator for the Office of International Aviation and Affairs for the U.S. Department of Transportation, vice president, international affairs. Glatz successfully negotiated Open-Skies and liberalized aviation agreements on behalf of the U.S. avia-tion industry. He also served in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and in the Department of State, Office of Avia-tion Negotiations.

A4A also appointed Katie Connell managing director, airline industry public relations and communications. Connell was most recently senior manager in corporate communica-tions for Delta Air Lines.

Lanie Lamb is A4A’s communications coordinator, respon-sible for day-to-day administration and operational support for the communications team. A former flight attendant for Continental Airlines, she also worked for the National Park Foundation and in the office of Rep. John Boccieri (D-Ohio).

Additionally, A4A added two social media managers, Christian Lee and Tressa Mattingly. Most recently, Lee was director of new media for Judicial Watch and the Meg Whit-man for Governor Campaign. Mattingly was a senior com-munications specialist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and before that was the communications officer at Georgetown University Hospital.

Paul MonticcioloMercury Systems, based in Chelmsford, Mass., named Paul Monticciolo chief technology officer (CTO).

Monticciolo joined Mercury Sys-tems in 2010. Prior to his appointment as CTO, he was president and general manager of Mercury Federal Systems, a business that handled work with defense prime contractors and programs, includ-

ing Gorgon Stare, a program that delivers wide-area surveil-lance capabilities using unmanned aerial vehicles. Prior to Mercury Systems, Monticciolo held several key positions at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. During his 20-year tenure at Lin-coln Laboratory, he became a recognized expert in multiple intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies, including real-time embedded processing, digital signal pro-cessing, and RF hardware for radar and SIGINT applications.

Greg Gomez-CornejoCrane Aerospace & Electronics appointed Greg Gomez-Corne-jo vice president of operations of its Electronics Group.

Since 2011, he was operations executive for Hamilton Sund-strand. Prior to that, he was at Honeywell for 13 years, holding positions in Six Sigma, Supply Chain, Operations and General Management.

Paul Monticciolo

Capt. Richard Carter



February

12-14 ATM World Congress, IFEMA, Madrid, Spain.

Visit www.worldatmcongress.org.

March

4-7 Heli-Expo 2013, Las Vegas Convention Center,

Las Vegas. Visit www.heliexpo.com.

12-14 ATC Global, Amsterdam RAI Center,

Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Visit

www.atcglobalhub.com.

25-28 Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) Inter-

national Convention and Trade Show, MGM Grand

Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas. Visit

www.aea.net.

April

9-11 Aircraft Interiors Expo, Hamburg Messe, Ham-

burg, Germany. Visit www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com.

8-10 Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition, Gay-

lord National Resort & Convention Center, National

Harbor, Md. Visit www.seaairspace.org.

16–18 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhi-

bition (ABACE), Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business

Aviation Service Centre, Shanghai, China. Visit

www.abace.aero

22-26 AMC Open Forum and AEEC General Ses-

sion, Hilton Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Fla.

Visit www.aviation-ia.com.

May

21-23 European Business Aviation Convention

and Exhibition (EBACE), Geneva PALEXPO and Geneva

International Airport, Geneva, Switzerland.

Visit www.ebace.aero.

June

17-23 Paris Airshow, Le Bourget, Paris. Visit

www.paris-air-show.com.

July

17-20 Airborne Law Enforcement Association

Annual Conference and Exhibition, Orange County

Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. Visit www.alea.org.

29-Aug. 4 EAA AirVenture, Wittman Regional

Airport, Oshkosh, Wis. Visit www.eaa.org.

August

12-15 Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems

International’s (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems 2013,

Walter E. Washington Convention Center,

Washington, D.C. Visit www.auvsi.org.

September

9-12 Airline Passenger Experience Association

(APEX) Annual Expo. Anaheim, Calif.

Visit http://apex.aero.

October

10-12 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Avia-

tion Summit, Fort Worth, Texas. Visit www.aopa.org.

21-23 Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meet-

ing and Exposition, Walter E. Washington Convention

Center, Washington, D.C. Visit www.ausa.org

22-24 National Business Aviation Association

(NBAA) Annual Meeting & Convention, Las Vegas

Convention Center, Las Vegas. Visit www.nbaa.org

November

17-21 Dubai Airshow, Dubai World Central, Dubai.

Visit www.dubaiairshow.aero.

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January 2013