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Monthly Archives: September 2013

First FANS CPDLC Retrofit Certification

September 17, 2013
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It has recently been announced that Chicago Jet Group (CJG) and Universal Avionics has received the first FANS CPDLC Certification after retrofitting a Dassault Mystere Falcon 50 with the CPDLC system over Iridium.

CJG completed the installation of UniLink UL-801 CMU with VHF VDLM2 receiver, which will provide the flight crew with a global voice and datalink channel for ACARS, CPDLC and FANS1/A+ messaging.

“The certification of this integrated retrofit system in the Falcon 50 entitles international operators to utilize the significant time and cost advantages offered by flying FANS preferred airspace. This solution provides a certified FANS system prior to the first mandate of February 5, 2015,” said Mike Mitera, President of the Chicago Jet Group.

cpdlcThe retrofit CPDLC system is now ready for the approaching mandates for NextGen, Eurocontrol Link 2000+ which will require the CPDLC for European airspace.  With aircraft flying frequently in the North Atlantic Track System (NATS), the retrofit will allow access to the most preferred tracks, saving time and fuel on transatlantic flights.

“Universal Avionics proudly recognizes Chicago Jet Group’s efforts, working diligently to achieve the first FANS/CPDLC retrofit STC,” said Bruce Bunevich, Universal Avionics’ Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager. “We will continue to work together to provide NextGen avionics solutions for additional airframes,” he added.

Flight Time Rules Questioned by UK Transport Committee

September 16, 2013
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The EU proposal for flight and duty time regulations has been questioned by the UK Parliamentary Transport Committee this week.

The proposed EASA changes, due to take effect as early as November this year, are an improvement upon the current version, the committee said, but they seem, for the most part to contradict current scientific research.

Concerns were also raised about the controversial low reporting of pilot fatigue.  This will relate directly to the proposal for 11-hour  period of ‘on duty’ for night flights and led the committee to demand that ‘the government seek to ensure scientists have a more central role in further work by EASA as it finalizes its flight-time limitations proposals.’

The Transport Committee have reiterated their concerns that no ‘consensus was reached with pilots and cabin crew.’  The proposals by EASA would give operators the lead to issue duty rotations that will mean up to a third of flights will exceed the current maximum duty period. The UK CAA believes that a more practical limit would be 10-20%.  EASA argue that scheduled flights that would exceed will only be seasonal.

It has been suggested by the UK that the EU come back to the regulations after a two year ‘trial’ period, to assess the effectiveness of the new rules.

The First A320 Family Aircraft to Offer In-flight Wifi Nearing Completion

September 11, 2013
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In-Flight Wifi Service ProvidersThe first A320 family of Airbus, single-aisle jet aircraft to be fitted with the company’s Airline Network Architecture (ALNA v2) will soon roll off the assembly line in Toulouse, France.

The equipment will offer passengers internet access with in-flight Wifi and mobile telephone services in readiness for new relaxed rulings about the use of passenger technology in the air.

The A320 family will join the other Airbus A330, A380 and the new A350 XWB families to be refitted with the ALNA v2 equipment.

In-flight Wifi and GSM offerings are hot property in the aviation industry at the moment, with passenger demand for connectivity growing by the day.  In the business sector and private jets, it is expected, in order for company executives to be able to work as efficiently and effectively in the air as they can in their ground-based offices.

Service providers such as ARINC Direct bring a complete suite of passenger connectivity products to the table of business aviation and offer innovative, cost effective and seamlessly operational solutions to in-flight Wifi, telephone, fax and conference video with their unique Inmarsat and Iridium satellite services.

ARINC Supports New Air Canada Global Operations Center

September 10, 2013
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Advanced Communications Systems Integration Air Canada’s new Global Operations Centre in Brampton, Ontario has received a major communications systems integration completed recently by ARINC.  The state-of-the-art centre will serve as a central control for the every day operations of Air Canada, increasing both operational capabilities and efficiency.

ARINC Managed Services will also provide comprehensive, on-going support for the centre.

The communications systems integration project involved Air Canada’s air-to-ground and ground-to-air communications, system engineering and support services in addition to existing radio maintenance and asset management responsibilities.

“AMS’s system integration and engineering support has been invaluable,” said Catherine Brassard, Senior Director of Operations, Excellence and Continuous Improvement at Air Canada. “We believe the OC will significantly improve Air Canada’s operations and we consider ARINC to be a trusted partner in helping us accomplish this goal.”

ARINC are experts in communications systems integration.  Their work within the industry is legendary.  As there is a shift in the aviation industry to more flexible, web-based communications systems integration, ARINC clearly stand out with their eHub solution.

ARINC eHub offers increased flexibility and cost effective operations with a solution that requires no software downloads or expensive equipment, seamlessly integrating with existing packages, including CUTE systems technology and equipment, accessible from any internet connection and any device.

ARINC C-130B Project in Indonesia for Mission-Critical Communications Upgrades & Retrofit.

September 10, 2013
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Mission critical CommunicationsARINC Inc is progressing ‘aggressively’ with the completion of its contract with the Indonesian Government to modernize five of its C-130B aircraft for the Indonesian Airforce, it was announced today.

The project, which began in early 2011 is on schedule and on budget and will help to modernize the transport fleet and upgrade mission critical communications for humanitarian purposes.  There is structural work being carried out in addition to the retrofit of upgraded technology to enhance capabilities.

The work is being carried out by ARINC onsite, which enables the Indonesian Airforce to receive all the benefits of ARINC’s significant skills and knowledge, without having to bear the cost of the transportation of the aircraft to the Aerospace division of ARINC in Oklahoma.

All the parts required have been exported to the modifications facility in Indonesia and work is well underway.  The key milestones have been reached!

ARINC offer innovative solutions to mission critical communications with superior satellite services over the Inmarsat network.  They have been delivering mission critical communications for over 80 years and are well-placed in the industry, having an unparalleled reputation for excellence.

“ARINC Aerospace is uniquely qualified to perform this type of work,” noted Michael Young, Vice President of ARINC Aerospace. “We have far-reaching experience on multiple platforms and a broad range of capabilities. We are pleased that the project is going so well and that we are growing closer to the goal of enhancing the capabilities of the Indonesian Air Force.”

JetBlue Sign Aviation Technical for In-Flight Wifi

September 6, 2013
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in flight wifiAviation Technical, Washington-based providers have been awarded the contract by New York-based low cost airline, JetBlue to install in-flight Wifi technology on their fleet of 130 Airbus A320 aircraft.  To installations are expected to near completion by the end of 2014.

Designed by LiveTV, who will give training and technical support to Aviation Technical Services, the technology will provide Ka-band connectivity.

JetBlue’s brand for the in-flight wifi is called ‘Fly-Fi’ and will use satellite networks for connectivity, rather than the more common Ku-band provision, which uses ground-based stations.  This will give faster and more reliable connection.

The Ka-band operates within a higher bandwidth and offering eight times more than the Ku-band, which is also more highly congested.

Other in-flight wifi providers, such as ARINC, use Iridium and Inmarsat satellite networks to provide a seamless global connectivity for their customers within the Ka-band with SwiftBroadband and their CabinConnect solutions.

Chinese Commuters Could Soon Take to the Skies

September 6, 2013
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A $130 million contract between a Beijing-based aircraft manufacturer and a General Aviation company to supply 300 small aircraft within the next five years could become the new commuter solution in China.

The companies want to introduce ‘mini airports’ at over 160 countries in the province and provide a short-haul service for passengers within a low-flying network.

All the aircraft will be manufactured with a maximum capacity of ten passengers and will target business passengers to boost more than just the aviation sectors in China.

Due to the terrain in China, in general, the daily commute for many passengers would be greatly reduced with aviation routes, rather than using the roads.  A 40km distance between two points can easily become 200km within the road network.

Chen Wei, Chairman of Beijing George Heintz Aircraft Manufacturing Co regularly takes a minimum of an hour’s drive into the City, but using aviation will cut the journey down to just 15 minutes.

The plan to open up low-altitude airspace is becoming an International trend, but is expected to be a fairly slow process in China.  Government regulators are being asked to consider the new plans and the benefits to not only general aviation, but many business sectors of the province.  It is hoped that plans can forge forwards within the next five years, although it seems unlikely that low-altitude regulations will be in operation before 2020.

Celebrities to Attend the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Summit

September 5, 2013
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Griffey at AOPA SummitCelebrities with a passion for aviation will appear at this year’s AOPA summit in Fort Worth to mingle with the members.  Appearances from Ken Griffey Jr, Major League Baseball player, football legend, Ed ‘Too-Tall’ Jones and Aaron Tippin, Country & Western singer are expected.

Ken Griffey is a pilot and will speak at the keynote address on Friday 11th October.  Aaron Tippin is also a pilot of a T-6 Texan and will play a free concert for the first 450 summit attendees at the Flying Saucer Restaurant.  He is a long-time supporter of AOPA and said, “I am just like any other aviator. I’m always looking for organizations that are going to look out for the interest of pilots, aircraft owners, and mechanics.”

Ed Jones is a local who has a passion for aviation and will attend an interactive Q&A session, where members will have the opportunity to ask him about his distinguished SuperBowl career of 15 years, his fellow players and his retirement.

“We look for celebrities who have a passion for aviation, who have served aviation in some way, or who have a unique connection to the local community where Summit is held,” said AOPA director of outreach and events, Chris Eads.

 

Global Passenger Communications & In-Flight Entertainment Industry Expected to Reach $3 Billion by 2017

September 5, 2013
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passenger communicationsIt was recently found, according to a new market research report by commercial aviation analyst, Adeline Fernandez that the passenger communications and in-flight entertainment sector market could reach $3 billion by 2017, compared to $2 billion in 2012.

The ever increasing demand for improved in-flight entertainment and the growing need for fast and cost-efficient passenger communications is fuelled by the huge wireless industry.  Most passengers now want to use their own devices and Smartphones on board and do not want to be subject to the traditional restrictions.

As technology is constantly evolving, more advanced use of devices is expected and greater bandwidth is required.  WiFi systems for passenger communications and in-flight entertainment are set to take over in commercial aviation from retrofit systems by manufacturing companies.

Commercial and Business aviation passengers now want to use their phones, devices and laptops as efficiently in the air, at 40,000ft as they do on the ground.  This will fuel the installation of wireless connectivity on board aircraft as airlines vie for passengers.

Heathrow Extends iMUSE Common Use System Contract with ARINC and Awards New

September 4, 2013
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ARINC Common Use System BenefitsARINC has announced that London Heathrow (LHR) has renewed it current iMUSE, common use system contract until March 2015 by the AOC.

LHR remains the world’s busiest international airport, with over 75 million passengers passing through each year and is known as the hub of the civil aviation world.

An additional contract has simultaneously been awarded to ARINC to install the industry leading common use system in LHR’s new Terminal 2, expected to open its doors in June 2014, to support 378 check-in desks and boarding gates.  ARINC will also continue with the maintenance and support for all the equipment.  The new terminal is expected to service 20 million passengers.

Arinc, who have been working with LHR since 1999 have built a strong relationship with the airport.  David P Wilding, Chair of Heathrow AOC’s Shared System Board said, “Terminal 2, which is scheduled to open its doors to the public in June 2014, has been meticulously designed around the needs of passengers – with particular emphasis on enabling them to get to and from their flights as quickly as possible.  ARINC’s iMUSE, by processing passengers faster and more efficiently through sharing airport infrastructure and resources, has a pivotal role to play in this objective which is fundamental to LHR’s undertaking to provide world-class customer service.”

ARINC are delighted to extend and expand their relationship with Heathrow, especially their involvement with the common use system for the new Terminal 2.  Tony Chapman, Executive Director of ARINC EMEA for Heathrow said, “We look forward to continuing to support the AOC’s efforts of providing the most efficient passenger processing systems possible.”