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ARINC Direct Showcase Xplore at EBACE

May 22, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Last week in Geneva at EBACE, business aviation specialists, ARINC Direct took a step closer to a paperless cockpit with their latest innovation, Xplore, a new communications service, offering a four-in-one portable device – ACARS messaging, high-quality voice service, Blackberry email and SMS/Instant Messaging capable.

Xplore will use an iPad application for the user interface and will be user-friendly, adding the benefit of sychnronicity between two or more iPads with bluetooth technology.

ARINC Direct existing business jet-operating customers will notice that the ACARS functionality is completely interoperable with their ARINC Direct account.

“The system is so flexible and easy to use we are looking at a wider range of applications than just business jets for its use,” said ARINC director James Hardie.

ARINC Direct Xplore, using the Inmarsat and Iriudium satellite networks will enable global connectivity for the flight deck and passengers in a simple, single application.

Mr Hardie continued, “If pilots are equipped with SwiftBroadband and they use the iPad App, then they are benefitting from a dynamic aviation information platform which surpasses traditional methods of getting in flight data.”

ARINC Direct encouraged pre-ordering of their business jet innovation at EBACE and hope to complete certification to launch the live product later this year.

Xplore ACARS

ARINC Direct Xplore – ACARS

Smartphone App Hacking Issue Involves ACARS

April 14, 2013
Business Aviation News
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The alarming issue of aircraft hacking with the Smartphone app designed by Hugo Teso continues this week as he claims he could create false ACARS messages that could distract pilots with false weather or air traffic information.

Since the current ACARS system uses no authentication, Teso, an engineer and pilot, who works for a German security company, declared it was possible to cause these disruptions from a Smartphone, while seated on the plane.  He uses technology called ‘software defined radio’ to mimic the ACARS VHF frequency.

Teso, speaking at the ‘Hack in the Box’ conference in Amsterdam last week, says he bought second-hand Honeywell and Rockwell Collins Flight Management System equipment from eBay and extensively tested his app.  His findings have led him to believe that he could produce malformed ACARS messages to trigger vulnerabilities in the flight management systems on certain aircraft, potentially giving a hacker a degree of control over the aircraft.

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The U.S. FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have dismissed his claims, highlighting the fact that he has only tested his app on flight training simulation software and not on the protected technology that exists on a real flight deck.

A spokesman for EASA said that no, “Potential vulnerabilities on actual flying systems,” have been shown, and that, “The simulation does not have the same overwriting protection and redundancies included in certified flight software.”

Although both agencies strongly deny the possibilities of interference through ACARS messages, Teso states that he is “working with EASA to improve the situation.”

 

ARINC Continues to Lead the Industry with Support on CPDLC

April 2, 2013
Business Aviation News
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ARINC with their development of ACARS in the 1970’s are well-known in the aviation industry and the clear choice when looking for support with CPDLC solutions.

Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), having responsibility for a large number of aircraft in wide ranging airspace, require different support to individual airlines for obvious reasons.  ARINC’s services are in high demand in this area.

Controller Pilot Datalink communications (CPDLC) with Air Traffic Control (ATC) via VHF datalink Mode 2 (VDLM2) is set to replace ACARS messaging in the future, and ARINC will be advising airlines on their specifications for equipping, upgrading or retrofitting to enable use of CPDLC by February 2015.

ARINC already works with ANSPs across Europe – NATS (UK), DFS (Germany) and Skyguide (Switzerland) to ensure they implement the links by the end of this year.

Yanko Videv, ARINC EMEA Aviation Solutions datalink program manager said that they aim to engage with ANSPs “In the early stages of their requirement definition, to facilitate a smoother transition to CPDLC.”

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) want to see a universal worldwide standard for datalink communications based upon ICAO Aeronautical Telecommunications Network standards, with voice communications used as a back-up.

Although the U.S. will not use the same system as Europe, for now, the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) standards will continue to be accepted in VDLM2 regulated airspace, under exemption, until harmonization occurs.

ARNIC Direct close to switching on Connect Service

March 14, 2013
Business Aviation News
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Connect - providing airborne communications addressing and reporting system

Connect – providing airborne communications addressing and reporting system

ARINS Direct hope to launch its Connect low-cost business aviation communication service before the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention this October in Las Vegas. They have just a few regulatory hurdles and technical issues to resolve.

Designed to provide airborne communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) messaging via an Apple iPad application, the service is the future of ACARS’s communications traditionally provided by the like of the ARINC AviNet service.

James Hardie ARINC Direct director said “We were looking at having the box ready for the second quarter of this year, but we’re a little bit behind with some of the things we’ve had to do to refine things, We’re very confident that by NBAA we’ll be in full production offering it up to customers, and in between we’ll be looking to do some trials as well”

“Connect” currently is only a working title for the product and fresh branding will be announced at the EBASE show in May.

At the 2012 NBAA convention the product was announced and a pre-production version will be available for demonstration at the EBASE show.

James Hardie added  “It is designed to provide airborne communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) messaging via an Apple iPad application, high quality voice communications using an iPhone or Android device, and email. We’re looking to enable connectivity into new markets and also into existing markets with this box. If they’ve got an Iridium phone system then this box can take the place of some of that, using the antenna infrastructure. We’ve had an awful lot of interest from all sorts of operators, from medevac to charter. They might buy this equipment and put it on board a charter aircraft that they are managing for another individual.”

Connect is also being offered as a low-cost enabler for on-board services. “We think there’s an opportunity there to enable across a much wider range of aircraft because of technological developments in terms of miniaturisation of equipment and better understanding of interference issues, a lot of those issues that were around at the top of people’s agendas a few years ago are very much resolved. The next iteration will be looking at developing a user interface for the data link in the cockpit, which would be done through the iPad and connecting to the Arinc Direct box.”

James Hardie added the Connect iPad app is “essentially an electronic flight bag providing a paperless cockpit capability”.

At the request of their customer various new features have been added including “Cloud” connectivity for continuous synchronisation.

Carrying on James hardie said “If you write something down on your iPad it’s appearing on the co-pilot’s iPad, and as long as the aircraft has got a connection to the ground then we can provide data back to our cloud servers. They’ll store that information so if there are any problems with it, it can be regenerated and the content of your flight plan is accessible in flight and after the flight by everybody.”

Other  features to be included shortly include ad hoc flight planning within the app, as well as “just before flight” activities such as weight and balance sign-off.

ARINC to provide ACARS for Japan’s AVICOM

November 22, 2012
Business Aviation News
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This week we heard that ARINC will be providing IT maintenance and support for Japan’s AVICOM Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS).

AVICOM is Japan’s service provider for aviation communications, performing the same role as the FAA in the USA. Since the 1990’s AVICOM has used ACARS, and has selected ARINC to provide a broader service and maintenance solution that meets increasingly demanding cost expectations. ARINC will provide dedicated on-site support at AVICOM’s Network Operating Center, in addition to remote support in locations across Japan. The complete ARINC managed solution comprises asset management, incident management, preventive maintenance and reporting.

“This is the first time we’ve been contracted to support an ACARS system and provide maintenance for back-end network infrastructure in this way,” said Jim L. Martin, Managing Director, ARINC Asia Pacific. “This engagement highlights the flexibility of our IT support capabilities to develop solutions for a variety of technical environments,” Martin continued.

For more information on ARINC’s services airport management please visit the AviNet Airport site. For specific information on ACARSs and the transmission of Type B Messages please visit the Type B Messaging site.