AVweb was on-hand for the 2010 Aircraft Electronics Association show in Orlando, Florida. Click here for an overview of our video coverage (with individual links) or click here for our complete coverage in one place.
Airshow Moving Map Replacement By Russ Niles Moving map displays for the cabin have come a long way since they were introduced and Flight Data Systems has come up with a plug-and-play upgrade for some of the pioneering systems still installed on business aircraft. The new gear fits pin-for-pin into the racks holding Rockwell Airshow 100, 200 and 400 series units but provides the most up-to-date satellite imagery at a cost FDS says may be less than repairing the existing gear.
Pay-As-You-Go Airborne Broadband By Russ Niles As any traditional Internet service provider will attest, flexibility is key in the competitive marketplace, and that movement has hit the relatively new field of airborne broadband for business aircraft. At the Aircraft Electronics Association convention in Orlando, Aircell announced that it will introduce a pay-as-you-go program for its Internet system. Existing programs only offer flat-rate monthly billing, which doesn't work for many customers. "Customers with low or sporadic utilization patterns will find great value in getting full access to the Aircell Network in a pay-as-you-go format," said Aircell General Manager John Wade. "Adding a 'per megabyte' option to our existing unlimited plans is like adding an a la carte menu to an all-you-can-eat buffet."
Randy Babbitt on NextGen at AEA By Tim Cole The FAA Administrator took the occasion this morning at the Aircraft Electronics Association annual meeting in Orlando to describe some of the advantages of NextGen, the highly touted and much anticipated future of America's aviation system. "5.6 percent of the nation's GDP is represented by the aviation industry," Babbitt told the group, "and aviation impacts nearly everyone." Babbitt cited key NextGen advantages: improved routing and continuous descents that will save $2 billion worth of kerosene annually, improved radar accuracy that will allow for safer yet more fuel efficient spacing and separation, and electronic flight bags that will allow pilots to know their position relative to potential collision threats with pinpoint accuracy. "We can make runway incursions go away," Babbitt said. "You will have information available to you that you have never seen before." He said Southwest Airlines has gotten a jump on NextGen with a recent $175 million dollar investment to build its own approaches at four airports that will save three minutes per arrival. Fuel savings, according to Babbitt, mean Southwest anticipates recouping its investment in two years.
AEA New Product: Bluetooth-Capable Audio Panel By Glenn Pew PS Engineering announced Thursday at the Aircraft Electronics Association convention in Orlando a new, FAA-certified, Bluetooth-enabled audio panel, the PMA8000BT, that it expects to ship by the end of Q2. The technology allows pilots and passengers to wirelessly connect smart phones to the audio panel, which can then distribute the phone's music, cellular telephone access, or other audio to anyone using the intercom. It also offers multiple distribution modes that control the dominance/discrimination given to the Bluetooth output versus other audio as received by up to six occupants. Bluetooth aside, the panel is otherwise fully functional in the traditional sense with the addition of a "monitor mode" that automatically mutes the standby frequency whenever the primary frequency is active.
AEA Is On, AVweb Is There By Russ Niles From the latest wonderboxes to the tools that highly-trained specialists use to troubleshoot and fix them, chances are that if it has a circuit board it's at the Aircraft Electronics Association annual meeting in Orlando. The show opened Thursday and AVweb's Editorial Director Paul Bertorelli is on the convention floor. Hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of registrants are in Orlando for the show, which AEA says will include the introduction of at least 30 new products and critical updates on regulatory issues. Guest speakers include FAA administrator Randy Babbitt and Jeff Skiles, the first officer of US Airways Flight 1549.
