Waco, Texas, March 20, 2014 — FreeFlight Systems announced today FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) and Approved Model List (AML) approval for the RANGR FDL-978-XVR ADS-B In/Out Universal Access Transceiver (UAT).
Approved for installation in most light General Aviation (GA) aircraft, the RANGR FDL-978-XVR provides full ADS-B Out rule compliance using existing Mode A/C or Mode S transponders. The system also receives ADS-B In TIS-B traffic and FIS-B graphical weather and other data for display on Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) supporting the industry-standard Capstone Protocol. This includes Garmin GNS 400/500 series units and any display that complies with the ARINC 735B standard for Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI). The RANGR FDL-978-XVR also supports weather and traffic display on an Apple iPad via an optional WiFi module. It is the smallest, lightest and most affordable system available, is easy to install and is first 978 MHz UAT certified for rotorcraft.
In addition to enabling ADS-B installations in the lower 48, this STC also applies to the upgrade of up to 600 aircraft that participated in the development of ADS-B in the Capstone Program in Alaska. The FAA funded the installation of first-generation systems in exchange for pilot feedback to refine the technologies and determine performance requirements. The FAA committed to upgrade the avionics to meet the ADS-B “Version 2” Final Rule requirements and selected FreeFlight Systems as the supplier after a lengthy, rigorous, industry-wide competitive evaluation.
Installations of the certified FreeFlight Systems UAT have begun in Alaska and will continue through 2014. Installation experience gained during the Capstone upgrades in diverse aircraft with a wide range of existing avionics is expected to help the industry to continue to develop efficient and cost-effective best practices for retrofitting more than 200,000 aircraft in the continental U.S. prior to the Jan. 1, 2020 equipage deadline.
“This AML approval is another significant milestone on the way toward modernizing the entire fleet of aircraft in the U.S. for the NextGen airspace system before the 2020 deadline,” said Tim Taylor, CEO of FreeFlight Systems. “We have worked hard to make installation of ADS-B systems quite straightforward, and this STC, which we make available to our customers at no charge, is a concrete example of that commitment.”
FreeFlight Systems was a participant in the Capstone Program and involved in the development of ADS-B, WAAS GPS and related NextGen avionics for more than a decade. The company developed the first rule-compliant ADS-B 978 MHz UAT to receive TSO approval, the first to receive Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval in any aircraft and the first approved for installation in airport ground vehicles.
About FreeFlight Systems FreeFlight Systems designs and manufactures high-performance avionics for flight safety and for delivering the substantial safety, cost, environmental and other benefits from the NextGen airspace transformation. Founded in 2001 and based in Texas, the company pioneered the first certified aviation WAAS GPS receiver and the first rule-compliant UAT ADS-B system. FreeFlight Systems produces a range of high quality, American-made, competitively priced systems for installation in all aircraft types. For more information, please visit www.freeflightsystems.com
