Weekly News Summary - April 18, 2005

Avidyne has launched a suite of aviation datalink-enabled services both on the ground via the Internet, and in the air through its data communications-enabled integrated flight deck, and its multi-function displays.

The company's FlightCenter currently provides flight tracking and two-way text messaging for aircraft owners and other designated persons via password-protected access to its Website. Text messages to-and-from the customer's specific aircraft are sent through the Internet.

The system's ground-to-air connection is accomplished through either two XM Satellite Weather geo-synchronous satellites that use S-band frequencies in the 2.3 GHz range to broadcast data to the aircraft, or 30 ORBCOMM LEO (low earth orbit) satellite constellation that uses VHF frequencies from 137Mhz to 138Mhz for messages from the satellite to the aircraft, and 149Mhz to 151Mhz for messages from the aircraft to the satellite. Avidyne's Multilink data communications system can handle both broadcast data or narrowcast (aircraft specific) messages over either satellite system.

In the aircraft, text messages are displayed on Avidyne’s EX5000 or EX500 MFD (multi-function display). A visual cue appears on the MFD screen when a message has been received, which can be viewed with a single touch. The pilot can send text messages utilizing a standard user interface on either display unit.

FlightCenter's flight tracking service uses automatic position reports and downlinked flight plan information from a MultiLink-enabled aircraft to create and display a map view of the airplane's route of flight, including departure time, continually-updated present position, and estimated time of arrival.

Avidyne has developed a Network Operations Center (NOC) as part of its FlightCenter, which it says makes it easier to develop and offer customized airborne products for its customers. 04-18-2005. (Top)

Avidyne has added weather radar capability to its electronic MFD (multi-function display) when interfaced with a RDR 2000 (Bendix/King) digital radar.

Avidyne's EX5000 is a 10.4-inch diagonal, high-resolution MFD that is available for stand-alone applications or as part of Avidyne's FlightMax Entegra integrated flight deck suite. With this added capability, Avidyne says it is now the first general aviation integrated flight display that can depict live radar returns as well as its Multilink datalinked graphical weather information.

The radar-capable EX5000 provides dedicated knobs for bearing and tilt control, as well as one-button "on," "test" or "standby" mode switch on the map display. In addition to overlaying weather radar returns on the moving map, the EX5000 also provides a dedicated radar page with a traditional radar indicator presentation, and includes support for the RDR 2000’s vertical-profile display capability. The EX5000 also supports other radar modes including ground map, target alert, auto tilt, sector scan, and Avidyne's own BeamView and TiltView.

The company sees this offering as a way for many general aviation owners and operators to realize the benefits of having integrated radar and datalink on its EX5000 moving map display, and take advantage of the additional panel space made available by the removal of a dedicated radar display.

The EX5000 MFD provides a full-featured moving map, lightning, traffic, and TAWS (terrain awareness and warning system). Its integrated MultiLink datalink includes capabilities for a XM WX weather interface, and FlightCenter flight tracking and two-way text messaging. CMax Electronic Approach Charts, Avidyne's implementation of Jeppesen's JeppView electronic charts service also works with the EX5000.

According to Avidyne, its displays are available as a retrofit for existing aircraft, or as standard equipment on several OEM (original equipment manufacturer) aircraft models as part of the Entegra suite, including the New Piper PA46 Meridian.

For aftermarket applications, the FlightMax EX5000 with integrated MultiLink datalink starts at $13,995 and the RDR 2000-compatible EX5000 with integrated MultiLink datalink starts at $16,995. There is no additional charge for the XM WX interface. The CMax approach charts option is $2,495. XM and Multilink require the XMD-076 XM WX Receiver, which is available from Heads Up Technologies for $3,750. 04-18-2005. (Top)

China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) has contracted with Thales to provide six en-route radars in China's eastern corridor as part of an ongoing ATC infrastructure upgrade throughout the country.

Thales will supply the CAAC its RSM 970S monopulse secondary surveillance radar (MSSR) for installations in Zhanjiang, Baise, Chongqing, Shanghai, Xiangfan and Zhangjiajie.

The RSM 970S radar, designed for both approach and en-route surveillance can operate in a stand-alone configuration or be co-mounted with primary radar. 04-18-2005. (Top)

The FAA has approved the installation of Chelton's synthetic-vision EFIS (electronic flight instrument system) in Bell 204 and 205 helicopters.

Chelton's FlightLogic EFIS features a primary flight display with forward-looking synthetic vision, a multifunction moving map display, GPS with WAAS (wide area augmentation), a full FMS (flight management system), a helicopter TAWS (terrain awareness and warning system), an air data computer with fuel totalizer, solid-state strap-down AHRS (attitude heading reference system), a master caution voice warning system, a digital flight recorder, and NVG (night vision goggle) compatibility.

The Bell 204/205 EFIS also includes Chelton's HITS (highway-in-the-sky) and hover-vector navigation symbology that provides 3-D GPS guidance for en-route and instrument procedures, as well as search grids, and precision helipad approaches.

The system has already been approved for the Bell 206, 206L, 407, and the Eurocopter AS350/355.

Hillsboro Aviation, of Hillsboro, Oregon, did the initial Bell 205 STC (supplemental type certificate) installation. 04-18-2005. (Top)

The FAA has approved Chelton Flight Systems EFIS (electronic flight instrument system) primary flight display for Level A, the highest software standard level established by RTCA.

RTCA's DO-178B defines five levels of software criticality (E through A), which vary according to the safety importance of the associated instrument. To comply with Level A criteria, the software must demonstrate that it will do everything it's supposed to do, and nothing it isn’t supposed to do.

Chelton claims it now offers the most affordable EFIS option in the retrofit market with software which meets the same criteria required for commercial air transports. Other manufacturers' Level A-certified EFIS are priced 3 to 4 times higher, Chelton says. 04-18-2005. (Top)

AD Aerospace says it has readied a new, low-cost and easy-to-install cockpit door monitoring system (CDMS) with a larger display, simpler camera selection and fewer LRUs (line replaceable units) than earlier systems.

The new system, called the CabinVu-123, has a six-inch display, and its switching unit has been relocated to the cabin overhead to reduce installation time and saves the use of a valuable avionics bay slot. The monitor and control panel are located in the cockpit center pedestal, as with previous models, and the cameras are flush mounted to the aircraft interior outside the cockpit door and in the galley area.

The CabinVu-123's design allows for video switching to any combination of one to eight cameras, one to two monitors and one to two control panels depending on the configuration of the aircraft and the airline's requirements. The reduction in numbers of LRUs also enables a simplification of the installation kit decreasing the man hours needed for the install and therefore further reducing airlines costs.

The system is fully compliant with the new EUROCAE ED-123 standard (Working Group 66), which AD Aerospace says was released last week, and offers airlines a way to comply with ICAO Standard (13.2.3(b) of Annex 6).

CabinVu-123 is covered by existing STCs (supplemental type certificates) for B-737-200s to -900s, B-747, B-757, B-767, DC-10, Fokker 70/100, MD-80 and the A330, according to AD Aerospace. 04-16-2005. (Top)

Lufthansa has ordered additional Cockpit Door Surveillance Systems (CDSS) for several of its aircraft, as well as simulators, from Global ePoint AirWorks.

AirWorks' CDSS uses up to 16 mini-cameras throughout the aircraft – including cargo compartments – and touch-control LCD inter-active monitors in the cockpit, to allow flight crews to visually survey these locations from their seats.

Lufthansa will install the new systems on seven of its B-737-300s, two B-737-500s, three A330s, one A340. Two systems will be installed also on an A330 and A340 flight simulator owned by the airline.

Besides cockpit door surveillance, AirWorks has just introduced a digital video recorder upgrade for real-time viewing and recording, along with a computer-based archive, that can recall, review and search its recorded contents.

AirWorks anticipates that this enhancement might be used to record aircraft cargo loading and unloading activity, and automatically document any instance of cargo damage. The DVR can be automatically activated whenever the cargo doors are open, and its digital data retrieval system can quickly find any pertinent episode if needed. 04-16-2005. (Top)

A panel of aviation experts assembled by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said resistance to change by FAA personnel at all levels has been the key "cultural" reason why U.S. airspace modernization has been impeded. A shortage of technical expertise has also been a primary factor, as has its method of funding.

Perhaps surprisingly, some on the panel said FAA management has been more resistant to change than FAA employees who may fear that new technologies will threaten their jobs. The agency's lack of technical proficiency means that complex air traffic systems are poorly managed as are outside contractors who implement its modernization projects.

To transform its culture, the panel suggested that the FAA's Air Traffic Organization (ATO) create a vision and strategy that unites stakeholders, and assemble project teams with different skills and interests to solve common technology development problems. To help offset its technical inadequacies, the panel said the ATO could consult an advisory board, identify and consider purchasing technologies that other countries have developed, and hire more skilled engineers. As for its budgetary constraints, the panel recommended that in the short‑term, the ATO reduce spending to match its revenues and develop strategies for presenting its budget request more clearly to Congress. Longer term suggestions included giving the ATO the predictable funding and decision-making authority it needs to carry out a "sensible" capital investment plan.

The most immediate funding problem, according to the panel, is the agency's multibilliondollar deficit in projected available revenue for modernization needs over the next four years.

Beyond the immediate difficulty, however, annual funding uncertainties discourage strategic and capital planning, the panel noted, and the budget fails to show priorities and relationships among proposed investments. Furthermore, the federal budget process is influenced by political pressures, and funding for capital projects is sometimes spread out over so many years that technologies are out of date by the time they are deployed.

Although the panel didn't explicitly define "culture," it generally used the term to describe an environment in which entrenched interests attempt to retain control or influence. (The panel did not distinguish between FAA and ATO culture in its discussions.)

Individual panelists proposed the following to facilitate a constructive cultural transformation within the ATO:

Technical as well as cultural factors have impeded ATC modernization, according to several of the panelists. In their view, a number of FAA's programs, including complex ones such as WAAS (wide area augmentation system) , as well as more "straightforward" ones such as STARS (standard terminal automation replacement system) and NEXCOM (next‑generation air‑to‑ground communications system), have had fundamental system engineering technical problems that resulted in significant program cost growth and schedule increases.

The FAA's lack of systems engineering expertise is problematic not only when the agency reviews project proposals but also when it manages contracts, several panelists observed.

Individual panelists proposed these – sometimes contradictory – immediate steps to address this deficiency, including the following:

According to the panelists, budget constraints have affected ATC modernization in several ways, and the ATO could take a number of steps in the short term to address them. The most immediate budgetary constraint identified by the panel is the multibillion‑dollar shortfall that FAA is projecting between available revenues and modernization needs over the next four years.

The panelists also identified features of the federal budget process that they believe constrain modernization, for example:

To address these constraints, the panelists suggested various short-term actions, including:

For the longer term, some panelists suggested structural changes, which would generally require legislation. The goal of these longer term initiatives would be to give the ATO the predictable funding and decision‑making authority these panelists said it needs to carry out a "sensible" capital investment plan. These include:

The panelists advocating these kinds of financial initiatives said they would help the ATO by:

Not all the panelists agreed on these points, however. While not disagreeing with the potential benefits of the proposed structural changes, the dissenters cautioned that these changes would, for the most part, be politically infeasible.

The ATO's chief operating officer, Russ Chew, made the following (summarized and abbreviated) comments in response to the panel's observations at the meeting:

To see the full GAO report, "National Airspace System: Experts' Views on Improving the U.S. Air Traffic Control Modernization Program," click here. 04-16-2005. (Top)

AirDat is equipping 64 Mesaba Airlines Saab 340s with meteorological data reporting sensors for an initial demonstration that foresees a possible nationwide deployment. Iridium Satellite is providing satcom datalink service for the project.

AirDat is working with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service, and the Forecast Systems Lab, on the demonstration, called the Great Lakes Fleet Experiment (GLFE). NASA and the FAA are providing some of the program's funding.

The aircraft's sensors, developed by AirDat, are called TAMBAR, for tropospheric airborne meteorological data report. Once installed, they measure humidity, wind, pressure, temperature, icing and turbulence conditions every 300 feet during the aircraft's climbs and descents, while a built-in GPS receiver adds position, time and altitude. The observations are transmitted to AirDat's data center in real time through Iridium Satellite's global network. AirDat can remotely program The TAMDAR units by using an Iridium two-way datalink.

"The Mesaba aircraft collectively make more than 400 daily flight segments, yielding 800 vertical soundings and about 16,000 TAMDAR observations per day," according to Jay Ladd, AirDat's CEO. "This will yield a real-time stream of rich atmospheric data for forecasting models that is orders of magnitude greater than currently available from radiosondes and other sources. Preliminary analysis reveals the TAMDAR data is providing significant improvement in the accuracy of atmospheric forecast models."

"We believe we can achieve complete coverage of the continental United States with 400 to 600 aircraft in key regions," Ladd said. "Weather forecasting agencies in other countries are monitoring the TAMDAR deployment, and Iridium's global architecture will facilitate seamless expansion to other regions."

AirDat sees regional airline aircraft as ideal platforms for TAMDAR sensors, since they make shorter trips with frequent ascents and descents, and operate below 30,000 feet. And since they operate at airports that are more geographically dispersed, they provide better coverage.

Iridium says its transceiver can also be used to provide regular two-way datalink service with Mesaba's aircraft besides the TAMDAR reports. Mesaba is currently using the equipment for automated oooi (out-of- gate, off- the-ground, on-the-ground and in-the-gate) operational reports, and expects to add e-mail text messaging service in the near future. 04-16-2005. (Top)

Sabre Airline Solutions says growing competitive pressures are causing airlines to continue the trend toward ASP (application service provider) software applications as a way to lower information technology costs and show a faster return on investment.

In the last year, 17 new airlines chose Sabre Airline Solutions' eMergo (the company's Web delivery method) to access airline software making it a leading application service provider (ASP) for the airline transportation industry, Sabre claims. Seventy-two airlines now use 127 eMergo applications as an alternative to on-site system implementation.

ASP gives customers the ability to drastically reduce upfront and upgrade costs while simplifying their own IT responsibilities, Sabre says, so they can better focus on their main business. Steve Clampett, a Sabre Airline Solutions' senior vice president, says, "Many companies overlook the hidden costs of dealing with third-party vendors, the labor that goes into maintaining an application and the less-than-perfect support they may have during times of critical operations."

Its eMergo solution saves customers as much as 70 percent of total ownership cost (acquisition and maintenance) in the first year and 40 percent in subsequent years, according to Sabre. 04-18-2005. (Top)

Japan Getting Preston's Airport Simulation Software

Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) will use Preston Aviation Solutions' simulation software to conduct "what-if" analysis of Japan's airport and en-route airspace operations.

The Total Airspace and Airport Modeler (TAAM) simulation system should be completely installed at the Fukuoka Air Traffic Flow Management facility by the end of this month.

TAAM is used by airports, air carriers, civil aviation authorities, airspace planners, and air navigation service providers, throughout the world, to analyze present situations and possible improvements. Aviation research organizations, system integrators and universities, also use its capability.

Preston is a subsidiary of the Boeing Company, and is part of its Commercial Aviation Services business unit. It does business in Japan through its exclusive distributor, CRC Solutions Corp., a subsidiary of Itochu Corporation. 04-15-2005. (Top)

Lancair Models First to Offer Avidyne's Multilink and Electronic Charts

Avidyne says that Lancair's Columbia 350 and 400 models are the first aircraft to be factory equipped with both datalinked weather and electronic approach chart capabilities, integrated with its EFIS (electronic flight instrument system).

Lancair will offer Avidyne's Multilink weather delivery and CMax Electronic Approach Chart capabilities on both the Columbia 350 and 450 on new aircraft and as optional upgrades on existing airplanes.

Both Lancair models are equipped with Avidyne's FlightMax Entegra system, including a 10.4-inch diagonal PFD (primary flight display) and MFD (multi-function display) installed in portrait orientation in the panel. While Avidyne's Narrowcast datalink (messages sent to specific aircraft) has been available on all Columbia models, MultiLink adds XM WX high-speed broadcast weather information, and provides access to Avidyne's and FlightCenter suite of datalink services including flight tracking and two-way air-to-ground messaging.

Source: Avidyne

Avidyne's Multilink integrates Avidyne's existing two-way, route-specific Narrowcast Datalink weather system with XM WX broadband satellite download of weather conditions from across the continental U.S. While either data feed may be used separately, the MultiLink combination gives pilots detailed, timely data for weather decision-making.

MultiLink Weather Information Displayed on Entegra MFD

Lancair added CMax to give the pilot an instant display of Jeppesen JeppView electronic charts. Among its several features, CMax automatically shows the aircraft’s position overlaid on the airport diagram; while in flight, it shows the aircraft position and flight plan on the selected approach plate.

CMax JeppView Chart Displayed on Entegra MFD

Source: Avidyne

04-18-2005. (Top)

Excel Airways, based in Crawley, England, leased two CFM56-7B26-powered B-737-800s aircraft from ILFC for delivery in May 2006. 04-18-2005.

Royal Jordanian leased two new V2533-powered A321-200s aircraft from ILFC for deliver this month and in May 2006. 04-18-2005.

KLM leased two CF6-80E1-A3-powered A330-200s from ILFC for delivery in February and March 2007, and two GE90-94B-powered B-777-206ERs for delivery in May 2006 and March 2007. 04-18-2005.

South African Airways subleased three A340-300s to Jet Airways. 04-18-2005.

Air Charter Service added a European-registered An-74 freighter to its managed fleet. It will operate out of East Midlands Airport. 04-18-2005.

Delta AirElite Business Jets has added a Bombardier Challenger 300 to its operating certificate through a charter management agreement. 04-18-2005.

Bangalore’s Air One Feeder Airline will lease two ERJ-145s from Swiss International Air Lines. The aircraft will enter service in the second half of 2005. 04-18-2005.

FL Group, formerly Flugleidir Icelandair, has converted purchase rights it contracted for in a January order, into a firm order for five B-737-800s that will be delivered in 2007. All the aircraft will be leased to other carriers. 04-18-2005.

WestJet received its first of five B-737-800s. The low-cost Canadian airline will get four more 737-800s, seven 737-700s and three 737-600s yet this year, and has exercised options for an additional three 737-600s for delivery in 2006. 04-18-2005.

Finnair says it will retire its 10 MD-80s "at an accelerated rate" by fall 2006. 04-18-2005.

Korean Air Lines ordered ten B-787-8s along with options for an additional ten. Deliveries will begin in 2009. 04-18-2005. (Top)

Iberia flew 4.14 billion RPKs in March, an 11.2% increase from March 2004. Capacity increased 5.7% to 5.27 billion ASKs. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 6.5% to 11.42 billion, while ASKs increased 4.8% to 15.26 billion. 04-18-2005.

Austrian Airlines Group flew 1.33 billion RPKs in March, up 3% over the year-ago period. Capacity increased 2.4% to 1.87 billion ASKs. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 1.5% to 3.75 billion, while ASKs increased 5.5% to 5.52 billion. 04-18-2005.

Embraer delivered 30 airplanes, 18 ERJ 145s, ten ERJ 170s, and 2 Legacy business jets, in the first quarter, out of the total 145 aircraft it expects to deliver in 2005. Approximately 60% of the aircraft deliveries forecasted for 2005 will be concentrated in the second half of the year, when the company's first ERJ 175 and 190 deliveries are scheduled to begin. 04-18-2005.

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) said that reporting U.S. airlines carried 47.5 million domestic passengers during January 2005, compared to 44.1 million in January 2004. These passengers were carried on 784,535 flights, down 1.1% from the 793,583 flights operated in January 2004. RPMs were up 8.0%, while ASMs were up 1.1%. Revised data from December 2004 and previous months are posted on the BTS website at www.transtats.bts.gov. 04-18-2005.

Finnair flew 1.59 billion RPKs in March, up 12.1% over the year-ago period. Capacity increased 8.5% to 2.15 billion ASKs. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 7.4% to 4.32 billion, while ASKs increased 5.3% to 5.89 billion. 04-18-2005.

Alaska Air Group flew 1.46 billion RPMs in March, up 10% over the year-ago period. Capacity increased 1.9% to 1.88 billion ASMs. For the three months ended March 31, RPMs increased 8.9% to 3.9 billion, while ASMs increased 3.7% to 5.37 billion. 04-18-2005.

Swiss International Air Lines flew 1.72 billion RPKs in March, down 4.8% from the year-ago period. Capacity decreased 8.9% to 2.2 billion ASKs. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs decreased 7.7% to 4.7 billion, while ASKs decreased 10.9% to 6.34 billion. 04-18-2005.

Gol flew 648.5 million domestic RPKs in March, up 56.3% over the year-ago period. Domestic capacity climbed 29.1% to 899.9 million. Internationally, the carrier flew 59 million RPKs during March with 45.5 million ASKs. 04-18-2005.

China Eastern Airlines reported a net profit of 514.1 million yuan ($62.1 million) in 2004, compared to a net loss of 949.8 million yuan in 2003. 04-18-2005.

AirBaltic’s revenues rose 54% in 2004 to €74.4 million ($96.1 million), but the airline still reported an annual loss of €1.2 million. 04-18-2005.

Air China reported net income of 2.39 billion yuan ($288.8 million) in 2004, compared to 160 million net income in the prior year. Operating revenue increased 36% to 33.52 billion yuan. 04-18-2005.

National Air Traffic Services (NATS) handled 2,200,665 flights in U.K. airspace in 2004/2005, a new record and an increase of 4.8% from 2003/2004. In March, NATS handled 181,524 flights, an increase of 5.5% from the same month last year. The average delay, per flight, attributable to NATS in the 12 months of the 2004/2005 financial year, was 20.9 seconds, compared to 40.6 seconds in 2003/2004, a reduction of 48.5%. In 2004/2005, 98% of flights experienced no delays attributable to NATS, an improvement from 95.6% in 2003/2004. In March, the average NATS attributable delay, per flight, was 6.2 seconds compared to 23.1 seconds in March 2004. The proportion of flights receiving no delay caused by NATS went up to 99.3% in March 2005, compared to 97.3% in March 2004. 04-18-2005.

Cessna delivered 654 single engine piston aircraft in 2004, of which over 90 percent were equipped with Garmin's G1000 avionics. Cessna expects to deliver approximately 900 single engine piston aircraft this year. 04-18-2005.

Lufthansa flew 8.64 billion RPKs in March, up 3.1% over the year-ago period. Capacity increased 4.4% to 11.62 billion. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 2.9% to 23.77 billion, while ASKs increased 2.2% to 32.47 billion. 04-18-2005.

Cathay Pacific flew 5.33 billion RPKs in March, up 22.1% over the year-ago period. Capacity increased 14.4% to 6.78 billion ASKs. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 17.7% to 15.51 billion, while ASKs increased 12.8% to 19.75 billion. 04-18-2005.

LAN Airlines flew 1.51 billion RPKs in March, up 23% over the year-ago period. Capacity increased 17.2% to 1.98 billion ASKs. For the three months ended March 31, RPKs increased 19.2% to 4.56 billion, while ASKs increased 15.5% to 5.98 billion. 04-18-2005.

The OAG says North American low-cost carriers (LCCs) now have 17% of the total market, up 5 points since April 2001. In Europe LCCs represent 14% of the market. OAG also said the number of flights being offered worldwide this month is 5% higher than in April 2004. In China, where the number of flights to and from the country will see growth of 12% and domestic flights a 20% increase compared with April 2004. The Middle East had an 8% increase in flights to and from the region and a 6% "domestic" increase. 04-18-2005.

JetBlue Airways flew 1.66 billion RPMs in March, up 33.7% over the year-ago period. Capacity increased 24.1% to 1.84 billion ASMs. For the three months ended March 31, RPMs increased 31.5% to 4.34 billion, while ASMs increased 22.5% to 5.17 billion. 04-18-2005. (Top)

RTCA's annual forum and awards luncheon will be held on May 25 in downtown Washington D.C. The operational and safety benefits of the FAA's Safe Flight 21 and Alaska Capstone programs will be the theme of this year's meeting.

Specifically, this year's program will examine the processes, standards, infrastructure implementation that made those programs work; along with lessons learned, and plans for the future. The awards' luncheon will recognize the aviation community volunteers who have contributed significantly to RTCA's work program and success over the past year.