Weekly News Summary - June 25, 2004

Avidyne says it will use XM WX Satellite Weather to provide broadcast datalink weather for its FlightMax EX500 multifunction displays and FlightMax Entegra integrated flight deck systems, making it the first company to offer multiple, complimentary satellite datalink capabilities. FlightMax systems already include Avidyne’s narrowcast satellite datalink.

Avidyne’s new capability, called MultiLink, will provide an interface to the Heads Up Technologies XMD-076 XM receiver, and will be available as a software update for all Avidyne FlightMax EX500 and Entegra EX5000 multi-function displays. It allows the operation of Avidyne’s narrowcast and XM’s broadcast weather individually or together as complementary systems.

The addition of XM Satellite Weather will also provide users access to another source of lightning data – in this case from the National Lightning Detection Network while operating over the continental U.S. (FlightMax can also display airborne lighting detection information from a Goodrich Stormscope sensor.) XM WX Satellite Weather data is collected from the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), as well as other governmental agencies and commercial providers, before being analyzed and processed by WxWorx, a XM WX partner. 06-24-2004. (Top)

Southwest Airlines agreed to a six-year comprehensive engine monitoring program with SmartSignal for its GE CFM‑56-powered B-737-700 fleet.

According to SmartSignal, Southwest is using its technology to obtain a more comprehensive, proactive view of aircraft engine health, and to minimize unscheduled maintenance. The monitoring program should also help Southwest control spare parts inventory and its associated costs.

SmartSignal believes a key differentiator in its ECM (engine condition monitoring) solution is its ability to strategically monitor overall aircraft performance in real‑time. 06-25-2004. (Top)

The FAA has certified Avidyne's integrated engine monitor and fuel computer for its line of multi-function displays. The company also received a STC (supplemental type certificate) to interface with the engines on Cirrus SR20s and SR22s.

Avidyne says its FlightMax EX5000C MFD (multifunction display) combined with its EMax engine monitor, provides a fuel totalizer, an automatic leaning function, and a percent-of-horsepower display, which removes the guesswork of fuel and power management. Besides displaying fuel flow, EMax computes nautical miles per gallon, fuel remaining, fuel-to-waypoint, and fuel-to-destination. Engine cylinder head (CHT) and exhaust gas temperatures (EGT), RPM, manifold pressure, oil temperature and oil pressure, are also displayed, as are the outside air temperature (OAT), and electrical bus voltages.

In addition, the EX5000C-EMax combination gives the pilot a new dedicated engine page showing all engine, fuel and leaning settings and parameters. Or, if desired, the pilot can display engine and fuel data in configurable data blocks on EMax's full-screen moving map. In the event of an exceedence, each out-of-limit parameter is highlighted on both the dedicated engine page and the map screen.

EMax also provides full-time recording of critical engine performance parameters for up to 30 hours, which can be downloaded via FlightMax EX5000's data port to a standard spreadsheet format.

The FlightMax EX5000 10.4-inch, high-resolution (800x600 pixels) MFD allows the pilot to overlay navigation data such as the active flight plan route, airways, navaids, off-route waypoints, political boundaries, obstacles and special use airspace, over a color-contoured terrain and water base map. It also can display lightning when interfaced with Goodrich’s WX-500 Stormscope lightning sensor, and traffic data with Goodrich's Skywatch Traffic Awareness System (TAS). Uplinked graphical weather can be displayed on the EX5000 as well.

The FlightMax EX5000C MFD is an enhanced version of the EX5000 that includes electronic checklist capability specifically for Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft.

According to Avidyne, its EMax is available for TCM IO-360 and IO-550 engines, found on Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft, for $5,750, including the sensor interface unit, sensor probes, and wiring harness. The FlightMax EX5000 MFD is $12,995. EMax retrofit kits to upgrade Cirrus aircraft in the field are also available. 06-23-2004. (Top)

L-3 Communications says it has acquired Austin-based AVISYS, which has been prominent in the development of protection against MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems).

According to L-3 Communications, AVISYS has several areas of technical competence, including electronic warfare/avionics systems engineering and integration, IRCM (infrared countermeasure), DIRCM (directed IRCM, laser warning and countermeasures), missile warning systems radio frequency (RF) threat warning, technical and engineering and support programs. Since the U.S. terrorist attacks of 9-11, AVISYS has been working on specific ways to protect aircraft against MANPADS, with emphasis on affordability and effectiveness.

AVISYS is the IRCM technology lead and system architect for a United Airlines-led team, to develop and demonstrate an airliner infrared countermeasures system against MANPADS, for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As a member of United’s team, L-3 Communications Integrated Systems division is providing aircraft integration, airworthiness analyses modification and FAA certification support.

A variant of a key AVISYS' technology called WIPPS, for Wide-Body Integrated Platform Protection System, is being developed as a way to accomplish a MANPADS defense for airliners and other civil aircraft. WIPPS is a decoy-based infrared defense system – already proven in combat – that automatically detects a MANPADS threat, warns the pilots, and commences countermeasures. L-3 and AVISYS believe it has potential in this area because of its effectiveness, affordability, and low life-cycle costs.

L-3 Communications notes that AVISYS aircraft protection systems are already in use on head-of-state, special mission, business and commercial aircraft worldwide. 06-24-2004. (Top)

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has started an operational test and evaluation of an explosives trace detection portal at a passenger security checkpoint at Providence, Rhode Island; four more airports will do the same by the end of July.

During the test the TSA is evaluating GE EntryScan3 trace detection portals, which collects a sample of a natural airflow phenomenon called the "human convection plume," as a passenger passes through the portal. The sample is then checked with GE’s patented Ion Trap Mobility Spectrometer technology for possible contraband material. Both positive and negative ions can be detected.

According to GE, among other advantages, its EntryScan3 eliminates the need for forced air from a fan, which would stir up contaminants, thereby allowing it to get a cleaner sample for higher detection sensitivity.

At Providence, some passengers will be asked to enter a checkpoint lane with a trace portal machine. After proceeding through the usual metal detector, while their carry-on baggage is being screened by X-ray, they will step into the trace portal, and stand still for a few seconds as the convection plume is collected.

The main airports at Rochester, New York, San Diego, Tampa and Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi, will also get the devices for evaluation this summer. The tests will last 30 to 45 days at each airport. 06-19-2004. (Top)

Kenneth M. Mead, the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation, recently told a Senate Subcommittee on Aviation that the "potential for congestion and delays this summer in some key airports is very real and the highest it has been since that terrible summer in 2000."

To deal with this situation, Mr. Mead said the FAA should complete and publish its revised capacity benchmarks as soon as possible, and the government should collect and report data on passenger wait-times at security screening checkpoints, just as the airlines are required to report their on-time performance.

Mead asserted that the FAA's airport capacity benchmarks are "useful for disclosing capacity levels at specific airports in relation to proposed airline scheduling as well as for projecting additional capacity that could be gained through new runways, technology, and procedures." In addition, a statistically valid means to measure and report on security wait-times at the nation's most congested airports, in conjunction with causation data, would give a more complete picture of delays and pinpoint where action is needed.

Delays are already increasing as airline traffic rebounds, Mead told the Subcommittee. Although average arrival delays in the first quarter of 2004 (21.3%) were below those experienced in the first quarter of 2000 (23.7%), they are up 24 percent from the same period in 2003.

This situation is particularly pronounced at some key airports, such as Chicago’s O'Hare, where 37 percent of flights were delayed in the first quarter of 2004 compared to a delay rate of 21 percent in the first quarter of 2003. Furthermore, the average length of delay in the first quarter of 2004 at O'Hare was 64 minutes versus an average delay of 54 minutes in the first quarter of 2003.

Other airports with delay rates greater than 20 percent over last year include Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York's LaGuardia, and Cincinnati – and their airline flight schedules are expected to increase by more than six percent this summer.

Besides the traditional causes of delays – which Mead described as weather and over scheduling - the increase in regional jets, and new and expanded service by low-cost carriers, are significantly increasing demand at the nation's larger, most congested airports. In May 2000, regional jet scheduled flights represented only 9 percent of the total; in May 2004, it was 29 percent. Since May 2000, scheduled regional jet departures have increased by 180 percent, Mead reported.

Because of this shift, the number of scheduled flights in May 2004, at 12 of the 31 large hub airports, exceeded the number of scheduled flights in May 2000. Furthermore, low-cost carriers, which once operated mainly at secondary airports, are now moving to hubs. Both of these developments are producing significant additional demands on some larger airports.

Mead acknowledged that the FAA and the airlines have taken a number of actions since the summer of 2000 that will help to enhance the flow of air travel this summer. Nevertheless, various technology improvements, such as LAAS (local area augmentation system) have been languishing recently and can’t be counted on to improve the near-term situation.

Still, the government has taken some actions to ameliorate the situation, Mead said. For example:

Mead reminded the senators, that when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created, its goal was to process passengers through screening checkpoints in 10 minutes or less.

The TSA reported the average national wait time in April was 3.8 minutes during off-peak hours and 7.9 minutes during peak hours. (The TSA admits these numbers may be misleading as they do not reflect particular peaks during the week or in different seasons.) At the same time, many airports, airlines, and consumers are complaining about lines at security checkpoints that routinely extend an hour or longer. Mead told the senators that detailed airport-specific data should to be collected and reported, similar to the process used by the airlines to report delay occurrences and causes.

Mead believes the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security need to determine a reasonable wait-time standard for each airport, for peak and off-peak hours. Reports of actual airport performance against this standard – including causes – should be submitted to the DOT, similar to the monthly delay data submitted by airlines. 06-25-2004. (Top)

Lauda Air will begin using RM Rocade's suite of airline operational control applications, bringing Lauda in line with Austrian Airlines, another member of the Austrian Group, which already uses Rocade's system.

Rocade's integrated operational applications, including commercial planning, operations control, and crew management, use a variety of tools, such as simulation and optimization, along with graphical displays and user interfaces, to enhance productivity. The company’s crew management solution includes crew pairing, crew assignments, checking in and out, and crew communications via the Webeb, and email. 06-23-2004. (Top)

China Eastern Airlines has decided to implement a recommendation made by Sabre Airline Solutions in 2003 to consolidate its airline operational control center in Shanghai.

A major objective of this two-year project is to help China Eastern combine its 12 operational control branches and subsidiaries into a centralized location. Other process improvements and upgrades will be made at the same time. Sabre says it will deploy an airline operations control expert for two years in Shanghai to help facilitate this process. Other Sabre specialists will also be stationed there during this period.

China Eastern already uses a range of Sabre operational control applications, including its movement control (AirOps Movement Manager), flight dispatch (AirOps Dispatch Manager), load planning (AirOps Load Manager) and scheduling functions (AirFlite Schedule Manager). 06-23-2004. (Top)

ARINC, in partnership with The Vaisala Group, has introduced an enhanced version of its airport lightning warning system.

The system, dubbed Forewarn, offers ramp operators accurate, precise and timely information about lighting strikes near their airport, to help assure the highest level of safety with the least unnecessary downtime.

Forewarn is a stand-alone system that doesn’t require monitoring by an operator. Its workstation receives and displays real-time weather and lightning information via satellite from the National Lightning Detection Network. But, in addition, it uses EFM (electronic field mill) sensors placed in and around the airport, which trigger color-coded warnings, based on the severity of the weather. This allows each airport to create and implement its own policies and plan of action based on the color-coded warnings displayed. (Top)

ARINC says it has partnered with GCR & Associates of New Orleans, and Real Time Engineering of Glasgow, Scotland, to add airport financial and resource management functions to its AirVUE information management suite.

AirVUE is a Web-based information system manager that allows passengers to view real-time flight information from any location using their PDAs (personal digital assistants), cell phones, or any Internet connection, including wireless. With the system, they can receive automatic flight updates wherever they are—at the terminal, at home, or in between.

The alliance with its new technology partners, ARINC believes, will allow the creation of an enhanced AirVUE suite that can go beyond passenger information, and help airports manage their own operations as well, especially in maintenance, staffing, space, and equipment planning.

Daniel DesRosiers, who manages the AirVUE product for ARINC, says, “Customers [meaning airport operators] will now be able to manage their entire airport enterprise at multiple financial, operational, and resource levels, sharing all of the airport’s real-time and historical data – a first for the airport industry.”

To help do this, GCR & Associates will add its Airport IQ suite of integrated applications to AirVUE to help airport managers manage their assets, finances, airspace resources, and construction projects, as well as everyday maintenance of their flight information displays, and Web-based security badging.

For its part, Real Time Engineering will add its FirstPlanIT product that brings a fully configurable, end-to-end airport resource management capability to help schedule staff more efficiently and analyze data to improve passenger flow and increase airport capacity. 06-24-2004. (Top)

SITA’s FIMS consists of three integrated applications to manage airport assets, to accurately and quickly collect, distribute and display airport information, and to capture management data. More specifically, SITA’s: