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China Formally Approves RNP Operations at Tibet's Linzhi
The Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) has formally approved Air China's use of RNP (required navigation performance) procedures at Linzhi, Tibet; following an extensive program of procedure development, flight testing and operations review.

MD Light Helicopters to Have Chelton EFIS
MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) has chosen Chelton Flight Systems, a Cobham Avionics and Surveillance company, to supply the EFIS (electronic flight instrument system) for its light singles program.

Rockwell Collins Launching New GPS with WAAS Capability
Rockwell Collins is introducing a new GPS sensor that will be capable of primary-means navigation with the addition of WAAS (wide area augmentation system) capability.  The WAAS upgrade will be available in early 2007.

Air China to Use Sabre Applications in New Operations Control Center
Air China, China's National Flag Carrier, will use a suite of tools from Sabre Airline Solutions in its new flight operations control center.

Partners Planning New 3G Communications for Business Aircraft
3Way Networks and TriaGnoSys are planning to soon launch the first 3G (third generation) in-flight passenger communications service for business jets.

Two More Airlines Select digEcor Portable IFE Players
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Jetstar have chosen digEcor portable IFE (in-flight entertainment) systems.

AirCell Reports Rapid Progress in Airborne Wireless Broadband Service
AirCell says it is making rapid progress in bringing wireless broadband communications service to domestic airlines and their passengers, after winning the exclusive FCC broadband frequency license earlier this year.

WSI and AMT Join Forces on EFB Weather Delivery
WSI (Weather Services International) and AMT (Aircraft Management Technologies) will collaborate to port WSI's global aviation weather applications to cockpit EFBs (electronic flight bags).

Alpha Flying to Use Flight Deck Resources EFBs
Fractional operator Alpha Flying Inc. (AFI) will use Flight Deck Resources' (FDR) EFBs (electronic flight bags) on its fleet of Pilatus PC-12s.

Rockwell Collins Has New Combined-Surveillance System for Business Aircraft
Rockwell Collins is introducing a new integrated traffic surveillance system for business jets that combines the functions of TCAS II (traffic alert and collision avoidance system), Mode-S transponder, and ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) into a single LRU (line replaceable unit).

Sensis A-SMGCS Operational at New Delhi's Gandhi Airport
Sensis Corporation says A-SMGCS (advanced -surface movement guidance and control system) is now operational at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI).

Edmonton Installing New ARINC Passenger Handing Systems
Edmonton International Airport has contracted with ARINC Managed Services (AMA), an independent subsidiary, to provide various CUSS (common-use self-service system) passenger technologies, along with seven years of maintenance and on-site support.

Regarding "Wingman: Available Technologies Might Have Saved Comair 5191,"

If you have comments on Wingman or anything you see in Flt Tech Online, you may send an email to editor@flttechonline.com.

EMTEQ And Raytheon Offering Interior LED Lighting For Beechjet 400s
EMTEQ Lighting & Cabin Systems announced a partnership with Raytheon Aircraft Company to offer an STC for interior LED lighting for Beechjet 400s.

Check Out Additional Fleet Changes

Report Will Say VLJ Market to Be Worth over $2.5 Billion by 2011
According to a soon-to-be-released report from PMI Media Ltd., the VLJ (very light jet) market will be worth $2.52 billion by 2011, with 1,403 aircraft in this category delivered in the five years starting in 2007.

Check Out Additional Industry Trends

China Formally Approves RNP Operations at Tibet's Linzhi

The Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) has formally approved Air China's use of RNP (required navigation performance) procedures at Linzhi, Tibet; following an extensive program of procedure development, flight testing and operations review.

Flt Tech Online first reported this development earlier this month.

U.S.-based Naverus played a pivotal role in the project by working closely with CAAC and Air China since 2004 to develop China's RNP and RNAV (area navigation) program, and in particular, this two-year effort to develop RNP procedures at Lhasa and Linzhi in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The elevation (9,670 feet) of Linzhi's new airport (also known as Nyingchi) and its surrounding terrain, meant that an instrument approach using ground-based navigation aids was impractical - if not impossible - because of the high ground speeds, and resulting maneuvering space, needed for a B-757.  To overcome this problem, Naverus constructed a set of RNP approach and departure procedures that incorporate 108 waypoints to and from the Linzhi airport.  An excellent video of the Linzhi RNP approach shows the precise navigation and small, tight turns involved.

Including the Lhasa RNP procedures, the Lhasa/Linzhi RNP network contains more than 800 nautical miles of navigational tracks that cover an area of approximately 16,100 square nautical miles of high-altitude terrain in the region.

At the invitation of the CAAC, the FAA reviewed the design developed by Naverus, and Air China's application for RNP RNAV operations approval that Naverus authored.  In parallel with this project, the CAAC developed its RNP regulations, which are consistent with the FAA and ICAO standards.

The Lhasa procedures were validated by Air China and the CAAC in February, 2006, and commercial service using RNP commenced there on March 1.  After construction was completed at the new Linzhi airport, Naverus was able to deliver its new RNP procedures for testing in just 72 days from start of the project in March, 2006.

"This is a major milestone for aviation navigation - for China and for the world," said Steve Fulton, the chief technical officer and co-founder of Naverus.  09-25-2006.  (Top)

MD Light Helicopters to Have Chelton EFIS

MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) has chosen Chelton Flight Systems, a Cobham Avionics and Surveillance company, to supply the EFIS (electronic flight instrument system) for its light singles program.

MD's light helicopters, which are scheduled to be available from the factory in late 2007, will be equipped with a Chelton PFD (primary flight display) and MFD (multifunction display) EFIS.  The PFD will feature Chelton's synthetic-vision depiction that includes its Highway-In-The-Sky (HITS) and hover-vector guidance, which Chelton describes as NVG (night vision goggle) "friendly."

Special Highway-in-the Sky (HITS) Depiction for Helicopter

(The vertical lines on the PFD below represent the relative height of building obstructions seen in the real-world image under the synthetic view)

Source: Chelton Flight Systems

Rockwell Collins Launching New GPS with WAAS Capability

Rockwell Collins is introducing a new GPS sensor that will be capable of primary-means navigation with the addition of WAAS (wide area augmentation system) capability.  The WAAS upgrade will be available in early 2007.

According to Rockwell Collins, the GPS-4000S sensor and associated WAAS antenna will allow operators to use the GPS system without reliance on other navigation equipment for en-route operations and approach procedures authorized for WAAS, such as RNAV (area navigation). The WAAS receiver will also streamline preflight preparation by removing the requirement to check for RAIM (receiver autonomous integrity monitoring) availability along one's intended U.S. RNAV routes, including SIDs (standard instrument departures and STARs (standard terminal arrivals).

As with the company's GPS-4000A, the 4000S is fully integrated with the FMS (flight management systems) in Rockwell Collins' Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21 avionics suites.  Rockwell says operators of aircraft with its FMS, who install a GPS-4000S, will be able to take advantage of LPV (localizer performance vertical guidance) approach capability when an FMS upgrade option becomes available in late 2007.  09-22-2006.  (Top)

Air China to Use Sabre Applications in New Operations Control Center

Air China, China's National Flag Carrier, will use a suite of tools from Sabre Airline Solutions in its new flight operations control center. 

The $15 million (U.S) project, the largest of this kind Air China has undertaken with a foreign partner, is intended to help the airline attain better aircraft utilization and fuel efficiency, and also automate the management of over 6,000 cabin and cockpit crew.

Sabre will provide Air China with its Sabre AirOps Suite including its Movement Manager, Dispatch Manager, Load Manager; and Sabre AirCrews Crew Management Suite.  Sabre will also perform consulting services for the airline during the technology's implementation.

Air China earlier deployed Sabre's AirPrice systems and AirFlite planning and scheduling suite to optimize its flight scheduling and pricing functions.

China Southern and China Eastern also use Sabre's integrated flight operations applications.  09-22-2006.  (Top)

Partners Planning New 3G Communications for Business Aircraft

3Way Networks and TriaGnoSys are planning to soon launch the first 3G (third generation) in-flight passenger communications service for business jets.

Two More Airlines Select digEcor Portable IFE Players

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Jetstar have chosen digEcor portable IFE (in-flight entertainment) systems.

PIA will use be using digEcor's digEplayer XTs on its A310s and B-777s; Jetstar will install the system on its A330-200s and will retrofit it on its A320s.

The digEplayer XT is the latest generation of digEcor's digEplayer portable AVOD (audio video on demand) IFE system.  Like its predecessor, the digEplayer XT is preprogrammed with movies, television shows, cartoons, videos, music, and games, but also has an eight-inch TFT (thin film transistor) screen with 30% more viewing area than those with a seven-inch size, a built-in card swipe, and wireless technology.

Each player is about the same weight and size of a typical portable DVD, with a 60 gigabyte or larger hard drive.

According to digEcor, its XT version has more content selection and a longer battery life than any other player on the market.

More than 30 customers now use the DigEplayer portable system.  09-24-2006.  (Top)

AirCell Reports Rapid Progress in Airborne Wireless Broadband Service

AirCell says it is making rapid progress in bringing wireless broadband communications service to domestic airlines and their passengers, after winning the exclusive FCC broadband frequency license earlier this year.

Jack W. Blumenstein, AirCell's president and CEO, says his company is "making great progress in system design and development," and looks forward to a debut of its commercial service in early 2008.

At initial launch, AirCell's broadband service will include an onboard "hotspot" that allows airline passengers to use their personal 802.11b/g-equipped Wi-Fi data devices.  The system also will offer voice service for airline operational communications and provide a path to other cabin services including cellular data, integration of live and on-board content delivery, premium content, as well as additional operational and cabin data applications and security.

The company has completed all required documentation and payments on or ahead of schedule for its formal FCC (U.S. Federal Communications Commission) licensing process, and expects to formally receive its broadband license in the next 30 days.

As for other North American service, AirCell remains confident that broadband service throughout Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean will come shortly after its service launch in the U.S., and points to previous spectrum reallocation proceedings, where authorities in those countries have assigned the same respective frequencies as the FCC granted in America. 09-22-2006.  (Top)

WSI and AMT Join Forces on EFB Weather Delivery

WSI (Weather Services International) and AMT (Aircraft Management Technologies) will collaborate to port WSI's global aviation weather applications to cockpit EFBs (electronic flight bags).

The companies' goal is to leverage WSI's expanding product range, which includes weather reports, forecasts and alerts, along with related decision-support tools, with AMT's expertise in EFB application deployment and communications management.

Jim Attley, WSI's aviation sales director, says the new relationship means WSI will be able to give its customers a way to communicate weather information across a number of air-ground data networks.  Steve Hardgrave, AMT's CEO, said delivering real-time weather content to airline cockpits "will complement our existing range of EFB applications."  09-25-2006.  (Top)

Alpha Flying to Use Flight Deck Resources EFBs

Fractional operator Alpha Flying Inc. (AFI) will use Flight Deck Resources' (FDR) EFBs (electronic flight bags) on its fleet of Pilatus PC-12s.

AFI will equip its PC-12s with FDR class-2 EFBs, and will also use FDR's FliControl suite of operational applications that pilots can access with FDR's FliView document viewer.  In addition, FDR will deliver operational data updates to AFI's aircraft as well as its operations and maintenance centers with its ground update system, called FGSserv.

(Class-2 EFBs are portable devices that may be used to display flight critical information such as navigation and approach charts.)

Flight Deck Resources FliView

Source: FDR

AFI's PlaneSense Program offers PC-12 fractional service throughout the eastern U.S., Canada and the Caribbean Islands.  09-24-2006.  (Top)

Rockwell Collins Has New Combined-Surveillance System for Business Aircraft

Rockwell Collins is introducing a new integrated traffic surveillance system for business jets that combines the functions of TCAS II (traffic alert and collision avoidance system), Mode-S transponder, and ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) into a single LRU (line replaceable unit).

The new TSS-4100 LRU is the same size as the existing 4 MCU (modular concept unit) TCAS unit, and uses a combined TCAS/Mode-S antenna to reduce the antenna count and associated cabling.

Rockwell Collins sees the TSS-4100 as the platform to provide ADS-B applications such as CDTI (cockpit display of traffic information), TIS-B (traffic information service-broadcast), and nascent decision-support applications such as merging and sequencing, onboard separation assurance, and new surface operational capacities.  09-24-2006.  (Top)

Sensis A-SMGCS Operational at New Delhi's Gandhi Airport

Sensis Corporation says A-SMGCS (advanced -surface movement guidance and control system) is now operational at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI).

The Sensis A-SMGCS, which was designed from the start to meet A-SMGCS level-2 functionality, fuses X-band radar data with data from an ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) vehicle tracking system.

(A level-2 A-SMGCS complements a level-1 system, which merely provides basic surveillance, by detecting potential airport surface conflicts and incursions and providing controllers with appropriate alerts.)

The data are integrated by the system's multi-sensor data processor (MSDP) which, according to Sensis, leverages the strengths of each individual sensor for the most accurate indication of target locations as an integrated picture on controller displays with a one-second update rate.  The MSDP also incorporates the system's conflict detection and alerting functionality that provides audible and visual alerts of potentially dangerous situations to controllers.

At IGI, Sensis A-SMGCS is also providing taxi-route conformance monitoring to ensure that aircraft are conforming to their assigned route, and issuing an alert for any deviations.

In addition to this installation, Sensis recently received contracts from Airservices Australia to deploy its A-SMGCS at Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and to provide a wide-area multilateration system to Tasmania.  A Sensis' multilateration system is deployed at the Suvarnabhumi airport serving Bangkok as well.  09-22-2006.  (Top)

Edmonton Installing New ARINC Passenger Handing Systems

Edmonton International Airport has contracted with ARINC Managed Services (AMA), an independent subsidiary, to provide various CUSS (common-use self-service system) passenger technologies, along with seven years of maintenance and on-site support.

This fall, AMS will begin replacing Edmonton's older passenger systems with its iMUSE common check-in and boarding workstation, and SelfServ passenger kiosks.  It will also install its Baglink baggage reconciliation system at the western Canada hub to speed up that process.

ARINC's SelfServ's technology will allow participating airlines to share 30 airport-owned passenger kiosks at Edmonton, and its LocalCheck system will allow airlines without host computers to use the new CUSS kiosks and baggage systems as well.  09-25-2006.  (Top)

EMTEQ And Raytheon Offering Interior LED Lighting For Beechjet 400s

Source: EMTEQ

Installation kits consist of LED wash and reading lights with matching air gaspers to be ordered through Raytheon's RAPID system.  Visit EMTEQs Website or call 1-888-727-4344 for additional information.  09-26-2006.  (Top)

Hong Kong-based CR Airways took delivery of its third B-737-800.  09-25-2006.

Boeing flew the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) aircraft for the first time. The aircraft's avionics modification, described as the most comprehensive ever undertaken, features digital displays, and a Smiths Aerospace FMS (flight management system), designed to meet future worldwide CNS/ATM (communication navigation surveillance/air traffic management) requirements.  09-25-2006.

Etihad Airways took delivery of an A340-500.  09-25-2006.

The FAA issued a production certificate to Adam Aircraft, giving the company approval to manufacture and deliver its A500.  The certificate substantiates that Adam Aircraft's quality system and manufacturing procedures meet FAA regulations.  09-25-2006.

ATR delivered its 700th aircraft, an ATR 42-500 to Air Deccan.  The aircraft was the sixth delivered to the Indian LCC (low-cost carrier), which ordered 30 of the type last year.  09-25-2006.

Russia's National Reserve Corp., a major stakeholder in Aeroflot, signed a preliminary agreement for 22 B-787s, according to Russian daily Kommersant.  09-25-2006.

Pemco Aviation Group will convert two B-737-300s to freighters for redelivery to OKAY Airlines in late December, 2006.  09-25-2006.

Hainan Airlines selected GE-Aviation's GEnx engine to power its eight forthcoming B-787s that will start arriving in 2008.  The engine order is valued at more than $200 million.  09-25-2006.

China's National Development and Reform Commission approved Hainan Airlines' order for 50 Embraer 190s and 50 145s. 09-25-2006.

The FAA type certified the Embraer 175, paving the way for deliveries of the model to begin in the U.S.  The U.S. certification was based on the original type certificate issued by the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). The 175 also has already been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA). The Embraer 175 is currently in operation with Air Canada, LOT Polish Airlines, and India's Paramount Airways.  09-25-2006.

Qatar Airways will lease one A320 and five A321-200s from CIT Aerospace, a unit of CIT Group.  The aircraft will be delivered in 2007 and 2008.  09-25-2006.

China Eastern Airlines selected the GEnx engine to power the 15 B-787s it has on order for deliveries beginning in 2008.  The order's value is approximately $370 million.  Aircraft delivery will begin in June 2008.  09-25-2006.

Executive Jet Management added a Cessna Excel and a Falcon 2000EX to its southeastern U.S. charter fleet.  09-25-2006.  (Top)

Report Will Say VLJ Market to Be Worth over $2.5 Billion by 2011

According to a soon-to-be-released report from PMI Media Ltd., the VLJ (very light jet) market will be worth $2.52 billion by 2011, with 1,403 aircraft in this category delivered in the five years starting in 2007.

The report will say that six VLJs - which it describes as microjets - will make it into service: the Adam A700, Cessna Citation Mustang, Diamond D-Jet, Eclipse 500, Embraer Phenom 100 and HondaJet.

The report's author, Philip Butterworth-Hayes, said,  "Based on manufacturers' own production figures we see annual delivery rates rising steadily to 2010 and peaking at around 350 units a year."

Source: PMI Media Microjet Report

"However in the first five years of production 85% of the customer base will be located in North America and it is in Florida where we believe the microjet-based air taxi concept will live or die," Mr. Butterworth-Hayes added.

Besides tracking likely production rates, the report also analyses the regulatory challenge to VLJ operations and their affect on airports, as well as their training, insurance and ATM (air traffic management) challenges.

"This is a new phenomenon for regulators; the impact of the single-engined Diamond D-Jet will offer European regulators a particular challenge, especially as the regulatory regime is undergoing a major overhaul.  It is likely that European regulators will adopt a distinctly conservative approach to the licensing of microjets for both owner/operator and revenue generating services," Mr. Butterworth-Hayes said. 

Source: PMI Media Microjet Report

More information about the 160-page report, "The Microjet Market 2007-2016," which sells for $560 (a 20% discount will apply to orders received before Oct. 15th) can be found at www.pmi-media.com.  09-24-2006.  (Top)

Nav Canada reported its July 2006 traffic increased by an average of 4.9% compared to the same month in 2005.  Fiscal year-to-date traffic was 3.4% higher than in fiscal year 2005.  The air navigation service provider's fiscal year runs from September 1 to August 31.  09-26-2006.

Boeing has booked 632 net orders so far in 2006, including 102 for 787s and 477 for its 737 models.  As of the end of August, Airbus claimed 222 firm orders, mostly for A320s.  09-26-2006.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that the number of persons killed in all aviation accidents in 2005 dropped to 616 from 652 in 2004.  Airline fatalities increased from 14 to 22, while air taxi deaths dropped sharply from 64 in 2004 to 18 last year.  General aviation fatalities in 2005 were up slightly to 562 from 558 in 2004.  09-26-2006.

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released the domestic financial results of its reporting carriers for the 2^nd quarter of 2006, the highlights of which are represented in the following comparison tables, covering the last five quarters:

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