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February 1, 2012
President Obama and military leaders in Washington in early January outlined a new, streamlined military strategy, following the end of the war in Iraq, which sounded very much like an earnings call of a Fortune 500 company. The words might be slightly different but the themes are very similar — gaining efficiencies; working smarter, not harder; do more with less. Following a decade of war, the...January 1, 2012
FAA’s multibillion-dollar Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) has had its share of setbacks in the last few months. From the departure of the FAA’s top official to numerous government reports questioning the status of implementation, the news hasn’t been good. Last month, Administrator Randy Babbitt resigned following an arrest for drunk driving, replaced by Deputy...January 1, 2012
FAA is rewriting the book on accident prevention, and in the new year the aviation community will learn more about growth of the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing System (ASIAS). ASIAS (ah-sigh-us), launched in 2007, represents FAA's transition from traditional “forensic” analysis process to the “predictive” or “prognostic” approach that aims to quash...January 1, 2012
In the past decade, aviation has made remarkable advancements in technology, in modern cockpits as well as those of legacy aircraft. Not that long ago, you would never have expected to see a 40-year-old aircraft with a glass cockpit, but this is becoming more the norm as operators keep up with customer expectations. Avionics shops are also meeting this demand, replacing older avionics and radios with...December 1, 2011
One of the biggest buzzwords around the aviation industry right now is biofuel, a movement which promises to allow operators to fly cleaner, more efficiently, and maybe even less expensively by using corn-, plant- or oil-based fuels as an alternative to conventional petroleum jet fuel. In recent months, Honeywell, Gulfstream, Boeing and others have all had splashy announcements of aircraft powered by a...November 1, 2011
It’s been a very difficult couple of years in the business aviation segment, to say the least. So I’ll forgive presenters at this year’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference and exhibition for looking a little war-weary, scarred and conservative. The Great Recession of 2008 has forced a lot of business aviation operators, airframe manufacturers, equipment manufacturers...October 1, 2011
There has been a subtle, but distinct, shift in the tone of the conversation about the FAA’s NextGen. I’m not sure if it’s the approaching 2020 or 2025 deadlines or if it’s more programs coming online, but the conversation has taken on a more urgent inflection. Much has been written in this magazine and others about the importance of this modernization program. The conversation...September 1, 2011
Political wrangling shut down the FAA for 16 days this summer. Tens of thousands of FAA employees and construction workers responsible for maintaining and upgrading the U.S. airspace were told to stay home. Hundreds of airport and airspace improvement projects had to be halted. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt admitted during the furlough that the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)...August 1, 2011
The champagne corks have been popped, billion-dollar deals signed and aircraft orders have been finalized. Another Paris Air Show in the books. And after all of that, the aviation industry is celebrating a return to robust business and healthier order books. This was my first trip to Le Bourget for the air show. Words and pictures cannot do justice to the size and scope of this event. The billions of...July 1, 2011
It’s not news to anyone reading this publication that globalization is in full force and is not slowing down any time soon. Within companies, employees can communicate and collaborate on projects as easily as if they were sitting in the same office. And beyond that, establishing a global network of partnerships between companies can yield significant operational, strategic and financial benefits for...June 1, 2011
It is with great excitement and pride that I introduce myself as the new editor-in-chief of Avionics Magazine. My name (hopefully) is not unfamiliar to our readership as I have been the managing editor of this publication for nearly five years, covering everything from new military platforms to in-flight entertainment systems to new databus technologies. In that time, I’ve traveled all around the...May 1, 2011
With FAA expected to issue a proposed rule this summer that would govern operation of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS), work is picking up on a number of fronts to open even wider access for UAS. Pending budget approval, NASA this year plans to embark on a five-year $157 million UAS Integration in the NAS Project designed to reduce technical barriers and validate...May 1, 2011
As traffic levels in civil aviation continue to increase, the possibility of keeping up with capacity in Air Traffic Management (ATM) by simply applying “more of the same” is faltering. The antidote, automation, is frequently cited as yet another source of accidents. The Human Factors Research group at KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, is one of the many actors that try to...April 1, 2011
When JetBlue Airways and FAA announced their partnership to equip JetBlue A320s for ADS-B Out capability, subsidized by $4.2 million in federal dollars, the reporters in the peanut gallery wanted to know how FAA — or anybody — planned to outfit the rest of the United States fleet. It’s a troubling question that overshadows all discussions of NextGen. By FAA’s own calculation...March 1, 2011
The next few months could be formative in specifying the types of onboard equipment aircraft will need to exploit Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) “mid-term” efficiencies planned by 2018. RTCA’s NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC), a high-level industry and government group formed last fall to advise FAA on NextGen implementation, has received an ambitious tasking request...February 1, 2011
The holiday season tends to be a quiet one at the office, straining the skills of the constant newsgatherer. But over the transom this time came a significant piece of news regarding the venerable Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), first reported online by The Wall Street Journal based on its tracking of the Federal Register, and soon thereafter by this publication. In a notice of proposed...January 1, 2011
The NextGen horizon is one where the line between sky and ground fades to indistinguishable; pilot and air-traffic controller are privy to the same information, in real-time, and aircraft operations through shared data and automation are optimized from gate to gate. Demand and capacity exist in harmony, travelers travel efficiently and carbon is conserved. Within NextGen, the paradigm shift of Air Traffic...November 1, 2010
Listening to satellite radio the other day while approaching Washington’s Capital Beltway, sometimes referred to as “the world’s largest parking lot,” I was reminded of President Obama’s proposal to invest $50 billion in the nation’s transportation infrastructure, often referred to as “crumbling.” When the President floated the proposal on Labor Day in...November 1, 2010
Achieving the benefits of NextGen will require that users equip with avionics supporting NextGen capabilities — avionics for ADS-B, data communications and Required Navigation Performance. On the commercial carrier front, the willingness to equip will be driven by the ability to close a business case for retrofitting existing aircraft and forward-fitting aircraft that have yet to come off the...October 1, 2010
In its 2010-2029 Business Aircraft Forecast released in July at the Farnborough Airshow, Bombardier Aerospace noted the first “green shoots” of recovery, offering hope the beleaguered business aviation segment is again rising. The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), headed by former FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey, also anticipates recovery, so much so that it is urging timely deployment...
Avionics Jobs
Nominations Deadline: March 2, 2012
Awards Banquet: June 4, 2011 - Washington, D.C.
These awards honor Women for their work in aviation electronics engineering, research and development in commercial, business and military aviation, and in air traffic management, as well as a company that demonstrates vision and leadership in promoting Women in avionics technology roles.
• Avionics Women of the Year Award
• Women in Technology Corporate Award
• Emerging Leader Award
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