ATM ModernizationQ&A: Nick Sabatini and John Timmerman Like it or not, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are here to stay. The aircraft--big and small--have become a military fixture and made hundreds of flights in the national airspace system (NAS) this…
Business & GASafety: Recording At Both Ends Flight recorders need to be upgraded to facilitate accident investigation, but the improvements necessary have not gained support in the U.S. Congress, which is pushing for deployable recorders. Four congressmen on key…
ATM ModernizationScan All-Glass Kit Plane As reported in our June 2005 issue (page 13) Piper Cubs are being fitted with "glass cockpits." Now kit planes are, too. Paul Echlin, a Boeing 747 pilot with…
CommercialProduct Focus: Test Equipment For the 'More Electric' Aircraft The trend toward "more electric" aircraft, with mechanical and hydraulic components' incorporating more and more electronics, has impacted and will continue to significantly affect aircraft manufacturing, operation and maintenance. It has affected…
ATM ModernizationUAV Avionics: Raising the Bar The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) aims high for the first generation of purpose-built, armed unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). Its Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) program, which unites earlier…
ATM ModernizationA350 Avionics: Combining the A330 and A380 Poised for an expected launch this month, Airbus' A350 will blend new avionics with tried-and-true systems, incorporating features from both its baseline, the enhanced A330-200, and the all-new A380. While not starting…
ATM ModernizationEditor’s Note: Delivering Fuel Savings Despite a sprinkling of bright spots in the air transport industry--aircraft orders inching up and some U.S. major carriers reporting positive, second quarter financial results--the dark cloud of escalating fuel prices looms…
ATM ModernizationFeedback Not Invented Here I retired from the FAA as the surveillance team lead in Aircraft Certification's Avionics Systems Branch (AIR-130) in October 2003. As an engineer and former Eastern Air Lines pilot…
Business & GAThe Growing Importance Of IFE Support European airlines, like others worldwide, recognize how critical fully operational IFE equipment is to customer satisfaction. We learn, however, that various approaches exist to achieving nearly 100 percent systems reliability. The palpable…
Business & GAHuman Factors And the Future Human factors (HF) are key in designing cockpit systems. Research psychologists constantly seek to enhance pilot performance by improving the human computer interface. Rarely, however, does one consider the origins, direction and…