[Avionics Today January 29, 2014] LiveTV is the first company to pass a more stringent bird strike testing requirement for large domes mounted on top of aircraft, with proper installation enforced by the FAA.
Previously, the FAA accepted a probability analysis for the test validation and did not require actual bird strikes for domes mounted on the top of the aircraft. However, the GAA recently implemented the new requirement to prove that a flight can be completed with structural damage sustained when a radome is struck by a four-pound bird at speeds of over 400 miles per hour.
LiveTV’s dome is currently in-service on JetBlue’s fleet of Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s.
"We were excited for the opportunity to work with LiveTV to develop a radome solution that could perform across the wide frequency bandwidth while achieving bird strike survivability requirements mandated by the FAA," said Geoff Caywood, senior manager of business development for General Dynamics Ordinance and Tactical Systems’ advanced materials group.
The approval removes the bird strike exemption from LiveTV’s STC needed for aircraft installation of satellite connectivity and in-flight entertainment systems.