CommercialOnboard File Servers A third, and perhaps the most significant, revision to an ARINC standard is being hammered out by the Airline Electronic Engineering Committee's (AEEC's) Aircraft Network and File Server (ANFS) subcommittee. "Security is…
CommercialSafety: Perils of a Lone Positioning Source A tiny but significant window into the sequence of a near-catastrophe at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, came from a passenger's naive question during a later British Mediterranean Airways flight to Beirut. By coincidence,…
ATM ModernizationScan U.S. Galileo Counter-Offer Worried about the impact of Europe's coming Galileo satnav system on the U.S. military's prized but not yet fielded M-Code for GPS, the U.S. government has proposed an alternative…
Business & GAVirtual Data Acquisition Flight data acquisition units (FDAUs) in today’s federated air transport avionics architectures are standalone entities. Located in the electronics bay, the FDAU is considered part of the data recording function–a central data…
Editor's NoteSafety: Belt and Suspenders Required for Safety Presented with an opportunity to strike a blow for redundancy, federal officials took a pass. The decision discomfits many pilots, who perceive a reduced margin of safety. The case involves the final…
ATM ModernizationScan Primus Epic Certification Honeywell’s Primus Epic integrated avionics system on the Dassault Falcon EASy 900EX bizjet has received certification approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The avant-garde EASy (Enhanced Avionics System)…
ATM ModernizationSystem Design: Designing With Digital Audio Many companies look at digital audio for aircraft systems as a way of improving system operation in the electrically noisy environment. Thanks to effective consumer advertising, "digital audio" has achieved some mystical…
Business & GAWireless Cabin: All Issues Resolved? The wireless aircraft cabin is already here, according to some experts. Or the technology is on course and closing fast, according to others. But key issues–including interference with cockpit electronics–remain unresolved, driving…