Commercial

Airbus A400M

Airbus Military’s A400M airlifter program – finally launched after years of waiting, wrangling and political drama – will go head to head with the C-130J and stretched C-130J-30 for export orders. Will…

Business & GA

Bizjet Upgrades: Mandates Fill Shops

Despite a lingering recession causing layoffs by business aircraft manufacturers earlier this year, the corporate jet avionics upgrade business–spurred by upcoming government mandates–remains surprisingly strong. The mandates for terrain avoidance warning systems…

ATM Modernization

The Chicken and the Egg

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) decision in late May to shelve plans that would expand its controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) coverage beyond the airspace served by the Miami air route…

ATM Modernization

How an Irish Carrier Seeks More Green

Dublin-based Ryanair is about to join the assembly of airlines employing operational flight data monitoring to enhance operations safety, proficiency and cost savings. However, the Irish low-cost carrier (LCC) is taking a…

Commercial

Streamlined Data Loading at Alaska Air

Data loading is an essential but time-consuming chore on today’s software-intensive aircraft. Every 28 days airlines need to update their navigation databases, for example, and every aircraft computer at one time or…

ATM Modernization

Miami ARTCC: Ground Zero for CPDLC

All eyes in the U.S. data link community are directed toward the Miami air route traffic control center (ARTCC), where Build 1 of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) controller pilot data link…

Editor's Note

New Products

Multihazard Display Ryan International, Columbus, Ohio, offers what it claims is the aviation industry’s first display dedicated solely to presenting hazard information. The color, 3 ATI (air transport indicator) liquid crystal display…

Editor's Note

Protecting Safety-Of-Life Radio Frequencies

Radio frequency spectrum is the lifeblood of wireless communications. Without it, satellites would uselessly orbit the globe, and communications towers, cell phones and radios would fall silent or echo the chaotic noise…