Editor's NotePerspectives: Ionizing Radiation Safety Air transport crewmen are occupationally exposed to higher doses of ionizing radiation than are most members of the general population. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI), therefore, has…
Editor's NoteSwitch Evolution: Slow but Steady Cockpit switch technology moves slowly. LED (light-emitting diode) illumination, introduced more than a decade ago, has improved product reliability and reduced maintenance costs, but there is still a sizable market for its…
Business & GAReal-Time Operating Systems & Hardware Support This is a big year for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) real-time operating systems (RTOS). Green Hills Software (GHS), LynuxWorks and Wind River Systems have recently passed or plan shortly to announce DO-178B and…
Editor's NoteSafety: From Diversion to Desperation Already in a dire situation, with one system after another failing, Capt. Urs Zimmermann must have looked up with a startled expression when the ceiling panel over his seat in the cockpit…
ATM ModernizationScan Garmin Chosen for the Mustang Cessna Aircraft Co. has chosen Garmin International’s new G1000 integrated glass cockpit for its new Citation Mustang business jet. The aircraft’s panel will have a 15-inch multifunction…
ATM ModernizationSystem Design: Dispersing Heat: The Solutions In my last column (April 2003, page 47), I noted problems associated with waste heat from avionics components. Here are some suggestions on optimizing boards and assemblies for heat removal. In general,…
ATM ModernizationBest of Both Worlds Here is a question many pilots probably have asked: "Why don’t they make a flight deck display that combines the short-range warning advisories of the traffic alert collision avoidance system [TCAS] with…
Editor's NoteLearning About Electronics Electronically Although the classroom and instructor are not about to exit aviation training, the traditional methods of instruction are increasingly being supplemented by computer-based training (CBT)–or computer-assisted learning from the student’s point of…