MilitaryRussian Airborne Computers Avionics Technology has progressed in the former Soviet Unio and now Russia, but at a slower pace than in the West. And today that progress faces economic roadblocks. At major airshows, we…
ATM ModernizationSafety in Avionics: Blocked Radio Transmissions Blocked radio transmissions represent a significant safety hazard, and they have contributed to at least two fatal airline accidents. A remedy has been available for years, but it has yet to be…
ATM ModernizationIndustry Scan Airlines Select Avionics Air transport carriers recently selected avionics systems to update their existing aircraft or install in aircraft on order. Here are some examples: Continental Airlines plans to retrofit 208 of…
Business & GAUAVionics in the U.S.: Part I A quick look at unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) in operation or development reveals their amazing variety. In wingspan, they range from six inches (15 cm) to 247 feet (75 meters). In flight…
ATM ModernizationAvionics Systems Design: Gratuitous Technology These days, technology seems to race along unfettered by either logic or utility–not to mention quality and support–in a ceaseless quest for "new-ness" and market position. This condition expresses itself in weird…
Business & GAEditor's Note: Pilots Not Needed Pardon this rather seditious inquiry, but on how many missions do we really need pilots? They probably are needed on most missions–for now. But that may change soon. At the flight line…
Business & GAAvionics System Design: Designing with LEDs Incandescent lamps have almost vanished from many new avionics designs. Now high-efficiency light emitting diodes (LEDs), especially in white, have become inexpensive and readily available. LEDs are widely used for backlighting pushbuttons,…
ATM ModernizationADS-B for Australia's Outback If you think development activity of the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) takes place only in the United States, think again. There is, in fact, an ADS-B program being launched on the opposite…