Carlisle Interconnect Technologies:

AIX is a great place to check on the status of new product projects, many taking over a year to design, develop, and certify for flying. When we first discovered the satcom adapter plate and Radome from CarlisleiT/Saint Gobain a few months back we note: “CarliseIT, in partnership with Saint Gobain Performance Plastics, now offers multiple ARINC 791 solutions for Ka-band, Ku-band and Tri-band SATCOM installations. The complete package contains the CarlisleIT ARINC 791 compliant adapter plate, provisions for Outside Airframe Equipment (OAE), and intercostal kits required for both retrofit and line fit installations on transport jet aircraft. Installation fittings on the adapter plate are adjustable to cover the complete range of aircraft frame spacing, while providing discrete interface loads to the fuselage. The aerodynamic skirt follows the fuselage curvature without requiring a large installation doubler, sealants, or additional fasteners through the aircraft skin.” The key here is ARINC 791, as it: “ …fulfills the requirement for a standardized installation, easier maintenance inspections, and overall lower cost of ownership. Conformance to the ARINC 791 standard also helps future-proofs the SATCOM installation, and makes upgrades to next generation antennas and SATCOM system equipment easier and faster with commonality across entire fleets.” At AIX 2016, we talked with Kris Samuelson, Director Sales IFE & SatCom and he told IFExpress: “Since APEX in Portland, we have been finalizing developments for line-fit products like the FlightGear, ARINC 791 Ka/Ku Universal Installation and we are looking at some 300 product sales and future installations. Further, the adapter plate and radome you saw at APEX have passed birdstrike and lightening certification tests. We plan to oversee installation mid-April and witness flight test in July. Their A320 STC will follow in August of this year. This product offers lower cost of ownership, 40% – 50% longer flight time between inspections and it is a simplified upgrade, it saves time and money. We expect the Ku installations in September of this year.” Additionally, Kris also mentioned: “The total system weight (antenna/radome) is 271 pounds,” he said, “and you will hear a lot more about this product as we will be producing an A791 adapter plate for Ku band low format antenna. The essential shape will remain similar however, we have to adjust some dimensions to accommodate that design. All in all,” he said, “There is a lot more than meets the eye with this product and we have our electrical and mechanical designers to thank for it’s flexible adaptability.”

STG Aerospace:

One of the more interesting meetings at an IFE show is always one with the folks at STG Aerospace and especially with Nigel Duncan CEO. Why, you ask? Because Nigel is probably the best salesperson we have ever seen… at the least, he knows his products as well as anyone in his company. But more importantly, he as excited about them and when we visited, we heard and discussed their new passenger oriented liteMoodLED Cabin Lighting product, the latest in photoluminescent floor path marking saf-Tglo blu, and STG liteMood, their new LED strip lighting that replaces fluorescents in planes.

Lets start off with one of the most amazing passenger lights we have ever seen – STG liteMood passenger cabin reading light. As we all know, the light over a passenger seat that can be turned off and on by passengers normally describes conical light beam that illuminates a seat and can be adjusted to adjust the light on your tray table or the book you are reading. The problem is one of filament illumination. First the shape (bulb) is circular and diffuse light travels beyond your use and usually illuminates more than the table. Further, it does that because to get enough light for your use, the conical beam is bigger than needed. This means that your light, and all the others, use more power and illuminate more than one passenger, just to solve the illumination problem. Nigel’s team decided that they could do a better job and did just that – STG made an LED light that delivers a rectangular light beam illuminating only one table top. More importantly, they are using LEDs, which can get near to the color of solar light – better on the eyes and limit brightness. The light itself fits in existing fixtures, uses one LED in a special lamp-sized replacement and works like any other bulb but does a better job, at less power. Don’t believe us, check out the demo box picture (the light itself just replaces ones in the plane) and see for yourself: STG Aerospace gives passengers a defined private space with its new passenger centric LED reading light. Designed initially for the B737NG, we expect to see a lot more planes with this product.

Next, we saw the saf-Tglo product, a blue photoluminescent floor path living strip that delivers a blue shift, different from green strips that abound today. While aesthetic are on value in this product, their brochure notes that, “In addition to optimizing the glow colour, saf-Tglo blu provides a wider, brighter colour palette in ambient due to it’s whiter base colour.” Be sure to see it for yourself!

Finally, Neil Thomas told IFExpress: “Quite frankly, any light in the cabin is one we are looking to improve,”  and thus he gave a perfect introduction to the last new product we saw, the new LED mood lighting system using LED strip lights that replace fluorescent lights and deliver an improved onboard experience. Said Nigel; “STG is trying to do things with lighting that collectively make a big difference.” Importantly, the lighting on an aircraft can affect the mood of passengers and STG realized the need for a ‘more aesthetically pleasing’ light solution and eliminate the sub-visual flickering that fluorescent lights give off. Mr. Duncan noted a Manchester University study that shows it is not the variety of colors that impacts passengers, it is the depth of color and saturation levels – features designed into their lighting solution. The liteMood LED cabin lights are presently installed on B757 and B737NG aircraft and have been flying for 16 months now. Since some 96 percent of flying aircraft today utilize fluorescent lighting the market looks quite healthy but because the STG provides a strip kit, the airlines can do the modification themselves.

Inmarsat:

The company has outlined its long-term aviation broadband roadmap to ensure that rising demand for fast, reliable and global passenger in-flight connectivity is met for the next five years and beyond. The launch of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (GX) Aviation solution this year (Dec. 2016) creates the world’s first high-speed passenger in-flight connectivity solution with seamless, end-to-end global coverage, delivered through a single operator. Initial airline customers include Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Jazeera Airways. In all, they are running some 26 STC programs in parallel!

Inmarsat noted: “The GX network, which entered commercial service in December 2015 and currently includes three powerful Ka-band satellites, will provide the international bandwidth capacity needed to meet existing and near-term demand from airlines. As part of the aviation broadband roadmap, it also provides a global coverage underlay that will be built upon to meet future demand.” We note that GX is Ka Band and it employs spot beams. From their Newsroom: “The companies will manufacture 0.6 to 2.4 metre aperture terminals to deliver up to 50Mbps downlink speeds.” We also note that this should replicate data rates like ground based mobile applications. Also, keep your eye on future GX applications that support the new, flat Kymeta antenna!

Inmarsat has already committed to a fourth GX satellite, which is completing construction and testing by Boeing and will provide additional network capacity. It has also awarded Airbus Defence and Space a contract to build the first two satellites for its sixth-generation fleet, the first of which is scheduled for delivery by 2020. Uniquely for Inmarsat, the new fleet will feature a dual-payload, with each satellite supporting both Ka-band and L-band services. Based on current services and demand, the Ka-band co-payload will augment the capacity of the GX network over busy air routes and regions, while the L-band capacity supports a new generation of aviation safety services. Launch customer, Lufthansa, will install and go into service 3Q 2016 on an A320.

Another vital component in the roadmap is Inmarsat’s European Aviation Network (EAN), which will be the first aviation passenger connectivity solution across European airspace to integrate an advanced satellite network and LTE-based ground network; the latter will be operated by Deutsche Telekom. Aircraft will switch automatically between satellite and terrestrial connectivity using an onboard network communicator for optimal service delivery.

Also, Inmarsat, has signed a Heads of Terms (HoT) agreement with Beijing Marine Communication & Navigation Company Ltd. (MCN), which will lead to the creation of a joint venture (JV) to provide aircraft cabin and cockpit connectivity solutions in China’s fast-growing commercial aviation market. The Inmarsat services that would be provided through the JV include Global Xpress (GX) Aviation and SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S).  The final agreement is expected to be signed later this year.

Inmarsat noted also: “GX Aviation will launch this year as the world’s first broadband in-flight connectivity solution with seamless, end-to-end global coverage. Passengers will be able to browse the internet, use social media, stream online videos, download files and more using their smartphones, tablets and other Wi-Fi enabled devices, with a similar quality of service in the air as they would receive on the ground.”

Note: SB-S is a next generation cyber secure flight deck communication platform, enabling airlines to meet the ICAO mandate for sub-15 minute tracking of all aircraft, Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC)’s four-minute mandate, Automatic Dependent Surveillance and electronic flight bag updates. Combining L-band satellite connectivity with advanced avionics, it delivers speeds 10 times faster than existing Classic Aero services to provide airlines with cockpit communications for the digital age.

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OTHER NEWS

IFP/GEE:

Editor’s Note: There has been a lawsuit underway between content service provider, IFP (parent company Global Eagle) and Universal regarding licensing since 2013. The issue will go to damages trial on May 10, 2016. Below are a series of exerts from various publications that outline the history suit:

“The defendant in the lawsuit is IFP and parent company Global Eagle, a worldwide provider of in-flight entertainment from movies to songs. IFP scored a lucrative contract loading American Airlines (and later US Airways) with music playlists obtained via physical CDs and digital downloads, and in 2008 upon concern that it had licensing issues, approached the major labels for a deal.” Hollywood Reporter 4/22/16

“At issue is the discrepancy between what artists get paid for a ‘license’ of their song versus a ‘sale’ of their song. Under contracts that were written before iTunes and other song download services, artists were paid 15% per sale but 50% per license. However, many ‘legacy’ artists argued that digital downloads were licenses, not sales, and they should be paid the higher royalty rate.” Plagiarism Today March 20, 2015

“Inflight operates the entertainment consoles for various airlines, including American Airlines, which was added to the lawsuit previously. Universal alleges that Inflight did not have proper licenses to play Universal Music, especially on international flights where there may not be a single licensing body to authorize the use of music.
However, Inflight has responded saying that they had an agreement with Universal that began in 2009. Though the agreement was never finalized, Universal repeatedly assured Inflight that they were not infringing until, in 2013, Universal hit them with a surprise cease and desist letter.” Plagiarism Today March 20, 2015

“Then in November 2013 the label suddenly sent them a cease-and-desist letter, which they claim has interfered with their contractual relationships with airlines.
They speculate Universal changed its tune in response to changes in the music industry. They claim the label followed the example of Sony’s suit in 2013 against Inflight and United Airlines specifically over Irish licenses (the case eventually settled). Then they claim Universal wants money in settlements “in the wake of a substantial decline in the music business” and want to establish its own business to provide music to airlines.”Hollywood Reporter 3/19/15

“In a tentative summary judgment ruling that was adopted on Wednesday, however, U.S. District Judge George Wu writes, “At best, there is evidence that the parties discussed various terms, but never reached any final agreements,” and further, “There is ample evidence that IFP knew it had no licenses from Plaintiffs and that it could be sued for copyright infringement, and no evidence that Plaintiffs ever indicated to IFP that any such licenses were forthcoming or misrepresented any existing fact.” Hollywood Reporter 4/22/16

“Here’s the adopted tentative as well as the Wednesday ruling that also rejects a statute of limitations defense. The case is now set for a damages trial on May 10 with more than 4,500 copyrights involved. The plaintiffs are led by Jeffrey D. Goldman at Jeffer Mangels while the defendants are being handled by Marty Katz at Shappard Mullin.” Hollywood Reporter 4/22/16

“Universal Music and its co-plaintiffs are seeking maximum statutory damages of $150,000 for each work that Inflight infringed, or an award of profits and compensatory damages. They also seek restitution of Inflight’s profits, punitive and exemplary damages, and an injunction.” Courthouse News – 6/23/15

You do the math!

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EVEN MORE NEWS

• Last week’s BUZZ picture was incorrect… please note we pictured Ms. Agnieszka Jacquemot with Sara Pepic’s quote? Thank you, Alexander Preston, as you win the IFExpress prize – your name in print!
• Also, Web Barth can be reached as follows: webbarth@vts.global  – Sorry Web, didn’t know there was a ‘.global’ on the web.
• And lastly, On July 15, 2016, Boeing will celebrate its’ 100th birthday.

Hamburg, Germany | April 6, 2016– Eastern Air Lines, the iconic brand that was synonymous with air travel in the last century, is back in the air, flying with STG Aerospace’s LED mood lighting system, liTeMood® on it’s 737NG aircraft.

The re-born carrier, which is based alongside STG Aerospace at Miami International Airport, has been operating twice-daily flights between Miami and Havana since May 2015 and has other Latin American destinations on the horizon.

Becoming the latest airline to install the FAA and EASA approved LED mood lighting system, Eastern Air Lines selected liTeMood® on the basis of its capability to improve the passenger experience through the on-board quality and consistency of light. With its unique, patented wireless programmability function, lighting levels can be easily tailored to create the exact aesthetic ambience that the aircraft’s operators require.

The installation took place during an interior upgrade, using all the existing wiring, mounting points and connectors, making it a true plug-and-play system. CEO of Eastern Air Lines, Ed Wegel, commented:
“Everything that STG Aerospace said about the simplicity of installing liTeMood® LED mood lighting proved to be 100% accurate. STG Aerospace has enabled us to offer our passengers the best cabin ambience experience.”

In addition to improving the overall comfort within the cabin, liTeMood® offers up to a 40kg weight reduction and a further 70% reduction in power consumption, significantly increasing both the fuel efficiency and electrical efficiency on aircraft. STG Aerospace’s liTeMood® is more reliable than original-fit fluorescent lighting systems, and reduces ongoing maintenance and operational costs.

While STG’s team stood by to support the carrier’s first installation, Eastern Air Lines was successful installing the system on their own, which is a testament to the ease of installation. Marcus Williams, Director of Sales for STG Aerospace added:
“It is fantastic to be working with such a legacy carrier. The Eastern Air Lines installation is another example of just how quickly and easily liTeMood® can be installed, requiring no aircraft modification. STG Aerospace’s cabin lighting systems improve the passenger ambience by creating a better defined and more comfortable passenger environment. STG Aerospace has an enviable track record of innovation and bringing simple, practical, cost effective cabin lighting solutions to market which make a genuine difference to our airline customers and ultimately their passengers.”

Complementing its liTeMood® LED mood lighting system, STG Aerospace offers a range of liTeMood® LED ancillary lighting solutions which work together to create a uniformity of colour throughout the aircraft cabin.

Hamburg, Germany | April 6, 2016– A pioneering developer of innovative aircraft cabin lighting, STG Aerospace is delighted to announce the launch of its new ancillary lighting products within its liTeMood® product range.

Successfully installed and currently in service on Air Europa Boeing 737-800s and with a backlog of customer orders for delivery through April, the suite of LED plug and play ancillary lights are a popular choice for airlines currently flying with STG Aerospace’s liTeMood® mood lighting system, to complete the homogenous, controllable and uniform lighting environment throughout the cabin.

Reflecting its holistic approach to cabin lighting, STG Aerospace has carefully designed the ancillary range to deliver a superior consistency of light throughout the cabin while enhancing the passenger experience during the boarding, in-flight and disembarking process. It also provides for an enhanced working environment in the galleys and aisles for the flight crew.

In line with the installation simplicity of liTeMood® mood lighting system, the affordable, aftermarket, plug and play ancillary lights are also easily installed within minutes, without the need for any specialist tools or modifications to the aircraft systems or operational procedures, and comprise of the following;

Over Wing Exit
A direct LED replacement for the incumbent T5 fluorescent tube, the LED replacement has been designed with passenger safety in mind.

Recessed Ceiling, Forward & Aft Entry Lights
Located directly above the entry doors and ceiling of the aircraft, these low profile LED units are designed for an easy retrofit to replace the incumbent light/ballast. Featuring a high CCT (Correlated Colour Temperature), the lighting is designed to create a modern perception of the cabin, from boarding through to disembarking.

Sidewall Lenses
Designed to work in harmony with the liTeMood® LED mood lighting system, these aftermarket replacement lenses create a uniformity of colour throughout the cabin by restoring old yellowing lenses back to their original state.

In late 2015, Air Europa selected liTeMood® for the retrofitting of its fleet of 737-800s in order to create the same passenger experience as that provided on their recently delivered 787s. In addition, the new liTeMood® Over Wing Exit lights together with the Forward & Aft Entry Lights have now been installed on four of the airline’s 737s.

Nigel Duncan, STG Aerospace’s Chief Executive added: “These new products are all a reflection of the fact that STG Aerospace is not just a market leader in photoluminescent lighting but also a research-driven pioneer and emerging leader of new LED-based, human-centric aftermarket lighting solutions. We believe that every element of aircraft cabin lighting should not only perform its own task but should also contribute to the overall holistic ambience of the total cabin. We’re delighted that Air Europa has taken up our new products so soon after their launch.”

Hamburg, Germany | April 15, 2015– STG Aerospace, a world leader in pioneering aircraft lighting technologies, has been awarded the contract to retrofit the DreamJet trading as La Compagnie Boeing 757-200 aircraft that has been configured to provide a transatlantic all-business class service. The aircraft will be equipped with STG Aerospace’s latest generation safTglo® SuperSeal UltraLite™ (SSUL) emergency floorpath marking system and liTeMood® LED cabin lighting system.  The installations will take place later this month.

A low-cost, low-weight alternative to electrical emergency systems, safTglo® SSUL features a unique, fully-sealed design which eliminates fluid ingress and can reduce maintenance costs by up to 80%. Moreover, with no power source required, it offers 100% reliability and considerable weight savings. Today, safTglo® is the system of choice for over 300 global airlines and is currently installed on over 9,000 aircraft worldwide.

SSUL, certified by EASA and FAA in December 2014, is the latest version of safTglo® is the lightest photoluminescent emergency floorpath marking system available. Incorporating all the benefits of previous designs, SSUL is 70% lighter than previous versions – helping to reduce airline fuel costs even further – and has a 17% higher luminosity rating.

In addition to over 300 colour options enabling airlines to achieve an aesthetic, co-ordinated cabin interior without reducing safety. DreamJet trading as La Compagnie will also be the first airline to install the SSUL OverCarpet system, which provides even simpler installation and with its hinged-wing design removes the need for airlines to bind the carpet edges providing the best possible appearance in the cabin as well as saving airlines cost.

As part of this interior upgrade DreamJet trading as La Compagnie selected liTeMood® for the LED lighting.  liTeMood® is a true plug-and-play, programmable, blue/white LED cabin lighting system that offers a cost-effective, versatile and controllable solution to bring the  lighting quality of existing non-LED equipped aircraft cabins in line with aircraft delivered new with the latest LED lighting systems, helping them achieve impactful brand differentiation and increase airline yields.

Incorporating the latest research into the effects of ambient lighting, liTeMood® also provides significantly increased reliability over traditional lighting systems, thereby reducing ongoing maintenance costs, and also delivers important environmental benefits.  Not only is liTeMood® up to 40kg lighter than original-fit fluorescent lighting, it also consumes 70% less power, increasing both the aircraft’s fuel and electrical efficiency.

DreamJet SAS, operating as La Compagnie, is a French airline, based at Charles de Gaulle Airport, offering an exclusive business class only service between Paris and London and New York’s Newark Liberty International Airport.

Yann Poudoulec, EVP Technical of DreamJet trading as La Compagnie commented:

“As an all-business class airline, lighting quality is key to our passengers, which is why we have selected STG Aerospace’s liTeMood LED lighting for our latest 757 aircraft.  Having installed safTglo®  on our first 757, the latest SSUL was the obvious choice for our next aircraft.”

Marcus Williams, Director of Sales & Marketing at STG Aerospace, commented:

“STG Aerospace is delighted that after evaluation of the available retrofit LED cabin lighting systems available, DreamJet trading as La Compagnie has selected  liTeMood® for their latest 757, and at the same time have become the first 757 operator to install our latest generation safTglo® SSUL with our new OverCarpet solution. It’s further evidence that STG Aerospace really is leading the way in innovative cabin lighting solutions”. 

 

United Kingdom | February 24, 2015– Leading aircraft cabin lighting company STG Aerospace is delighted to announce that Copa Airlines has become the latest airline to install its liTeMood®  retrofit LED lighting system representing the first airline in Latin America to complete a 737-800 liTeMood® installation.

With many of their 737NG fleet installed with Boeing Sky Interior, Copa looked for a cost effective solution to upgrade and harmonise the look and feel of cabin interiors of the older aircraft installed with fluorescent lighting.  The liTeMood® installation followed an on-wing demonstration in Panama during 2014. Founded in 1947, Copa Airlines serves as Panama’s flag carrier flying more than 11 million passengers a year to destinations in 30 countries in North, Central and Latin America and the Caribbean.

liTeMood® is a versatile, programmable, fully plug-and-play system which can be installed quickly and easily and offers a highly cost-effective upgrade for airlines seeking to improve passenger experience and increase yields.  It features significantly increased reliability over traditional lighting systems, thereby reducing ongoing maintenance and operational costs, and also delivers important environmental benefits. Not only is liTeMood® up to 40kg lighter than original-fit fluorescent lighting, it also consumes 70% less power, increasing both the aircraft’s fuel and electrical efficiency.

Despite the simplicity of its design, liTeMood® incorporates the latest research into the effects of ambient lighting on individual passenger comfort and wellbeing and, as a result of its versatility, can also be applied to achieve impactful brand differentiation.