BBJ MAX offers customers unmatched range and comfort
Boeing unveils new BBJ MAX interior design concept

Orlando, USA | October 15, 2018–Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) has delivered the first BBJ MAX airplane to a customer, the company announced today at the National Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).  The aircraft is scheduled to fly to an interior finishing center.

“We are excited to begin delivering a longer-range and more capable version of the world’s most popular business jetliner,” said Greg Laxton, head of Boeing Business Jets. “There has been great market interest and anticipation for the BBJ MAX and our valued customers will soon be able to see the new standard in business travel.”

Customers from around the world have placed orders for 20 BBJ MAX airplanes. Most recently, Seacons Trading Ltd announced in July it is purchasing a BBJ MAX 7 at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow.

To commemorate the first delivery, Boeing Business Jets unveiled a new interior concept by award winning aviation design firm SkyStyle. The concept, named Genesis by SkyStyle Co-Founders Max Pardo and Lucas Colombo, represents the company’s debut in BBJ MAX design.

“From an aviation designer’s perspective, the BBJ MAX is incredibly appealing because there is so much more interior space to realize one’s vision,” said Max Pardo. “And since the MAX flies ultra-long-distances, the owners are looking for a comfortable lounge, multi-function conference area and a large master suite to ensure the ultimate flight experience.”

The BBJ MAX Genesis concept draws inspiration from nature’s tranquility, its voluminous clouds hanging over a white sand beach, smooth rolling hills and a starry night sky.

“BBJ MAX interiors have always been a sharp departure from the cramped cabins of smaller business jets, and the Genesis design is yet another example of our exclusive cabin capabilities,” said Laxton.

The BBJ MAX family – based on Boeing’s best-selling 737 MAX airplane – offers business jet customers the best combination of space, comfort and range.  With more than three times the cabin area as most competing business jets, bespoke interiors to match any preference, and lower cabin altitude, the jet is capable of flying 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km).

In addition, BBJ MAX owners benefit from a lower total cost to own when compared to other high-end business jets. The MAX’s optimized maintenance schedule drives operating costs that are nearly the same as smaller, less comfortable competitors. BBJs also retain comparatively higher residual values by requiring a fraction of the lengthy and expensive shop visits experienced by other business jets as they age. As a result, the BBJ MAX can save customers millions of dollars in total ownership expenditure over the life of the airplane.

Orlando, USA | October 15, 2018– Today at NBAA, Satcom Direct (SD) launches SD Xperience to simplify and improve business aviation connectivity and operations.  The new fully-synchronized, end-to-end solution combines cabin and cockpit communications services, aircraft connectivity hardware, and flight operations software. SD Xperience will deliver purpose-built technology that satisfies the unique, evolving requirements of business aviation, allowing SD to create tailored solutions based on customer requirements.

SD’s existing Ka-band, Ku-band and L-band offerings for high-speed data, basic internet, and safety services are included in the SD Xperience portfolio. Today, the SD Xperience portfolio was further enhanced with the addition of a new broadband service in partnership with Intelsat (NYSE:  I) and Astronics AeroSat. SD is the Master Distributor of FlexExec, Intelsat’s new managed service powered by Intelsat’s global Ku-band satellite fleet, which features the Intelsat Epic^NG high-throughput satellite (HTS) platform. The service is uniquely designed to support business aviation, meaning capacity is not shared with commercial aviation or consumer broadband customers, ensuring that business jet passengers will have seamless, on-demand global connectivity. The network architecture is delivered via the upgraded AeroSat FlightStream™ (T-310) tail-mounted antenna system.

The service has been undergoing in-flight validation with SD Flight Operations since July 2018, delivering average speeds between 8-10 Mbps. The service will be available in Q1 2019 for STC development with aircraft OEMs for applicable aftermarket airframes. SD Xperience also brings innovative new pricing structures to market which address the specific and varied requirements of business aviation. SD customers can benefit from simplified “Power by the Hour” pricing, inclusive of FlexExec service, SD Hardware, SD Pro and SD Scheduler, for one hourly rate. Plans can be customized to the needs of each individual aircraft or fleet to enable more efficient planning and budgeting. Fully integrated with SD’s ecosystem, including its SaaS platform SD Pro®, SD Scheduler, and SD Avionics cabin technology, SD Xperience aims to enhance the user experience while simplifying and optimizing flight operations.

“Our aim is to deliver premium solutions that are purpose-built for our industry. Our new product portfolio synchronizes aircraft with flight departments for improved operational efficiency, expands connectivity options and simplifies the purchasing process. SD Xperience positions us as the leader in business aviation connectivity solutions as we are the only service provider offering infrastructure, hardware, software and airtime packages. SD Xperience is the next evolution in business aviation connectivity,” said Jim Jensen, SD Founder and CEO.

SD Xperience further confirms the SD commitment to innovation. It encompasses the breadth of services offered through robust infrastructure, partnerships and continued investments in leading technologies to advance business aviation. The introduction of Intelsat’s FlexExec service and recently launched SD Scheduler will continue to enhance the business aviation experience for passengers and operations personnel alike

Peterborough, Canada | October 14, 2018– On the eve of this year’s NBAA Flying Colours – booth 1735 – the North American maintenance, repair, overhaul and completions business has announced it is adding more than 140,000 square feet to its North American footprint as it continues its ambitious expansion and embarks on its largest infrastructure growth to date.

Plans are currently being finalized for the groundbreaking of a brand-new hangar by the end of fall 2018 at the Peterborough, ON. facility. The additional hangar, the fourth at Flying Colours Peterborough headquarters, is needed to provide additional capacity for completions, refurbishment and heavy maintenance work scopes on large jet airframes.

The purpose-built hangar will be divided into three distinct zones. A new 40,000-square-feet, climate controlled, state-of-the-art paint shop will be added, supplementing the two existing dedicated paint shops. Large enough to accommodate business jets up to Global 7500, Boeing Business Jet or Airbus A220 (formerly known as the Bombardier C Series) size airframes it will fulfill the higher volume of paint jobs passing through the facility. A second area of 40,000 square feet has been designed to enable heavy maintenance and/or interior work on up to four Global 6000-size aircraft to take place simultaneously. Two higher levels will be used for new customer offices, a second dedicated design-center at the facility, storage and general office space. The total office space will cover more than 20,000 square feet bringing the hangar footprint to more than 100,000 square feet in total when it opens in mid-2019.

At the company’s Chesterfield, St. Louis facility a fifth hangar will be inaugurated on

1 December. The 30,000-square-feet area will be large enough to handle up to three parallel large-jet maintenance, avionics upgrades and interior projects at once including Bombardier Global and larger Gulfstream models. The additional capacity dove tails with the expanded interiors and cabinetry workshop that opened in January of this year. Together the shops will support the multiple aircraft projects being undertaken at the KSUS facility. A further 18,000 square feet of customer lounges, office space, and storage area will form the second floor of the facility.

The next expansion phase represents Flying Colours’ largest investment to date and has been driven by the long-term need for increased capacity as customer demand reflects renewed growth in the business aviation sector. The latest aircraft models require high-quality interior monuments for completions, an active pre-owned market has driven a rise in refurbishment demand, and the frequency of heavy maintenance checks has grown as more models become due. An evolving connectivity segment has also stimulated the need for more avionics upgrades across numerous platforms. This has also been augmented by the upcoming ADS-B Out mandate in the North Americas.

When the buildings are complete more than 100 team members will join the family owned business across the two sites. The search for maintenance, interiors and paint expertise will lead the recruitment drive.

“We were literally running out of space to deliver all the services that our clients were requesting, so took the decision to increase our footprint significantly at both of our North American sites,” says Sean Gillespie, Executive VP, Flying Colours Corp. “The business aviation sector is more buoyant than it has been for some time and with our Bombardier ASF status, our breadth of experience working on numerous different aircraft types, and the fact that we can offer a multitude of skills under one roof, so reducing aircraft downtime, is making us very attractive to a wider range of customers.”

It’s that time again when the the boss wants to know what show(s) you and your team need to attend in 2016, and it is a daunting job. I know, because when in the IFEC corporate world I had to do it. Usually, the boss wants to know, what show(s) to visit and why, what show(s) need to have a booth, who should go to which shows, and finally, a budget needs to be developed for doing the aforementioned. So, to help out the poor folks who have to sort it out here is a list of shows that might be worth your while and we call them IFEC SHOWS YOU SHOULD VISIT. We do so because we have visited most of them and found value, and we think you will as well. We have also listed IFEC SHOWS YOU MIGHT WANT TO VISIT because they look very interesting and educational but we have not visited all of them. And lastly, we list some ANCILLARY SHOWS that look valuable, but you have to be the judge.

YOU SHOULD VISIT THESE:

Aircraft Interiors EXPO, April 5 – 7, 2016, Hamburg Messe, Germany
This quote from their website says it all: “Take your business to new heights with the leading aircraft interiors event, with over 1,000 airline buyers, 530+ leading aircraft interiors suppliers, and 14,000 approx. attendees all in one place.” Which pretty much says it all. Easily the biggest IFEC since it began, and because it exists in Europe, they have a large, natural aviation audience and a lot of close national and international airlines. Although, it doesn’t hurt to have free walk-around admission to the exhibition. You can find out more here. We should note that the conference covers a lot of diverse cabin interior products there is a dedicated IFEC zone which usually is approximately half of the show and almost too much to cover from a reporter perspective. Here is what they say about the ZONE: “With IFEC at the forefront of the aviation commercial industry, the IFEC zone at Aircraft Interiors Expo has increased in size by 31%. Covering halls B2 to B4, the IFEC Zone is dedicated to Content Service providers, TV/ Short Subject Content Sellers, Games Suppliers, GUI Creators and App Developers, IFE Hardware, and Inflight Communications & Connectivity.” Believe us, all the IFEC folks will be there and companies like Panasonic, Thales, and many others will be there. We also note that on Monday, April 4 (one day before the AIX Exhibition), is the Passenger Experience. Here is their story: “Learn from industry visionaries, exchange knowledge and engage in lively debate exploring the future trends of the passenger experience industry. Featuring in-depth breakout sessions focusing on cabin interiors and passenger comfort; passenger entertainment and connectivity; hospitality, service and retail. Encompassing case studies, presentations, panel discussions, networking and more, to set the agenda for the passenger experience industry and drive your business forward. This one day conference and Industry Networking Party opens the Passenger Experience Week, ahead of Aircraft Interiors Expo and World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo.” Their website tells it al.

(Editor’s Note: If you check out this link for AIX you might note an interesting lead advertiser – you got it, “APEX”. No doubt, the world of IFEC Shows is seeing a lot of visitor duress because of the number of offerings. We think there is an effort afoot to consolidate and merge the Shows… and that just makes sense. We suspect Mr. Leader and others are at work on this but we have no data to prove it. If you have been confused as to “who is showing with whom” this year, don’t feel alone. This is a transition year and we expect a lot of changes in IFEC Shows in the coming years. Co-location of IFEC shows is a necessary ritual today and we all probably have many parties to thank for it… mostly because it makes financial sense. More surprises ahead, we reckon – Stay tuned!)

APEX EXPO 2016, October 24 – 27, Singapore; Aircraft Interiors EXPO ASIA, October 25 – 27; FTE ASIA EXPO, October 25 – 26, Singapore.

The trifecta event will take place in Singapore from 24 thru 27 October 2016 at the iconic Marina Bay Sands. The decision to co-locate the IFEC show triumvirate represents a closer collaboration to the benefit of the industry as a whole. The Reed Exhibitions folks go on to say: “Both APEX and Reed Exhibitions have a history of incredibly successful events, so this collaboration will be a win-win for our industry as a whole.” Further, Joe Leader, APEX CEO noted: “We are enthused that APEX will gain more members through our collaboration efforts to advance the passenger experience.” Also, at the co-located event, AIX Asia will feature the latest innovations in aircraft seating, cabin interior design, management systems, soft furnishings, leather, textiles, galley equipment, and lighting services. APEX EXPO will feature the world of airline passenger experience including its red-carpet exclusive World of Content, electronics, airline passenger content, passenger engagement technology, and cutting-edge IFE technology. 

(Stay Tuned for any event changes at the Singapore show since it now includes all three big IFEC show sponsors; and because they are looking after your money, be patient.)

YOU MIGHT WANT TO ALSO VISIT THESE:

AIME – Aircraft Interiors Middle East 2016, 3 – 4 Feb., Dubai World Trade Center, UAE
From their website: “AIME is a two-day exhibition and conference providing the ideal platform for interiors suppliers, providers and buyers to network and establish new relationships in the Middle East. Co-located with MRO Middle East, AIME is a must-attend event delivering the latest innovations in aircraft interiors. AIME 2016 is held at Dubai World Trade Centre on 03-04 February 2016. As the Middle East’s only aircraft interiors event, AIME 2016 will feature over 275 exhibitors, 4,500 attendees from over 100 countries, as well as more than 90 airlines represented from around the world.”

IPC APEX EXPO 2016 Conference & Exhibition, March 15 – 17, Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV, USA
From the website: “IPC APEX EXPO 2016 delivers a critical combination of progressive education and tomorrow’s technology. Join us and be part of the year’s best opportunity to learn and experience applied technology with real-world applications for tomorrow’s needs. This is Forward Thinking for Tomorrow’s Technology. and we offer the latest technical research, Industry best practices, access to the solutions and subject-matter experts you need to solve challenges in a fraction of the time it takes on the job the largest electronics industry collection of top suppliers, live demos, and extreme innovation, connections in educational sessions on the show floor and during networking events.“

FTE – Future Travel Experience Europe, April 25 – 26, Amsterdam, NL
FTE notes on their website: “The organizers say FTE Europe 2016 will deliver a memorable learning and networking experience to the expected 450+ senior travel sector executives from Europe and beyond, who will enjoy a unique event program consisting of influential keynote speakers, ‘On the Ground’ and ‘Up in the Air’ conference streams, an extensive exhibition, collaboration forums and unique social events. “The ‘Up in the Air’ conference stream was introduced at FTE Europe 2015 to great acclaim and completes our focus on the “end-to-end” travel experience. It is now firmly established as the industry’s leading conference where airlines, OEMs, cabin designers and suppliers share their latest onboard innovations and define which direction the in-flight passenger experience will take in the future.” Check out their website (the best).

Aircraft eEnablement Connectivity & IFE Conference 2016, April 27 – 28, London, England
Here is what the folks at Get Connected wrote about it: “Make a diary note for Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th April 2016. That’s when the Aircraft eEnablement Connectivity & IFE Conference (AEEC 2016) is taking place at the Park Inn Hotel, London Heathrow, UK. Launched in 2013, this was the world’s first event of its kind to cover all aspects of aircraft connectivity and IFE (on the ground, in the cockpit and the passenger cabin). The aim of this conference is to help all airlines to better manage the operational benefits and revenue opportunities available with connected airplanes. In addition to flight deck and cabin IFE connectivity topics the are planning to include an airline eEnablement panel discussion for 2016, plus topics on big data, wearable tech and MRO connectivity applications.” You can download the brochure here.

GLOBAL CONNECTED AIRCRAFT 2016 Summit, June 6 – 8, Los Angeles, CA, USA
They say this about the show: “The Global Connected Aircraft Summit provides airlines, operators, integrators, and technology vendors complete connected solutions – from ground to air and from nose to tail. The second annual event connects business, technology, and industry perspectives and goes beyond just in-flight entertainment, to include operations, communications and technologies that impacts the aircraft. The annual Global Connected Aircraft Summit brings together an audience focused on the aircraft of the future across the satellite and aviation industries. This educational event starts where the others stop – delivering more than average solutions and providing real-world examples and results that will positively impact your bottom line. Discover how connectivity is expanding beyond providing passengers with state-of-the-art entertainment to increase efficiency and offer cutting edge services.This highly-anticipated event will take place at the Loews Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA June 6-8, 2016. This three-day educational summit will feature keynote speakers in both the satellite and aviation industries, multiple networking opportunities on and off site, and a chance to truly understand the concept of global connectivity beyond the passenger experience in order to increase efficiency and offer cutting edge services.”

NBAA’s – Business Aircraft Convention & Exhibition (NBAA – BACE), Nov. 1 – 3, 2016, Orlando Fla., USA
“Join 26,000 industry professionals for the most important three days of business aviation. Ranked as the sixth largest trade show in the United States, the Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) will be held Nov. 1–3, 2016, in Orlando, Florida, bringing together current and prospective aircraft owners, manufacturers and customers into one meeting place to get critical work accomplished.” Note: This show seems to have a limited IFEC display content but still companies like ASI, Panasonic, and Astronics were in attendance along with many connectivity folks like Gogo and and on.)

And lastly, we found some ADDITIONAL SHOWS that you might also want to attend:

1. SATELLITE 2016, March 7 – 10, 2016, Gaylord Convention Center, National Harbor, MD, USA
2. Airline & Aerospace MRO Operations IT Conference – Americas, March 8 – 9, Miami, Florida, USA
3. Women In Aviation, March 10 – 12, Nashville, TN, USA
4. Evolving Connectivity 2016, April 27, Birmingham, England
5. Aviation Electronics Europe, April 20, 21, Munich Germany
6. Airshow China 2016, Nov. 1 – 6, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

NOTE: Attached is a link to many of the shows above and it was provided to us in a downloadable Excel spreadsheet. We know you need something to show your boss and we asked John Courtright (SIE) to provided his worksheet which he uses for industry event planning. You can start there and add your shows preferences. He told IFExpress: “SIE needs to have a strong presence at various Aerospace Industry events. So, in marketing our Major Mod, Engineering Design and STC services to Operators and OEMs worldwide we use this 2016 planning tool to ensure we are available, accessible, and responsive to our MRO and IFE & Connectivity customers at these important Industry events.” Thank You John & SIE!

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YOURSpace:  Last week we introduce YOURSpace with a discussion about Fiber Optic advancements from Lumexis. If you didn’t get an opportunity to read last week’s submission, check out the hyperlink under the ‘YOURSpace’ header at the bottom of IFExpress. Next week YOURSpace will feature digEcor.  Do you have a story to tell? That’s why we developed YOURSpace… contact Patricia Wiseman for more information.

Last week we noted a few IFEC related products/services at this year’s NBAA in Las Vegas, thus, this week we will continue the dialog, specifically, those folks we normally visit at APEX and AIX… and a few that you might not see. Lets start with one you will see.

Aircraft Cabin Systems

One of the video display companies at the show was Aircraft Cabin Systems and this year we saw a few surprises in their booth. First, the retractable displays were shown available in the standard and new HD (1080P) models and because they retract, they present a new solution to more headroom in already cramped biz jet cabins . We asked ACS Sales Manager, Ken Muse, about the hardware – Attached are spec sheets for the 9.7″ and 12.1″ Retract.

Both of these units are designed as a drop-in replacement for Airbus. ACS is currently working on a Boeing drop-in replacement as well. As you can imagine, the design priority comes from our customers priorities.

The screen images of the new mounted HD video display units we also saw were stunning. Ken also noted: “The larger bulkhead mounted displays were all HD LCD Monitors displaying 1080p content with 32”, 42” and 65” models on exhibit. The 24” bulkhead mounted display was our Network HD LCD Monitor which is capable of displaying preloaded content and/or being controlled from an iPad or Android hand-held device.” Stay Tuned!

Panasonic and AeroSat (Astronics)

We visited Panasonic and their team at NBAA and were surprised at their involvement with Business jets as this a new market for them. David Bruner noted that the new partnership was formed to deliver high speed connectivity and global live television programming to the business jet community. Astronics will deliver the incredibly small Ku Band antenna (AeroSat) intended for tail mounted installation and Panasonic will deliver the “network”. By that we mean, the code and control of the system that handles the connectivity – all the while, the antenna and receivers are designed and built for others. Panasonic has a wealth of experience in the delivery of Ku Band satcom solution from satellites around the world. Basically, Panasonic has global coverage and massive download capacity, the biz jet market was a natural. David told IFExpress, “teaming with AeroSat allows us to enter the market immediately as the service provider. Looking at it another way,” noted Bruner, “when you get phone service from a company like AT&T, you don’t have to buy the phone from them – that’s how we look at this solution.” He mentioned that Panasonic has been looking for the right opportunity to get into this market. We should also note that a typical tail mounted antenna, because of size at Ku Band, doesn’t deliver the best gain characteristics, but when Panasonic saw the testing and performance data of the AeroSat model, they signed on. “From a performance point of view, Panasonic will be offering 3 levels of service,” noted Bruner, “So we are offering three different bandwidth levels that guarantees minimums – 1.5 Mbps, 2 Mbps or 4 Mbps that is guaranteed, most of the time we deliver more.”

SmartSky

Perhaps, SmartSky’s news release said it all: “SmartSky Networks, a next-generation aviation communications provider, is pleased to announce the launch of the nation’s first airborne 4G LTE-based network, SmartSky 4G. SmartSky’s technology will provide more than 10 times the typical speed and capacity of networks currently in the market by using 60 MHz of spectrum for its Air-To-Ground (ATG) data communications. SmartSky 4G will serve both business aviation and the airlines beginning with an exclusive beta-customer trial launch in the continental United States in late 2015. The rollout of nationwide commercial service will follow in 2016. Because the system hardware design can work at multiple frequencies, SmartSky is positioned to expand internationally in the future and provide coverage in locations where different frequency bands might be required. SmartSky is partnering with a leading group of airframe manufacturers, maintenance companies, and equipment and service providers to distribute SmartSky 4G to the business aviation community and will revealed these launch partners at NBAA2014. Similarly, the company is approaching the airline market through established distribution channels, including incumbent connectivity providers.” SmartSky President, Ryan Stone, said: “Last year the company filmed a live flight demonstration with multiple users on-board engaged in video conferences, streaming movies, sending and receiving large files, and other bandwidth-intensive activities all at the same time. SmartSky 4G provides an experience that exceeds the current gold standard of network performance – it enables live, two-way, high-definition video conferencing. SmartSky 4G’s robust performance means that we can also support communications needs beyond cabin Wi-Fi, including many emerging operational applications,” said SmartSky President Ryan Stone. We note the company would not talk about frequencies or beam patterns but as we learn more we will clue you in. From their limited tech hints, it looks like they plan their ground-based US solution to include towers that project an upward antenna pattern is a rough conical shape. Oh yes, and by the way, Mary Rogozinski (847 903-45540 has joined the Smarty Sky team – Avionics Magazine :: SmartSky Receptive to Partnering ATG with Satellite

Astronics

As we noted earlier, Astronics and Panasonic are teaming for biz jet delivery of inflight internet connectivity and global live TV, and AeroSat designs and builds the tail mounted antenna. Their booth features also their other antenna and antenna installation products (including the adapter plate from the Astronics Armstrong division) and, of course, their WebFB product that delivers wireless connectivity to aviation handheld devices. WebFB (or web flight bag) is a clever device that connects to almost any device and is secure.

Astronautics

Presently, we are waiting for a presentation abut their NEXIS and PaTIO Security devices that look interesting if there is concern over inflight security – Stay Tuned!

F+S+B Aviation

The folks at FSB caught our eye when they showed us a free iPhone app (Android too) that you can download (Look up FSB Aviation in the iTunes store) and it gives a bit of info on virtually every commercial, regional, business and (US) military aircraft. You get dimensions (FBS is in the hangar space business) and, perhaps, next year, they will include a pix of each plane model and a bit of data on the average seating?

PlaneGard

Of course you have been paying attention to the Lithium battery issues but while at NBAA, we saw something that you might see on a future flight as the folks at PlaneGard promote a personal device fire containment unit. “Hydrogen does not appear to be a problem when there is a thermal runaway in a single device in the cabin or cockpit, based on Tech Center testing. Those are more of a nuisance type of fire,” says Hill. “The probability of it getting out of control in the cabin is next to nil, but you have to know what to do.” Standard procedures call for dousing the device in water or other liquids to cool the cells. Other uses in the cabin could be of concern, particularly for airlines that may want to use tablets or iPads in lieu of inflight entertainment systems. “If you put 50 of them in a closet and start charging, that could create a fire that could bring down an aircraft,” says Aviation Week’s John Croft. Perhaps, the PlaneGard product we saw might be in order for Pad-based flights?

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More News

Airbus provides dedicated iPad mount capability for A320 Family pilots: “Certified in May 2015, the iPad ‘mount’ is now available for our A320 Family customers. The mount, which consists of a mechanical support installed on each window frame and a power supply connection (USB), can be used with an iPad (models 2, 3 or 4) and iPad Air (models 1 and 2). This solution enables the use of the iPad as an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) during all flight phases. The first Service Bulletin (SB) is expected shortly with an entry-into service in 2016. The solution which can be embodied during a night shift has been developed following a strong customer demand for an Airbus solution.” Check out the Airbus release and image.

Additionally, according to a report from 9to5Mac, Apple is considering dropping the 3.5mm headphone jack from future iPhones in favor of its proprietary Lightning connector or Bluetooth-enabled earpieces. The report states that the next iPhone would come bundled with a pair of the new Lightning connector headphones that plug into the phone’s charging port. Looks like the potential for a lot of Bluetooth radiation could be in your inflight future, but don’t worry, there is a lot of testing at your back:
Aircraft_Safety_Report_for_Bluetooth-6.pdf.

Of course you have heard about the LED modulation (Li-Fi) as being a future potential for data transmission, but the jury is still out for in-aircraft usage. Much like a parallel, multi-visible light communications solution emanating from LED’s. Here is a good way of looking at it – “Using a digital modulation technique called Orthogonal Frequency Divisional Multiplexing (OFDM), researchers enabled micro-LED light bulbs to handle millions of changes in light intensity per second, effectively behaving like an extremely fast on/off switch.” Speeds of up to 1 – 1.5 Gb/sec have been achieved, however, it is unknown if, or how, this transmission effect would affect passengers, airplane equipment or personal devices that have light sensitive/controlled equipment. Further, it is known that lighting and microwaves can cause issues with Wi-Fi. Perhaps the folks at Lumexis might prefer a fiber optic cable output at each seat so your devices could “talk” to the network?

This may be a new “data and money-saver” feature for web-based satcom connectivity.

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Lastly, we wanted to let you know what we have been planning something for a few months now and you might find it interesting. As you know, we talk to a lot of engineers and technical folks and our goal has been to develop a better understanding of some of the technology that is inherent in this business. As time advances, we are seeing even more need for this kind of subject matter, whether it be a hacking security issue or the use of previously overlooked technologies like Bluetooth, the times are getting more technical and IFExpress is developing a weekly feature to frame it. Stay Tuned!

Montreal, Canada | November 5, 2015– Ahead of this year’s NBAA, Canada-based precision engineering company MSB Design has announced that its Hi-Lo conference tables are being made available as a line-fit option on the Gulfstream G500 and Gulfstream G600 family of aircraft. The tables will be offered as an initial specification option. Inclusion follows positive feedback from the market about existing installations of the product.

The latest manual Hi-Lo tables were specifically designed for the G500/600 models and will be showcased on the MSB Design booth C10721, and on the Gulfstream G600 mock up on booth C9406, during this year’s NBAA. The new table has been modified from existing models to incorporate a number of innovations that have not been seen in MSB’s product range previously. A much slimmer pedestal creates more foot room, whilst a carpet pinch beauty ring ensures the table fits stylishly to the cabin floor.

In addition to the manual model, MSB will be demonstrating an electric pedestal that can be operated by Bluetooth, in two stages, changing its use from dining to coffee table mode. Clients can also opt for an oval shroud converting the existing round, or square shape, into an elegant oval finish.

The new table has been designed to withstand 600lbs of load in the deployed position and to survive 1400lbs of weight while being stable enough to remain safely stowed. “We’ve designed our tables to be incredibly strong and reliable. They are extremely solid with an intelligent infinite locking feature. This removes concerns about the product breaking if someone is leaning, sitting or sleeping, no matter which height it is set at,” says Shannon Gill, Business Development Director MSB Design.

She adds: “Our clients tell us that a combination of finish, reliability, appearance and operation, in addition to size, noise and weight reduction are all key considerations in table selection. We have listened to them and hopefully created a product they value.” Gill anticipates that the new design will be welcomed by OEMs, completion centres, and design-houses internationally. “The level of customization we offer is extensive and we are proud to be capable of taking on any requirement to meet the needs of our customers,” concludes Gill.

We are still covering the press meetings with APEX Show vendors and will do so for the next few weeks to let our readers get a better feel for our discussions there – our goal is the help everybody understand their products and promotions…

Lumexis:
The Lumexis press release said it all best about their announced deal in Portland: Lumexis Corporation today announce that their Fiber-To-The-Screen (FTTS) In-Flight Entertainment system has been selected by Caribbean Airlines for installation on their fleet of B737 aircraft. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Caribbean Airlines as our latest airline customer,” said Jon Norris, Lumexis Vice President Sales. “In addition to continuing the in-service success of the FTTS system, Caribbean Airlines are the launch customer for FTTS Second ScreenTM which enables passengers to use their own tablets and smartphones simultaneously at their seat without interrupting the entertainment running in the FTTS HD monitors.” IFExpress understands that eight of their B737 will be initially involved. In case you don’t know the airline, Caribbean Airlines operates more than 600 weekly flights to 19 destinations in the Caribbean, North and South America and the United Kingdom. The airline’s fleet of 21 is comprised of Boeing 737-800, Boeing 767-300ER and ATR72-600 aircraft. Headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, and with an operational base in Jamaica, Caribbean Airlines employs more than 1600 people. The airline is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Lou Sharkey, President and Chief Operating officer notes, “We are delighted to partner with Caribbean Airlines to bring to their passengers our award winning Inflight Entertainment system”. “Partner” is a good word here and we note, the key concept is to increase customer entertainment choice over their many worldwide routes. We understand the first install will occur in June of 2016.

The folks at Lumexis also stated that they have now developed their 4th generation FTTS system which, we note, features the Android Lollipop Operating System… the first IFE we know that does. This means, as one writer noted, “With Android Lollipop Google is making connectivity a big focus.” Improved connectivity is a big deal with the engineering folks and we see the second screen concept they are so proud of as a real passenger pleaser. However, as they also point out, the majority of airlines want seat back entertainment, but portable IFE is very well accepted as short haul solutions. And speaking of screens, the Lumexis team has developed full HD screens in their IFE offering with multi-touch pinch and zoom. Jon Norris notes that “… we’re talking to over 50 airlines at the moment who are interested in our FTTS line-it offering and considering the product… airlines are solidly considering Lumexis as the fourth IFE option on the B737.”

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APEX has just announced that vendor attendees at the APEX TEC conferences will now be charged a fee to participate. As this changes a long-established tradition of TECs being a benefit of membership, IFExpress asked APEX Technology Committee chair and APEX Board Member Michael Childers to explain the reasons.

IFExpress: After years of offering technology committee meetings as a member benefit, why are you now charging?

Childers: There are several reasons. One is that these meetings have, over time, evolved from simply working meetings of various TC Working Groups, to educational conferences attended by people who are not members of the Working Groups, and who are attending for information and educational benefits.

As attendance has regularly increased due to this kind of attendee, the costs of these activities have also risen. It is difficult to distinguish between today’s TECs and the Educational Meetings that we have around the world, and it seemed reasonable to begin to try to achieve parity between the TECs and the Educational Conferences by charging vendor attendees who come for information which is of value.

IFExpress: Are you saying that membership dues no longer cover the costs of these events?

Childers: They do not. Nor does the combination of membership fees and the sponsorships for the TECs cover all of the expenses. Plus, as a direct expense of providing technology leadership, APEX now employs a part-time Technical Director, Bryan Rusenko, who spends a lot of his time helping to plan and execute TECs.

In addition, APEX has now hired a full-time CEO, Joe Leader, and more of Joe’s time than you might imagine actually goes into industry technology and how that is communicated via the TECs. Financial management is a big part of Joe’s leadership responsibility, and he does not believe in association activities that do not pay for themselves. The Board has agreed to look at everything we do as an association and consider how such activities can pay for themselves.

But Joe also believes in delivering value and he has committed to us that he will leverage his extensive contacts to give us access to even better speakers and panelists at future TECs.  For example, Joe is directly responsible for landing a major technology company for our TEC program next month. (Come see!)

IFExpress: Haven’t a lot of the TC’s activities in the past depended on volunteerism rather than paid staff?

Childers: They have, but technology has become such a large part of our industry that the increase in volunteers doesn’t cover it. In addition, we are facing the fact that IFEC technologies do not exist in a vacuum—we benefit from and are dependent upon open standard technologies that originate elsewhere.

Content management technologies originating in the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) such as the Interoperable Master Format (IMF); Movielabs, such as IMSC1-2 for closed captions; and the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) and its Common Format, are all examples.

But we now have to look beyond just Content Management and consider such questions as how would open data exchange standards impact the passenger experience. APEX cannot create those standards, but we must be sure that we align our own specifications with them and have a seat at the table when they are developed.

IFEpress: What are the registration fees that APEX is seeking for the TECs?

Childers: $350 for vendor members, and $450 for approved non-members. Airlines  and invited press get in free. Speakers, sponsors, and some active Working Group members are free or discounted.

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More News:

• A recent interesting announcement from Panasonic and Teledyne controls is one of the new data related options being put together for airlines but go beyond IFE. “The companies will combine Teledyne’s Wireless GroundLinkComm+ product suite with Panasonic’s Global Communications Service to provide cost effective connectivity during flight or at the gate. This enhanced offering will leverage both Ku-band service and GSM cellular, enabling aircraft operators to break free from the bandwidth limitations and high transmission costs associated with traditional data communications systems. When combined with Panasonic’s Weather Solutions application and Teledyne’s GroundLink AID+ solution, real time weather can be delivered to the flight deck, resulting in enhanced safety and increased flight efficiency. Paul Margis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics, said, “With this agreement, Panasonic and Teledyne will create a unique service that uses real-time data transmission to create operational efficiencies and reduced costs for our customers.”
• Think 40GBASE-T puts an end of the “copper twisted-pair party”? Nope, think lower. Here is a quote from the Tektronix folks: “But in November 2014, IEEE 802.3 put out a call for interest on 25GBASE-T, driven by the likes of Cisco, Microsoft and Intel who recognized 25 Gb/s as a more efficient, cost-effective option for switch-to-server speeds in cloud-based data centers. Hence the 25GBASE-T IEEE study group was formed.” You can read more here.
• Don’t forget Aircraft Interior North America Exhibition in Seattle, WA. November 4 & 5. We are going there to see the Schott In-Seat Illumination products that use LED’s and fiber optics… not to mention the Star Ceiling interior paneling. See you there. You can register here
• Be careful on a plane using your iPhone/Android phone and headphones because hackers have been able to use radio waves to control your smartphone via the “antenna” the earphone leads provide… and they can do it up to 16 feet away! Check it out
• If you are into streaming media, this 2 day event in Huntington Beach is for you: The Streaming Media West expo offers attendees a firsthand look at the leading software, hardware, and network solutions and services in the streaming media industry. Streaming Media West 2015 Registration | Online Video Conference and Expo

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Ron Chapman sent IFExpress a message and it said there will be a “GRRRILLA Gala” at NBAA! Stay Tuned, we will be there!