Miltope: Reliable In The Extreme

IFExpress recently had the opportunity to connect with the Miltope team and we discovered that the company is celebrating 45 years in the aviation sector, specifically 20+ in the commercial aviation space. In conjunction with this milestone, they have rebranded and you will notice their new logo in today’s publication.

Miltope has a long-standing history of setting the standard for commercial aviation applications that can withstand the harshest conditions. “Reliable in the extreme, is how we approach everything we do,” said Jack Haley, President and CEO of Miltope. “Whether with our customer relationships or our hardware design and development, Miltope’s capabilities are defined by this mantra. This philosophy relies on a common, open architecture approach of satisfying performance requirements to minimize integration challenges, enhance capability, and ultimately provide the best value solution. And our new logo, the Rhino, embodies this dedication to ruggedized, reliable hardware.”

In an area where technology capabilities evolve rapidly, designing systems that can remain relevant and innovative over the long lifecycles required for the aviation sector is always a challenge. Miltope understands these challenges as well as the complex, technical operating environment and what is required of their rugged devices. This understanding is a critical element in their product design and ensures that Miltope’s rugged systems accommodate technologies well into the future.

With over 20,000 products installed, Miltope is an industry leader in wireless networking solutions for the commercial aviation industry. This includes their very capable servers and access points. One of the unique aspects the company brings to the table is wireless network optimization. The nMAP2 802.11ac Multifunction Access Point uses Cognitive Hotspot^TM Technology (CHT) and soon CHT Plus to optimize and cyber secure the cabin network and maximize its capacity and distribution for the benefit of the passenger and the airline. nMAP2’s sense their environment and adapt the wireless network performance components accordingly. They cooperate with neighboring nMAP2’s, allowing them to manage all available resources, prevent interference and balance the network usage. This provides clear and fast wireless capacity throughout the cabin, ensuring secure communications and minimizing interference. The CHT Plus upgrade adheres to the WPA3 standard, includes an WIPS (Wireless Intrusion Prevention System) and offers Hotspot 2.0 capabilities. Each nMAP2 has two radios, providing both IEEE 802.11a/n/ac operation and 802.11a/g/n for legacy client devices. We are told that wireless data rates up to 1.7 Gbps may be achieved with 802.11ac.

Miltope also offers an ARINC 763 compliant Cellular Terminal Wireless LAN Unit (cTWLU) that is based on the nMAP2 hardware. This is a wireless gateway from an aircraft LAN to a ground based LAN that automates data delivery without the delays and costs associated with human intervention. The cTWLU provides IEEE 802.11b/g/n or 802.11ac wireless operation plus 3G/4G cellular operation modes. This is a compact and secure interactive web based interface to a software management tool with proven reliability, requiring no maintenance. It is software upgradeable to support evolving security, connectivity and authentication protocols.

The xMAP is the next generation airborne wireless access point product family member from Miltope and is foundational to a software platform for wireless data in the cabin. Whether streaming cashed content, e-mails through the Internet, cabin IoT data or crew communications, the adaptive wireless network manages, optimizes and cyber-secures data flow for each aircraft and across the fleet. This hardware and software solution significantly expands network capabilities and throughput, while incorporating exceptional software features and functions, including the additional features CHT Plus offers for the nMAP2 upgrade. The xMAP will feature 802.11ax, CHT, embedded SSD providing distributed content caching, cyber security, intelligent client connection and roaming, and WPA3.

IFExpress expects to see the latest updates to the nMAP2 and the cTWLU at the next trade show, and Miltope has told us they will be rolling-out the xMAP in 2021, and other new products and services over the next several years.

Lastly, we want to congratulate Miltope on celebrating 45 years in aviation and be sure to check out their video!

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Panasonic: Middle East Airlines Selects Panasonic Avionics For A321 Family IFE and Connectivity

Panasonic Avionics  has been selected by Middle East Airlines-Air Liban (MEA) to provide inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) solutions for 15 of its Airbus A321 family aircraft.

Upon delivery from July 2020 onwards, 9 A321neos will become the first connected aircraft to join MEA’s fleet. They will be linefitted with Panasonic’s eX1 seatback IFE solution, designed specifically for narrowbody aircraft.

eX1 offers elegant full HD seatback monitors, complete with touch displays and handsets, and an intuitive, personalized interface. Passengers will have access to USB and laptop charging power points at every seat as well.

MEA’s A321neos will also be fitted with Panasonic’s inflight Wi-Fi service, with a host of next generation connectivity benefits from fast internet to video streaming, all powered by its new satellite modem which offers bandwidth up to twenty times greater than previously available.

Panasonic’s high-performance connectivity is a powerful way for airlines to build brand loyalty by delivering new and personalized content to passengers inflight.

Ken Sain, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Middle East Airlines to enhance the passenger experience on their A321 family aircraft with our world-class inflight entertainment and connectivity. The Middle East is a dynamic and strategically important region for Panasonic Avionics.”

Mohamad El Hout, Chairman – Director General of MEA, said; “We are happy to partner again with Panasonic Avionics. MEA’s new aircraft is equipped with its state-of-the-art inflight entertainment systems including WiFi connectivity for the first time, reflecting the company’s ambition to provide customers with the best products the industry has to offer.”

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FTS Innovative Connectivity: Ka-band Inflight Connectivity System Goes Live on Qingdao Airlines

FTS, a provider of wireless Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity solutions, announced that its XStreamSAT Ka-band Inflight Connectivity System has officially gone live on Qingdao Airlines. A grand ceremony was held on 7 Jul 2020 in Qingdao, China to commemorate this momentous occasion, followed by a live inflight broadcast media event on the debut flight QW9771 from Qingdao to Chengdu.

FTS XStreamSAT is the first Ka-band inflight connectivity system to launch in China, following the award of both FAA STC and CAAC VSTC airworthiness certification, after installation on one Qingdao Airlines A320 aircraft. The official launch marks the culmination of relentless team effort by FTS, China Satcom, TDT Link and other valued partners.

XStreamSAT is FTS’ state-of-the-art flagship product that equips the aircraft with highspeed satellite broadband connectivity. The full onboard system comprises of Cabin Wireless Network, MODMAN (Modem and Manager), satellite antenna subsystem, radome, adapter plate and other structural parts. For the China market, it has been optimized to connect with China Satcom’s Chinasat-16 Ka-Band High-Throughput Satellite (HTS), offering unprecedented bandwidth in excess of 150Mbps for each aircraft.

On the debut flight, passengers connected to the onboard wireless network using their own mobile devices and were treated to a galore of over 2000 entertainment selections, curated inflight shopping catalogue with over 500 items (supporting online payment), flight map and of course, the highspeed internet access. A live inflight broadcast was hosted on the ever-popular Douyin (Chinese version of Tik Tok) platform, showcasing smooth 2-way live video communication between the flight and ground audiences.

With the completion of extensive testing and commercial launch, FTS is working to accelerate the fleet-wide installation on all of Qingdao Airline’s fleet of 25 Airbus A320/321 aircraft. To realize its vision of fully connected Digital Aircraft, FTS will be progressively introducing other applications in areas such as flight operations, flight safety, aircraft maintenance, cabin crew services etc. Following the successful launch on Qingdao Airlines, FTS has announced to the world that it is now a serious contender in the Inflight Connectivity solution provider space and looks forward to engaging global airlines and markets on a wider scale. For more information contact marketing@fts.aero

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SITA

German leisure airline Condor is making significant enhancements to fuel optimization through the deployment of eWAS to more than 700 pilots and dispatchers. The signing with SITA’s aircraft domain of expertise – which includes the provision of eWAS Pilot and eWAS Dispatch applications – brings several major benefits for the popular holiday airline. As severe weather events become more frequent and intense, eWAS Pilot delivers both forecasts and satellite-based observation data, enabling Condor’s crews to avoid the avoidable and create more economic, intelligent, and flexible flight plans.

Through enhanced route optimization, Condor is further ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its passengers, pilots, and crews, as well as addressing demands to lessen environmental impact, by reducing unnecessary fuel consumption and limiting turnaround times, achieving significant fuel- and cost-savings.

eWAS Dispatch, which has been developed in collaboration with dispatchers themselves, will improve workflow by providing the same, real-time, graphically optimized view and information as pilots, enhancing processes and collaboration across dispatch and cockpit teams.

Christian Schmitt, Managing Director Operations of Condor, says: “At Condor, our focus has always been delivering on the promise of quality to our passengers and ensuring the highest safety standards for customers, crews and pilots. As an existing SITA customer, its aircraft communications technology has enabled us to collaborate more efficiently. Taking this next step in our partnership enables us to further enhance our operations and increase fuel economy, reflecting our strong emphasis on ecological responsibility.”

Stephan Egli, Commercial VP Europe, Middle East & Africa, SITA FOR AIRCRAFT, comments: “The expectation for real-time data flow is growing rapidly, with a host of changing mandates and regulations to ensure that flying is safer and more sustainable than ever. Alongside this, we want to enable our airline customers to provide real passenger satisfaction and optimize costs wherever possible. We’re pleased to continue our work with Condor to transform its optimization plans into reality and help them achieve this.”

The announcement comes just months after SITA’s acquisition of GTD Air Services – its collaborative partner in the development of the eWAS portfolio – which seeks to help airlines embrace a digital shift, making flying safer, more efficient, enjoyable and sustainable. The move is set to accelerate SITA’s existing Digital Day of Operations application portfolio, reinventing the operation of aircraft, flights, and the passenger experience.

Florent Birling, Head of eWAS Portfolio, SITA FOR AIRCRAFT, adds: “We’re excited to enable Condor to stay ahead in the post-COVID-19 environment by deploying new solutions for their pilots and dispatchers. We are further developing our flight efficiency and green operation solutions to allow airlines to reduce their cost and CO2 footprint.”

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Flight Aware

FlightAware will provide Metron Aviation with access to the world’s largest flight tracking network and data fusion platform, including data from FlightAware’s terrestrial Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receivers in more than 195 countries delivering extensive flight data and surveillance position updates that will provide a valuable resource for Metron Aviation’s portfolio of Air Traffic Management (ATM) services and tools. The broad coverage of the world’s air traffic that FlightAware offers provides real value to Metron Aviation’s abilities to provide highly accurate demand predictions, for a more comprehensive operational picture, hours ahead of time.

As the first initiative of this relationship, Metron Aviation in partnership with CANSO will supply global ANSPs with their Horizon product with integrated FlightAware surveillance data as a complementary Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. Horizon will provide real-time demand prediction capabilities for airports and airspace to help mitigate the uncertainty regarding the restart of air traffic operations as the industry begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
FlightAware is a digital aviation company and operates the world’s largest flight tracking and data platform. With global connectivity to every segment of aviation, FlightAware provides over 10,000 aircraft operators and service providers as well as over 13,000,000 passengers with global flight tracking solutions, predictive technology, analytics, and decision-making tools.

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Airbus

Airbus delivered 36 commercial aircraft in June 2020, representing a slight increase compared to 24 in May and 14 in April and bringing the total for the first half of the year to 196 deliveries.

In H1 2020, Airbus booked a total of 298 net commercial aircraft orders. This compares to 389 aircraft in H1 2019. The decrease reflects the COVID-19 crisis. By aircraft type, a total of 11 A220s, 157 A320 Family, 5 A330s and 23 A350s were delivered in the first half of 2020.

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Other News

• B.S. is everywhere. Here’s how to deal with it at work.
• Do you live where connectivity stinks? Well, here is a great answer and the deals for using your phone or Wi-Fi anywhere (in the US) is really a deal! Setting up a private satellite Wi-Fi network is now cheaper and easier than ever | ZDNet
• Reuters did a great piece on COVID-19 Social Distancing – and some airplane infection data – New normal: Making public spaces safe after COVID-19 lockdown
• Wanna see how airline traffic has declined in a major city near you? The Airline Flight Demand Tracker – TNMT And, The Lufthansa Innovation Hub has some very good travel data in a weekly newsletter – Free – here – travelandmobility.tech Newsletter
• A Dying Man’s Lost Recipe Made His Daughter a Multimillionaire Oh boy, I wish I could taste these!
• Michelle Gooris tells us how to start a jet engine because we really did not know how the start-up options work on a Boeing 737 – How To Start A JET ENGINE – Boeing 737 – YouTube and here is her many links to airplane operation! DutchPilotGirl – YouTube

GALGUS

You may not have heard about the Galgus US patent that we see as an important improvement in decentralized wireless control. And in case you don’t remember, CHT (Cognitive Hotspot Technology) enables Wi-Fi devices to become intelligent fulfilling their potential capabilities and automatically makes real-time decisions, optimizing the wireless performance for every connected user. Cognitive Hotspot Technology is flying on aircraft today.

On August 27, 2019, a patent (US 10,397,932 B2) was granted to Galgus by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) of the United States Department of Commerce for the “System and Method for Decentralized Control of Wireless Networks”.

The invention patented relates to a decentralized control technology for wireless network installation, which distributes the control logic between all of the access points that make up the network, eliminating the centralized controller from the network architecture by means of communication between the access points themselves, thus substantially improving the efficiency of the management of the wireless network itself. The advantages that this architecture provides are the following:

• Because it is decentralized, it is not dependent on any particular element, as all of the access points behave like small controllers that are able to interoperate with each other.
• Each node behaves like a controller and provides support to the adjacent nodes.
• The network tasks are thus distributed, without overloading any one element, thus preventing bottlenecks.
• It reduces the high hardware costs of the centralized controller.
• It is 100% scalable, making it possible to add more access points without having to increase the capabilities of the centralized controller.
• It enables management from any point with network access.
• Redundancy to failures, as the logic of the controller and, as such, the operations of the network is not compromised by the failure of any one access point.
• Automatic configuration of the transmit power of the access points belonging to the network in order to reduce unnecessary interference.
• Automatic configuration of the channel used by each access point belonging to the network in order to reduce interference between access points and increase the number of simultaneous transmissions in a limited physical environment.
• Automatic selection of the access point that provides service to a new station or user (STA, “Station”), in order to reduce interference between access points and stations operating on the same channel or on different channels.
• Balance the network load with the aim of reducing interference within the network and the number of hidden nodes, as well as taking advantage of the total transmission capacity of the network to prevent bottlenecks from arising in some access points while others remain idle.
• Exclusion of users based on location, denying service to users who are located outside the range of operation of the network when these users receive the signal of the network.

“Its been a long way to achieve this. It was back in October 2013 when we applied for this! More than five years to finally succeed!” said Galgus’ CEO, Jose Gonzalez, who added: “Undoubtedly, it’s not just important because it can help us to safeguard our software, the good thing is that it’s a proof of Galgus’ technological innovation capability in the wireless field”.

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PANASONIC

Panasonic Avionics Corporation subsidiary, AeroMobile, is pleased to announce the launch of mobile connectivity onboard EGYPTAIR Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. This launch marks a significant time for EGYPTAIR as it responds to the ever growing demand for connectivity from travelers. With this launch, EGYPTAIR has achieved a major milestone by initiating the deployment of mobile and internet connectivity across its entire fleet of Dreamliner aircraft. In addition to the onboard Wi-Fi and live TV service, passengers will be able to access the AeroMobile network to connect their roaming-enabled GSM mobile phones to use mobile data services, send and receive SMS messages and emails, and make and receive calls.

Following the successful introduction of its first two aircraft with inflight mobile connectivity in Spring 2019, EGYPTAIR are set to complete their roll out through Autumn 2019. The B787-9 fleet with inflight mobile connectivity will serve destinations including Europe, America and Asia during 2019.

EGYPTAIR is always keen on providing passengers with competitive solutions, especially in the field of technology. As connectivity becomes an increasingly important part of the inflight experience, the airline is pleased to now be able to offer passengers a similar connectivity experience in the air, to that which they enjoy on the ground. Through these connectivity services, the airline is providing industry-leading services to its passengers, with even more choice, convenience and added value.

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VUELING

The European Aviation Network (EAN) is now available to passengers flying with the European airline Vueling, marking the much-awaited debut of Europe’s fastest inflight broadband service in the low-cost carrier market. Vueling has commenced a soft launch of its new inflight broadband service, powered by EAN, on five initial short-haul aircraft. The rollout will progressively continue over the coming months, with installations expected to be completed on its fleet of more than 110 Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft by early next year, serving passengers on hundreds of different routes.

Passengers purchasing Wi-Fi on Vueling flights will have access to a full range of packages, including ‘Fly and Chat’ for messaging, ‘Fly and Surf’ for browsing and ‘Fly and More’ for streaming. EAN’s integrated system delivers consistent Wi-Fi that enables passengers to seamlessly browse the internet, stream videos, check social media, enjoy real-time interactive applications such as gaming and more. Vueling is the third airline to make the award-winning connectivity solution available to passengers. In total, EAN can now be accessed on more than 250 routes covering key destinations across Europe, including London, Madrid, Barcelona, Geneva and Rome. To date, almost five million passengers have traveled on more than 35,000 flights with access to EAN. The introduction of EAN inflight broadband on Vueling flights supports the airline’s ‘NEXT’ transformation program, which includes significant investments in customer experience, operations resilience and digital innovation. Developed by Inmarsat and Deutsche Telekom (DT) in partnership with leading European companies such as Thales, Nokia, Airbus, Cobham and EAD Aerospace, EAN marks a paradigm shift in the airline passenger experience, with incomparable speeds, uninterrupted coverage and significantly lower latency than any other inflight broadband network in the continent.

It has been designed from scratch specifically for the needs of European aviation, delivering consistent inflight broadband across Europe, one of the world’s most congested airspaces, with more than one billion passengers and 11 million flights per year. EAN also offers the fastest ever installation time for a connectivity solution, requiring under nine hours per aircraft, meaning significantly less downtime for airlines. Combined with the system’s low weight, low drag and low maintenance, this results in lower operation costs.

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INMARSAT

Inmarsat announced that its Jet ConneX (JX) business aviation inflight Wi-Fi solution has now been installed and activated on over 600 business jets worldwide.

The milestone was celebrated at NBAA 2019 in Las Vegas,  highlighting the rapid uptake of Jet ConneX services in just under three years of commercial availability. Powered by Inmarsat’s global Ka-band satellite network, Jet ConneX offers a reliable, consistent and high-speed Wi-Fi experience, bringing business travelers a level of connectivity in the air that has previously only been available on the ground. Installations have been growing rapidly, with a 50% increase in the past year alone.

The latest installation milestone follows a series of announcements this year detailing Inmarsat’s fully-funded development roadmap for its global Ka-band network, Global Xpress (GX) which currently consists of four high-throughput satellites. The next evolution of the network will deliver eight additional payloads, marking a transformative step-change in inflight broadband capabilities. As part of this program, Inmarsat will also become the only provider of inflight connectivity in the Arctic region.

The GX network will offer enhanced, focused, ultra-high-power capacity that can be immediately relocated in line with high demand flight patterns and seasonal demand surges across the globe, cementing Jet ConneX’s position as the world’s flagship connectivity for business jets. This future-proofs the ability for business aviation customers to invest in a consistently high quality of service into the future.

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BOEING

Boeing issued the following statement regarding the release of the final investigation report of Lion Air Flight 610 by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT): “On behalf of everyone at Boeing, I want to convey our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in these aviation accidents. We mourn with Lion Air, and we would like to express our deepest sympathies to the Lion Air family,” said Boeing President & CEO Dennis Muilenburg. “These tragic events have deeply affected us all and we will always remember what happened.”

“We commend Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee for its extensive efforts to determine the facts of this accident, the contributing factors to its cause and recommendations aimed toward our common goal that this never happens again.”

“We are addressing the KNKT’s safety recommendations, and taking actions to enhance the safety of the 737 MAX to prevent the flight control conditions that occurred in this accident from ever happening again. Safety is an enduring value for everyone at Boeing and the safety of the flying public, our customers, and the crews aboard our airplanes is always our top priority. We value our long-standing partnership with Lion Air and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”

Boeing experts, working as technical advisors to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, have supported the KNKT over the course of the investigation. The company’s engineers have been working with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other global regulators to make software updates and other changes, taking into account the information from the KNKT’s investigation. Since this accident, the 737 MAX and its software are undergoing an unprecedented level of global regulatory oversight, testing and analysis. This includes hundreds of simulator sessions and test flights, regulatory analysis of thousands of documents, reviews by regulators and independent experts and extensive certification requirements. Over the past several months Boeing has been making changes to the 737 MAX. Most significantly, Boeing has redesigned the way Angle of Attack (AoA) sensors work with a feature of the flight control software known as Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Going forward, MCAS will compare information from both AoA sensors before activating, adding a new layer of protection.In addition, MCAS will now only turn on if both AoA sensors agree, will only activate once in response to erroneous AoA, and will always be subject to a maximum limit that can be overridden with the control column. These software changes will prevent the flight control conditions that occurred in this accident from ever happening again.

In addition, Boeing is updating crew manuals and pilot training, designed to ensure every pilot has all of the information they need to fly the 737 MAX safely. Boeing continues to work with the FAA and other regulatory agencies worldwide on the certification of the software update and training program to safely return the 737 MAX to service.

The Boeing Company Board of Directors announced that it has elected retired Adm. John M. Richardson as its newest member. Richardson, 59, served as the 31st chief of Naval Operations from September 2015 until August 2019, when he retired from the U.S. Navy after 37 years of service. Richardson will join the Aerospace Safety Committee, which was formed in August following a rigorous five-month review of the company’s policies and processes for airplane design and development by the board’s temporary Committee on Airplane Policies and Processes. He also will serve on the board’s Special Programs Committee.

Boeing CEO and Boeing Chief Engineer to testify.

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OTHER NEWS

• Passengers start praying after an engine fails, on a 3.5 hr flight  – Album on Imgur – The article title says it all!
• Ever wondered why airplanes have colored wingtip lights?  Why Lights at Plane Wings Are Different – YouTube
• The Design History of Airline Flight Maps – CityLab This article link says what it is. You might find it interesting and educational! The article is based on a book – Airline Maps by Mark Ovenden, Maxwell Roberts: 9780143134077 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
• We continue to look for quantum computing in aviation, there has been some big improvements to the technology. Recently, Google claimed their quantum computer supremacy: “Google thinks their evidence for quantum supremacy is airtight. Even if external researchers cut the time it takes to do the classical simulation, quantum hardware is improving — meaning that for this problem, conventional computers are unlikely to ever catch up, says Hartmut Neven, who runs Google’s quantum-computing team.” While we don’t understand the limited applications of this technology, it is an interesting technique – Hello quantum world! Google publishes landmark quantum supremacy claim
• Christopher Elliot, a travel and consumer advocate has a very useful suggestion when you have a travel (or other) complaint: Never Use These Five Words When You Have A Customer Complaint
• While we don’t know of any airport robot security devices or systems, this unbelievable website video’s of robot skill is incredibly amazing/scary and may set the stage for robot security. Check it out!
• If you are flying somewhere and are interested in potential wind issues, there is a free website for that! Global Wind Atlas We like this one too! WunderMap® | Interactive Weather Map and Radar | Weather Underground
• I wonder if this could be used to check out smells on an airplane in situations that might be dangerous – like leaking gas odor and so on? Google researchers taught an AI to recognize smells | Engadget

France | March 12, 2018–SITAONAIR is delivering a next-generation connected aircraft ‘smart core’ that will significantly enhance airline data communications and operations. The company has partnered withAstronics Ballard Technology to provide an integrated product solution using their new webCS® Wireless Aircraft Communications Server along with SITAONAIR’s e-enabled application software.

This closely-integrated software and hardware solution greatly reduces deployment complexity and will bring even greater value to SITAONAIR’s airline customers – delivering enhanced capabilities and operational efficiencies – empowering airlines to realize the promises of the connected aircraft.

The ‘smart core’ brings together the vast connected aircraft data collected by SITAONAIR’s e-Aircraft® DataCapture solutions for cockpit, cabin, and aircraft operations. It then distributes this SITAONAIR-processed data onboard using Astronics Ballard Technology’s flexible webCS, a smart AID/server/router that securely bridges avionics data with wired and wireless networks in a single compact box.

SITAONAIR already plays a central airline e-enablement and data management role, in an age where the volume of data generated by aircraft has sky-rocketed from five parameters in 1958, to more than 200,000 today. As testament to its expertize, SITAONAIR last year launched its pioneering e-Aircraft® DataCapture solution – a result of the company’s collaboration with Air France to deliver ‘virtual black box’ flight recording solutions for automatic data collection.

Today’s offering of an integrated product will further enhance airline customers’ data management approach. The combination of SITAONAIR’s established portfolio of passenger, crew and flight operations solutions with Astronics Ballard Technology’s innovative hardware and strong technical expertise in the area of aircraft avionics interfacing, will form a central pillar of airlines’ connectivity and e-enablement strategies, delivered to airlines as a managed service.

Dominique El Bez, SITAONAIR Vice President, Product and Strategy, says: “Our new partnership marks an evolution in SITAONAIR’s e-enablement strategy and is a true hallmark of the connected aircraft age. The arrival of our smart core for an intuitive, integrated connected aircraft reinforces SITAONAIR’s pioneering open platforms vision, by encompassing complete, flexible and scalable aircraft data management solutions both onboard and on the ground.”

Jon Neal of Astronics Ballard Technology says: “We are extremely pleased to be selected by SITAONAIR to provide the secure platform on which to build this total e-enablement solution. We share their desire to allow airline customers to access their data to enable and empower better decision-making that will streamline and transform their operations.”

To explore the SITAONAIR connected aircraft portfolio, including its e-Aircraft DataCapture®, AppsConnect® and ACARS over IP services, visit www.sitaonair.aero, speak to your local SITAONAIR contact or submit an enquiry form.

Isle of Wight | March 8, 2018–

Cyprus’ award-winning flag carrier Cobalt Air selects Bluebox Wow to provide wireless IFE

• First aircraft delivered to Southwest Airlines with Global Eagle Entertainment’s KU Band connectivity installed at Boeing factory

Long Beach, CA | September 25, 2017– Kontron, a leading global provider of embedded computing inflight entertainment and connectivity equipment, today announced the launch of Boeing 737 MAX line-fit deliveries in association with a one of its key customers, Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: ENT).  Securing line-fit offerability from Boeing and Airbus is a strategic priority for Kontron, given the resulting efficiencies that can be offered to airlines in terms of cost savings and eliminating the need to take an aircraft out of service. Global Eagle recently announced that its Airconnect 3.0 inflight equipment is the first catalog-offerable line-fit connectivity system available for installation during assembly of the new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Kontron began working with Global Eagle in 2015 to obtain Boeing line-fit approval for Kontron’s Server Management Unit, Modem Data Unit and Cab-N-Connect™ wireless access point. These Kontron designed and manufactured Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) are enabling components of the Global Eagle Airconnect 3.0 inflight Wi-Fi system. Airconnect 3.0 provides KU Band connectivity, IPTV and wireless IFE services to passengers and crew, and is already proven on 865 aircraft around the world.

To obtain Boeing line-fit approval for the three LRUs, Kontron worked with Global Eagle to develop an extensive qualification test program to the Boeing specifications for 737 MAX cabin equipment. The test procedures were successfully executed on the three LRUs by the combined Global Eagle and Kontron teams, with Boeing representatives witnessing. The final qualification test report was generated by Kontron and approved by Global Eagle and Boeing.

“Kontron’s aviation product development strategy includes the concept of line-fit readiness,” said Andy Mason, vice president technology at Kontron America. “This means Boeing and Airbus OEM requirements are considered during the product design and preliminary qualification phase. Our due diligence in creating a qualification test program matched to strict aircraft cabin specifications is proving useful for the future. Kontron is actively pursuing Boeing and Airbus line-fit qualification for our new ACE Flight™ 4608 Server and other avionics products.”

 

“Our collaboration with Kontron adds best-in-class inflight connectivity and helps to remove the worry of aircraft downtime and revenue loss for retrofit installations,” said Per Norén, Global Eagle Senior Vice President, Aviation.

 

Kontron will showcase its extensive line of certified IFE&C open platform solutions at the 2017 APEX Expo in Long Beach, California, September 25-28in Kontron Booth #533. For more information on its avionics product portfolio, please visit: https://www.kontron.com/industries/avionics

The webFB is the first approved wireless AID certified for use in the flight deck

East Aurora, NY | June 12, 2017– Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO), through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Astronics Armstrong Aerospace and Astronics Ballard Technology, announced today it has received installation approval by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Transport Canada, and Direccíon General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC Mexico) for its webFB® Wireless Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) device for use on Boeing 737 aircraft. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the initial Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the webFB in 2016.

“These approvals will enable installation of the webFB on aircraft not only in the US, but now throughout Europe, Canada and Mexico,” said Jon Neal, Vice President and General Manager of Astronics Ballard Technology. “The webFB is a game-changer in terms of size, cost and ease of installation. The wireless webFB device enables airlines to provide avionics data connectivity to their portable EFBs with a simple install requiring minimal downtime. A fleet-wide implementation could be completed in days rather than years.”
The ultra-compact webFB easily fits in the palm of the hand, yet incorporates the capabilities of both an Aircraft Interface Device (AID) and a wireless server. The built-in AID safely gathers essential data from an aircraft’s ARINC 429 and 717 data buses and conveys it to custom software or EFB apps hosted on its internal server. Using a wireless connection to portable EFB tablets, the webFB securely delivers valuable information right to the fingertips of the flight crew.

In conjunction with the newly issued validations, Astronics is currently working with airlines that are actively conducting trials using the webFB to increase operational efficiencies. Airlines and software partners are developing a variety of enhanced EFB applications for the webFB including flight optimization, electronic tech logs, and real-time Quick Access Recorder (QAR) monitoring and event notifications. For software vendors, the webFB provides a rapid and practical solution for developing applications and deploying them into the flight deck and beyond.

Astronics Armstrong Aerospace developed the installation design and provided regulatory certification services for the webFB. “The simplicity of our 737 test port installation design allows our airline customers to quickly install the webFB device during routine overnight maintenance visits,” said Rob Abbinante, President of Astronics Armstrong Aerospace. The STCs also approve the installation of the Astronics AES EmPower® Flight Deck USB UltraLite Power System, which charges portable EFBs while in flight.

Astronics Ballard Technology will spotlight the webFB at the EFB Users Forum (booth 25) in Vienna, Austria, June 13-15. The webFB is available now. For complete product details and to request a quote, visit Astronics.com/BallardTechnology/webFB.

Astronics Ballard Technology is the industry-leader for reliable avionics data bus interface solutions and world- class customer support. Astronics Armstrong Aerospace is an innovative aviation engineering, design and manufacturing company that upgrades aircraft with new technologies.

• Nesma Airlines is AirFi’s first Middle East airline customer and the 21st overall
• The carrier will deploy AirFi’s Wireless IFE solution on its A320 and A321 aircraft
• The solution will launch with Nesma in six weeks

Singapore | October 26, 2016– Market-leading Wireless IFE provider AirFi is proud to announce the signing of its first customer in the Middle East – and twenty-first customer globally – Nesma Airlines.

Nesma plans to deliver a streaming IFE solution to passengers flying on its Airbus A320 family aircraft in November this year, less than six weeks from contract signature. With over 20 airline customers flying with the AirFi solution every day, the AirFi team is experienced in enabling such speedy fleet-wide deployments of its system.

AirFi’s fully-featured portable Wireless IFE platform allows passengers to access DRM and non-DRM movies and TV shows, games, chat, duty free and post-flight shopping and daily updated news and social feeds. To provide such a wide range of content, the company currently works with over fifty content providers both big and small, including its official regional partner, Onboard International.

Furthermore, AirFi’s acquisition of a European technology firm earlier in 2016 means passengers can also play with a state-of-the-art 3D moving map. This new feature showcases numerous points of interest and offers the opportunity for geo-fenced advertising.

Passengers can access the content using their personal electronic devices to connect to a free onboard Wi-Fi network created by the AirFi boxes, which are positioned throughout the cabin in overhead bins. AirFi will initially offer Nesma’s passengers content in English, with the roll-out of Arabic-language content due soon after the solution goes live.

AirFi CEO, Job Heimerikx, comments, “We are delighted to welcome Nesma to the AirFi family and to open up another new region here in the Middle East with our partner Onboard International. We are dedicated to a continuous program of passenger experience enhancements and ensuring that the AirFi platform leads the market as the best-in-class hard and software solution for safety, performance, cost and speed of deployment.”

Martijn Moret, AirFi’s Chief Innovation Officer and Director of Operations in Asia, adds, “We’re very proud to announce our first Middle East airline customer, because it’s a new territory for us. It’s a tangible result of our expansion in focus from solely Europe out to the rest of the world.”
AirFi made the decision to expand its global reach earlier this year. So far, it has eighteen European customers, as well as one carrier based in the Philippines and one based in Mexico. Moret also hinted that further confirmed customer announcements could be expected before the end of the year.

We first heard about meshed aviation networks a few years ago but not much has happened in the build and test phase until now. In the past, and as far back as 2008, mesh networks have found use on the ground and in the air with the military. However, in the last couple of years, mesh networks have found a proposed place, specifically in aviation papers like this one. Interestingly, Wikipedia notes; “The 66-satellite Iridium constellation operates as a mesh network, with wireless links between adjacent satellites. Calls between two satellite phones are routed through the mesh, from one satellite to another across the constellation, without having to go through an earth station. This makes for a smaller travel distance for the signal, reducing latency, and also allows for the constellation to operate with far fewer earth stations than would be required for 66 traditional communications satellites.”
Now, the Airborne Wireless Network folks are targeting the communication to and from the ground, through moving aircraft paths… that is, the planes have antennas that talk to each other, as well as, to ground stations – look at it as a flexible, moving wireless network that does not use satellites, but rather, uses the airplane(s) as the communication nodes to ground stations. As the reported requirements for off-plane data increases, as well as the development failure prediction capability based on more data, communicating black box testing, and passengers and crew data usage goes up – another method to send it might be useful! The concept in our first story is the result of a lot of new technology brought about by new data handling capabilities, advanced antenna processing, flexible spectrum management and frequency-agile transmissions and importantly, software defined networking. While Airborne Wireless Network has kept a low profile about their operation, you are going to hear a lot about the technology, and a lot about their product in the future. Stay Tuned!

Airborne Wireless Network:
Airborne Wireless Network (the company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Memorandum Of Understanding with Kansas City-based Jet Midwest Group (Jet Midwest). It states that both parties have agreed to enter into a definitive agreement by September 30, 2016. The memorandum further states that Jet Midwest Group would be providing up to three Boeing 757-223 Jetliners to Airborne Wireless Network for its ‘proof of network concept’ and FAA certification testing. Two of these Boeing 757-223’s have tentatively been designated for the company’s use.
Once the aircraft have been fitted with Airborne Wireless’ equipment and ground-testing has been completed, the company plans to fly these commercial jets from Roswell, New Mexico to Kansas City, Missouri. According to the FAA, this will be a historic “first ever” flight of a meshed commercial airliner-based network. Their plan is for global service of real-time data performance developing a virtual airborne “worldwide web”. One of the advantages of an airplane-based is, of course, no space junk which is a big deal. The only hang-up is you have to get a lot of folks in the game with all their aircraft before enough coverage is available as a reliable connection service. If there are enough players, the advantages, however, result in multiple signal paths, a true “meshed network”, and no single point of failure. We are sure you can see the issues, especially since we are in the heyday of potential signal hacking but being some 30,000 feet above ‘bad guy’ signal sources may have value, not to mention the removal of ground-to-air and air-to-ground weather-related signal and distance losses. This is worth watching.

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GOODBYE JOE:
Last week, Boeing’s Father of the B747, Joe Sutter, passed away at 95. Mr. Sutter was involved with many planes that Boeing built like the B377, the “Dash 80”, B707, B720, B727, B737, and famously as the Father of the B747. He was a nice man and always had the time to say hello… goodbye Joe.

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AIN PRODUCT SURVEY CONGRATS!
AIN reports in aircraft cabin electronics this year that, Aircraft Cabin Systems came in second in their Product Report Survey. Gogo Business/Satcom Direct tied for first place. Additionally, Satcom Direct won for overall product reliability. Check the survey results out here.

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AIRBUS:
AIRBUS announced orders from VIETJET for 10 A321ceos and 10 A321neos and JETSTAR PACIFIC for 10 A320ceos; and MOU from VIETNAM AIRLINES for 10 more A350s. We also note that AIRBUS delivered 61 airliners (47 A320 Family, seven A330s, six A350s, and two A380) in August versus 44 (32 A320s, 10 A330s, two A380s) in August 2015. It has now delivered 400 some aircraft in 2016.

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THE DELTA MESS:
Delta has reported a $100 million loss from those 2300 lost flights last month, which was blamed on a bad router and data backup capability. Wow, that’s an expensive router! Check out the full story.

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AIX ASIA:
From the folks at Aircraft Interiors Expo Asia we get this bit of info about the show – “AIX Asia will welcome more than 50 exhibitors across seating, onboard retail, passenger comfort and more, including Geven, ZIM and Mirus Aircraft Seating. We are co-located with the Future Travel Experience Asia EXPO and the APEX EXPO, bringing together over 150 exhibitors to Singapore this year and creating the airline industry’s biggest fall event for the passenger experience industry.” IFExpress will be there October 24 – 27, 2016 and we hope you will too. We should also note that while the Zika virus has now infected 151 individuals in Singapore, the first locally-transmitted Zika infection was reported this past Saturday but most cases reported are from foreigners. “We have been tracking Zika for a while now, and knew it was only a matter of time before it reached Singapore,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong posted on his Facebook page. “Our best defense is to eradicate mosquitoes and destroy breeding habitats, all over Singapore.” Singapore is the only Asian country with active transmission of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. We are bringing our Sawyer Picardin (Consumer Reports highest rated insect repellent – look it up.

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VARIOUS LINKS WORTH YOUR TIME:
1. How to Keep Your Mac or iPhone Secure When Traveling Overseas | The Mac Security Blog
2. FAA Tightens Safeguards on Lithium Batteries on Airplanes – WSJ
3. Why You Should Drink Milk Before A Road Trip
4. Long TSA Delays Force Airports To Hire Private Security Contractors – Slashdot
5. ViaSat (VSAT), Eutelsat Receive New Contract in Europe
6. The Ultimate Guide to Travel Plugs
7. Travel hacks to avoid fees for Wi-Fi, extra legroom

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auf Wiedersehen AXEL!
“As of today I will go on a sabbatical leave! Still unbelievable for me, but after a very long time at TriaGnoSys and Zii, I will give up work responsibility, and enjoy various other activities, family and friends, which I gave too low focus in the past.  So I am leaving with a smile in one eye and a tear in the other.  Looking forward to seeing you soon again, take care, Axel”

Chicago, IL | May 20, 2016– Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO), the global leader in providing broadband connectivity solutions and wireless entertainment to the aviation industry, announced today that it has partnered with aerospace software specialist PACE to connect PACEs’ Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer – the leading flight optimization application.

Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer is a unique decision support tool developed for a pilot’s electronic flight bag (EFB) that’s designed to continuously evaluate numerous flight data metrics thus optimizing flight paths for maximum efficiency. Under this partnership, the Pacelab Flight Profile Optimizer application will be connected in real time so a pilot will be able to adapt to changing conditions while in flight to reduce fuel burn and to improve ontime performance.

This partnership is another example of the value of the connected aircraft and the benefit of having access to real time data and information while in flight.

“By partnering with PACE, we establish a direct relationship to help market and integrate with each other’s products while accelerating speed to market and providing a clear path for adoption of this valuable fuel savings tool into airline operations,” said Andrew Kemmetmueller, Gogo’s vice president of connected aircraft services. “Gogo continues to move beyond the passenger connectivity arena and is rapidly enabling the era of the connected aircraft.”

“En-route flight profile optimization enables flight crews to unlock substantial additional fuel savings,” said Oliver Kranz, PACE’s managing partner. “Many airlines have yet to realize the full potential of the connected EFB, and our partnership with Gogo highlights this attractive business case.”

Chicago | May 11, 2016– Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO), the global leader in providing broadband connectivity solutions and wireless entertainment to the aviation industry, and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (“SKY Perfect JSAT”), Asia’s leading provider of satellite services, announced today that the two companies have entered into partnership for increased satellite connectivity over Japan.

Gogo will leverage the JCSAT–5A satellite high throughput beam to increase capacity, which ultimately means better performance for its service to Japan Airlines (JAL). To kick off the new agreement, Gogo will be offering passengers on all JAL domestic flights 15 minutes of free Wi-Fi on each flight.

“Gogo has built its networks to be open, which means we can leverage numerous satellites in the Ku-band around the world,” said Anand Chari, Gogo’s chief technology officer. “SKY Perfect JSAT is the largest satellite operator in Asia and by leveraging their high capacity JCSAT–5A satellite, we are able to deliver more bandwidth at lower costs to customers like JAL and their passengers.”

“We are sincerely honored to be a partner with Gogo,” stated Shinji Takada, President & Chief Executive Officer, SKY Perfect JSAT. “This year, we are launching several satellites including JCSAT-14 and JCSAT-15 which have very unique Ku-band coverage over Pacific region and Indian ocean region, Further, we have announced to launch Horizons 3e, a newly Ku-band HTS, in 2018. We will continue to satisfy growing demand in the mobility market with our satellites”

Gogo and SKY Perfect JSAT has also partnered to provide satellite communications services over the Pacific region with the new JCSAT-14 satellite which was successfully launched on 6th May.

Blue Bell, PA | April 28, 2016– MEN Micro Inc. now offers a robust ARINC 600 compliant high speed network server for inflight communications. Pre-integrated and pre-qualified to DO-160G up to the operating system, the versatile MP70S enables aircrafts to achieve new levels of inflight connectivity for wireless data transmission, entertainment, and system maintenance applications.

• CompactPCI Serial based in-flight network server
• ARINC 600, 4MCU housing with status display
• Intel Core i7, quad-core 64-bit processor
• 16-port managed Gigabit Ethernet Switch
• Two rugged hot-plug HDD/SSD shuttles with locking support
• Two antenna interfaces for WiFi and/or 3G/4G cellular interfaces

Application-ready, CPCI Serial-based system for high speed data handling

Using the latest Intel Core i7, quad-core 64-bit processor, the MP70S easily handles the high performance computing and networking requirements of modern avionics applications.

A carrier-grade, managed 16-port Ethernet switch ensures high availability, providing six ports internally and 10 via the ARINC 600 connector.  The new airborne server can simultaneously act as a passenger-accessible wireless access point, while providing a cellular 3G/4G connection for data loading, also if you want to learn about broadband systems, you can see this business broadband compare to find how this technology work.

Based on CompactPCI Serial, the MP70S is a scalable system offering flexible I/O configuration and long-term availability. Exceptional reliability is ensured through the extremely robust, conduction cooled housing and firmly soldered components as well as the elimination of any maintenance-intensive cables.

The application-ready, general purpose platform is ideal for a variety of inflight applications such as wireless content servers, web or flight maintenance servers, as well as in-flight entertainment systems.

An ARINC 600, 4 MCU housing features a multipurpose OLED display that enables easy viewing of system status, operating instructions, and user-defined data points.

Servicing and maintenance are easily handled through a convenient front panel, which also provides access to two USB 3.0 interfaces for fast, efficient data uploads and internal disk updates. Two hot-pluggable 2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD shuttles, supporting a total storage capacity of 1.8 TB, and two SIM card slots are also accessible via the front panel.

The robust system provides interfaces for ARINC 429 and ARINC 717 as well as discrete I/O for connectivity to legacy aircraft equipment.

London, United Kingdom | November 24, 2015– While in-flight Wi-Fi deployments continue to grab the headlines, the closely related market for wireless in-flight entertainment (W-IFE) rapidly gathers speed. According to Valour Consultancy’s latest research, the number of aircraft equipped with solutions that enable wireless delivery of IFE content will exceed 4,000 by the end of this year, and hit 17,000 by 2024.

W-IFE is becoming increasingly popular for a number of reasons. One is that it is a relatively simple process to add content streaming to existing in-flight connectivity (IFC) networks. However, it is on aircraft that might not otherwise have installed IFE where the real potential lies. Report author and Valour Consultancy’s Senior Consultant, Craig Foster, explains “The single-aisle market is a huge untapped opportunity. With many of these aircraft rolling off production lines without any form of IFE on board, it is a market ripe for lightweight, inexpensive and easy-to-install solutions that have the added potential benefit of being able to generate ancillary revenues.”

Currently, ancillary revenues related to W-IFE are low but Foster believes there is plenty of reason to believe W-IFE can be turned into a profit centre. “Airlines have a known demographic with high levels of disposable income captive for several hours at a time and this alone is attractive to advertisers. When you employ analytical tools, it is possible to segment passengers, show content and ads tailored to their preferences and ensure they are offered products most relevant to them”.

The report also reveals that the emergence of portable solutions from the likes of Media inMotion, AirFi and Lufthansa Systems that do not require an STC are driving interest in W-IFE across the market. Wide-body operators are keen to deploy W-IFE too. But to complement embedded systems and not, as many predict, to replace them. “Second screening is a going to become as big a trend in the air as it is on the ground and carriers are only too aware of this” Foster concluded.

Valour Consultancy is a provider of high quality market intelligence. Its latest report “The Future of Wireless In-Flight Entertainment” offers a comprehensive analysis of the current and future provision of this technology. For a table of contents and report scope, visit: http://www.valourconsultancy.com/what-we-do/wireless-ife