Aircell 3G–The Broomfield, Colo.- tion is to set Aircell high-speed based company asserts that Aircell 3G Internet as the preferred network, has made the airborne office “a gen- defaulting to SwiftBroadband when uine reality.” Certainly it has been well the airplane travels outside the received, with Hawker Beechcraft continental U.S. selecting it as an option on new Aircell is not the only high-speed Hawker 750s and Hawker 900XPs, in-flight Internet builder working on and fractional operator Flight Options faster connectivity. picking it for its incoming Phenom ViaSat Yonder–ViaSat and interi- 300s, as well as other airplanes in the ors partner Innotech Aviation of fleet. Dassault has also said it will Montreal recently installed the first offer the system as optional equipment VMT-1500 Ku-band high-speed broad- on its entire fleet. band package in a Global Express. The service is indeed a consider- ViaSat Yonder service is near able leap forward for high-speed global, extending west from Moscow, Internet connectivity in business jets. across the Atlantic, North America, It should be noted, however, that at the Pacific and into Japan and South- this point Aircell 3G service, depend- ent on ground stations, is restricted to the lower 48 states. There are plans to expand into Canada and Mexico in the near future, said senior v-p and general manager John Wade. Aircell 3G offers a max upload data rate of about 3.1 megabits per second (Mb/s), considerably better than the average DSL line. It’s not as fast as the typical cable hookup, but ViaSat’s VMT-1500 was recently installed by the passenger is unlikely to perceive interiors partner Innotech in a Global Express. the difference. east Asia. The goal is to provide Aircell 3G offers a number of satellite-based worldwide coverage improvements over previous systems. by the middle of next year. The equipment weighs just 12.25 Depending on the antenna size pounds, including two belly mounted and type, Yonder offers download antennas, the cost (not including speeds of up to 10 Mb/s but a rela- installation) is in the $85,000 range, tively slower upload speed of up to and the monthly charge is approxi- 1,024 kilobytes per second (kbps). mately $2,000 for full-rate access Current drawbacks to Ku-band and $900 for “light” use. According are the weight and expense of the to Wade, Aircell’s order book for the equipment. The ViaSat/KVH system, 3G service has passed the 300 mark, developed in partnership with KVH making it the fastest selling product Industries of Middletown, R.I., in Aircell history. weighs 32 pounds and is priced at Beginning in December, Aircell’s $365,000 (unistalled). ATG 4000 and ATG 5000 systems Rockwell Collins and Arinc Direct include a built-in function to auto- have integrated their broadband solu- matically manage multiple data tion for business jets–eXchange with networks installed aboard the aircraft. service by SkyLink–and the system is Called WAN (wide-area network) now in service. EXchange with serv- Management, the software feature ice by SkyLink includes Rockwell enables an aircraft to automatically Collins eXchange avionics, coupled switch back and forth between Aircell with SkyLink Ku-band satellite serv- high-speed Internet and Aircell’s ice from Arinc Direct. SwiftBroadband solution, according SkyLink coverage begins when to the operator’s pre-set preferences. the system is turned on and operates As an example, a typical configura- continuously during taxi, takeoff, by Kirby J. Harrison For at least a decade, the business aviation industry has looked forward to a seamless transition from the office or home to the private jet, with all the same electronic amenities, in particular high-speed Internet connectivity. Some in the industry now say that it’s probably still a distant dream, simply because the ground-based technology, designed first for the mass consumer market, has always been ahead of what is available in flight, and perhaps always will be. But there’s good news too. In December, airborne communications special- ist Aircell described 2009 as “a major turning point in business aviation con- nectivity.” Accordingly, last year the company introduced Aircell 3G with the ATG 5000 package. The system is a business aviation version of the com- pany’s successful GoGo, the in-flight, high-speed Internet connection devel- Aircell’s wide-area network management automatically switchs between Aircell’s high-speed oped first for the airline community. Internet and Aircell’s SwiftBroadband solution, allowing seamless global coverage.

22aaAviation International News • February 2010 • www.ainonline.com flight and landing. It enables cus- and eXPhone and use the Ku- tomers to access e-mail, band satellite array. They can be corporate intranets (VPN) and the purchased as a bundled package Internet, with options for global or separately. voice over Internet protocol eXConnect, according to (VoIP) telephone service and International Panasonic, will provide reception videoconferencing. Communication speeds of up to 30 Mb/s and In addition, eXchange sup- Group’s NxtLink mail server transmission speeds up to 1 Mb/s. ports data connectivity for select The package also includes global WiFi-enabled smart phones, such “sky”), it is being promoted satellite-live television reception. as the BlackBerry 8320 and as a lighter, smaller and less EXPhone allows voice or text 8820, allowing users to access e- expensive alternative to the Air- data reception and transmission mail and other data services. cell/Thrane & Thrane product. using a BlackBerry or similar PDA. The SkyLink coverage area Sora will combine an ICG ICS Users pay a monthly fee, includes the continental U.S., 220A Iridium satcom system which varies based on service and Honeywell’s highly detailed HD moving map display shows where the aircraft in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central with Cobham’s SDU 7320 Swift- the amount of megabit capacity relation to highways, cities and terrain. America, parts of South America, Broadband terminal and IGA desired. A spokesman said Pana- Canada, the North Atlantic, the 5001 intermediate-gain antenna. sonic Avionics is in discussions north Pacific, Europe and coastal The two systems will be with “nearly all the OEMs” about areas of Asia. Middle East cover- linked by an ICG NxtMail server the GCS system. age is “in the works.” that hosts software to switch Forté AirMail–EMS Sky Con- Thrane & Thrane Aero automatically between the satcom nect, a division of EMS Satcom recently received parts manufac- links as needed. It will provide a and a specialist in communication turer approval (PMA) in July worldwide Iridium link for sat- services using Iridium-based satel- 2009 for its new Aero-SB Lite com voice calls and a data lite technology, introduced its SwiftBroadband Internet connec- transfer speed of about 330 kbps. Forté AirMail communication tion. The Danish manu- facturer Listed at $164,000 (unin- service last October. Rockwell Collins Venue continues to evolve even as the company gears up for first claims Aero-SB Lite is “the light- stalled), it costs about 20 percent The system gives passengers deliveries for the new Citation CJ4. est and most compact” less than comparable competing “pole-to-pole, anywhere-on-the- SwiftBroadband solution on the systems. It is also 40 percent globe, unfettered, in-flight e-mail work and will interface with move from home or office or auto- market to receive PMA. smaller and, at 39 pounds, about access.” It uses the Iridium satel- existing Aero H satcom systems. mobile into the aircraft cabin and a At least six aircraft manufac- 30 percent lighter, according to lite network to provide e-mail Sky Berry permits global e-mail similar system,” said Paul Lafata, turers are considering the package ICG v-p Jeff Saucedo. It can be access to any Wi-Fi-enabled service and mobile Web browsing Honeywell’s cabin management as a standard option, according to installed in business jets as small smart phone or PDA. “We tested for up to 10 passengers simulta- business leader. “The cabin man- Andy Beers, director of aeronauti- as the Gulfstream G150. every device we could find, and neously and supports BlackBerry agement system must be reliable, cal sales for North America. everything we tested worked,” Internet Service, BlackBerry easily maintained, aesthetically Aero SB-Lite provides data High-speed said EMS Sky Connect general Enterprise Server, Yahoo Mail, pleasing and intuitive with regard transmission at 332 kbps with the Voice and Data manager Steve Silverman. “We Hotmail and Gmail. to user interface.” EMS Satcom continues to be had as many as 10 devices [oper- The 3.2-pound Iridium satcom Honeywell expects to intro- Thrane & Thrane’s Aero-SB Lite a serious competitor with its ating] simultaneously, and every package that allows Internet access duce its new Ovation Select global eNfusion Broadband, a person was getting e-mail in less costs $17,000. Aircraft not already CMS in the second quarter of voice and high-speed data con- than a minute.” equipped with ICG service require this year. With it will come nection that can be configured to The default mode monitors the a NxtLink Iridium-based radio at high-definition distribution along provide wired connections or connected Wi-Fi devices and prices ranging from $11,500 for a with surround-sound being wireless access points for Wi-Fi- opens the connection when the single-channel unit to $45,000 for developed with audio specialist enabled laptops and devices such system detects an e-mail action. a five-channel transceiver. User Alto Aviation of Leominster, as the BlackBerry or iPhone. The connection remains active cost is a maximum of $90 an hour Mass. Honeywell is developing a ENfusion HSD-XI adds one until it is manually disconnected for the “always-on” mode. line of LCD, high-definition standard intermediate-gain antenna SwiftBroadband and one Swift 64 or a pre-set time-out occurs. LiveTV Airfone–LiveTV Air- video monitors with Rosen Avia- and 432 kbps with the optional channel to the company’s HSD- Once the connection has been fone is offering its business tion of Eugene, Ore. high-gain antenna. The system has 440 high-speed data transceiver. disabled, it remains off for a mini- jet customers unlimited Wi-Fi The all-digital system features built-in Wi-Fi capability, VoIP The combined system results in a mum pre-set interval, but it can connectivity for BlackBerry an Ethernet backbone with 1080p (voice-over-Internet protocol) tech- dual-channel SwiftBroadband that be re-established as needed. smart phones using an existing high-definition video and digital nology and allows passengers to also offers classic services. Automated and manual modes Magnastar phone system. The distribution throughout the cabin. use their own compatible handsets allow the operator and user to product consists of a carry-on, It also includes all the digital or Wi-Fi-enabled PDA devices. control airtime use and thereby plug-and-play box that requires interfaces required for high-speed With the intermediate-gain manage costs. no installation or aircraft down Internet connectivity, iPod audio antenna, the package weighs 17 Forté AirMail is priced at time. It simply plugs into existing and video, MP3 players and HD pounds and lists for $88,000. Beers $25,995 (including Wi-Fi inter- outlets to create a Wi-Fi hotspot. game systems. The package also said there are about 1,000 Aero-M face, Iridium transceiver and The service provides unlimited puts the entertainment system, and Aero-I systems in service with antenna). Sky Connect expects to minutes for $299 a month. JetMap moving-map display, the teardrop antenna that can be EMS Satcom’s HSD 440 begin shipping units early this year. LiveTV acquired the Airfone net- seats and window shade controls upgraded to Aero-SB at a saving of Innotech Sky Berry–In Que- work in January last year. at the passenger’s fingertips about $22,000. Panasonic GCS–Panasonic bec, Canada, independent aviation through a new 4.3-inch color Aero-SB is already being Avionics, which launched its services specialist Innotech Avia- Cabin Management touch-screen device. “It’s a one- installed in aircraft as small as the Global Communications Suite tion recently received a suppl- System Competition Heats Up hundred-percent solution,” said King Air 200. (GCS) with Lufthansa German emental type certificate (STC) for There is also plenty of compe- Lafata, “from cabin temperature ICG and Cobham Sora–A Airlines last fall as FlyNet, is its Sky Berry, a system that allows tition in the area of cabin to DVD, with an emphasis on relatively new global Internet offering a version of the system passengers wireless reception and management systems (CMS), intuitive passenger interface.” connectivity provider has also for business aviation. The first is transmission of data using personal which have suffered in the past Rockwell Collins Venue– joined the fray in the form of already in service on a Boeing communication devices. The sys- from maintenance difficulties and Rockwell Collins introduced its a partnership between Interna- Business Jet, and plans call for tem uses NxtMail technology a reputation for being particularly Venue CMS two years ago and tional Communications Group installation in an Airbus ACJ and supplied by International Commu- user-unfriendly. In response to has since put considerable effort and Cobham Antenna Systems an executive Boeing 777 in the nications Group (ICG) of Newport installer and customer demands, into upgrades and improvements (formerly Chelton Satcom) of near future. News, Va. that has begun to change. to this digital, high-definition Lewisville, Texas. The primary components of Like Forté AirMail, it operates Honeywell Ovation Select– Dubbed Sora (Japanese for GCS are branded eXConnect through the Iridium satellite net- “Customers want to be able to Continues on next page u

www.ainonline.com • February 2010 • Aviation International Newsaa23 installation requires little or no ponent will not affect other com- CD players and XM Radio. The full support of the Apple iPhone, modification of the CMS, accord- ponents. system weighs less than 15 pounds supports UMA voice calling, ing to the New Berlin, Wis.-based Select from Flight Display is and consists of just five part-num- access to e-mail and corporate company. Easy HD can also be already adaptable to a variety of ber items. It digitally distributes up Intranet (VPN), high-speed Inter- mated to existing cabin sound new products, including: to 40 audio entertainment channels net connection, videoconferencing systems or the SkyPro speaker • a 32-inch, low-profile, motor- and six video channels. and VoIP. and digital sound options. ized-lift monitor that folds into Lufthansa Nice–Nice is In what Arinc says is an The Easy HD package con- its own enclosure and fits into a already standard equipment on “industry first,” it includes a ter- sists of an array of basic options, credenza or table top ($28,065). Bombardier’s Challenger 300 and minal wireless local area network including: stand-alone HD with- • the Genre audio player; a light- is available as an option on the unit as a wireless bridge from the out integration; audio integration weight box with six independent Challenger 605, Global 5000 and cabin to ground-based public and to the existing CMS; audio/video SD cards, each holding up to 15 Global Express XRS through private networks. During flight, integration to the existing sys- hours of music ($3,000). independent completion centers the systems will automatically tem; audio/video plus AVOD • Jet Jukebox, holding up to 100 Midcoast Aviation and Savannah hand off between SkyLink Ku- integration to the existing sys- full-length movies allowing res- Air Center. band satellite service and the tem; audio and video integration olutions up to 1080p ($6,055). The latest version of this Eth- Inmarsat SwiftBroadband over to the existing system plus • Blu-ray video player that plays ernet-based platform will be its L-band satellites. This allows uContinued from preceding page SkyShow moving map; and Blu-ray high-definition video customized for Bombardier’s relatively seamless global com- package. “The Ethernet backbone audio/video integration to the discs at 1080p and will also play Learjet 85 and will feature a munication network access. system has continued to evolve existing system plus SkyShow standard video discs ($4,879). digital amplifier feeding high- Along with high definition is and mature as we get closer to the moving map and AVOD. • iPod cable adapter that can be fidelity speakers and an interface the Blu-ray video player. While first deliveries to Cessna for its Honda has selected SkyPro mounted on a drink rail, will to support the aircraft cabin those being offered will also new Citation CJ4,” said senior and its high-definition compo- allow audio and video use as environment. play standard DVDs, they are director of cabin systems John nents for the HondaJet. well as a battery charger ($875). The system’s open architecture not generally appropriate as Hill. In the CJ4 as standard equip- Flight Display Systems Select– Rosen Aviation Ultra-CMS– will facilitate integration of retrofit items as in many cases ment, it will include standard Also last October, Flight Display Rosen Aviation entered the cabin third-party equipment and new neither the signal transmission high-definition displays, OLED Systems of Alpharetta, Ga., entered management system in 2008 applications, such as high-defini- wiring nor the older monitors (organic light-emitting diode), the CMS market with its Select with the acquisition of the Ultra- tion video. The Learjet 85 system are HD-capable. local controls at every seat, switch system, designed specifically as an CMS system from Avion will also include a new user inter- Light-emitting diode (LED) panels and a media center with after-market retrofit package. Partners, and the latest upgrades face, high-definition distribution lighting throughout the cabin has audio/video jukebox. It was created to interface with are now available. to each seat, Blu-ray video play- become standard in the industry Rockwell Collins makes the the company’s own high-definition The system is scalable to fit any ers, smart-phone integration and over the past several years. While 10- and 15-inch displays, and in displays and source equipment, fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter. system controls. LED remains somewhat more the near future will offer 22- and including the new Blu-ray player. Features include passenger control expensive than the older fluores- 32-inch monitors. “After that, The backbone, rather than Ether- of the system and entertainment More Improvements cent and incandescent lighting, it we’ll work with a partner for net, is a CAN-bus message-based interface at every seat, customiz- Among other cabin electron- offers greater reliability, ease of larger displays.” Also in develop- protocol system that, according to able functions and iPod interface. ics technology, high-definition maintenance and low heat emis- ment are iPod and iPhone v-p of sales Jay Healy, ensures that It allows audio input from any ana- audio/video is rapidly becoming sion. In addition, the price has integration kits. “We recently dis- the failure of any particular com- log source, including MP3 players, the standard, and larger, high- steadily fallen, a trend likely to played iPod video on a 42-inch definition monitors are appearing continue for the near term. screen with very, very good reso- as providers work to obtain sup- Aware that growing numbers lution,” said Hill. plemental type certificates, and of passengers are coming aboard High-definition distribution more partnerships are being with their own entertainment is over a dedicated channel, formed among the players. electronics, from iPods and MP3 which means there is no latency In fact, Annapolis, Md.-based players to video games, electron- response or display degradation. Arinc has just completed integra- ics providers are also rushing to Hill said Venue was originally tion and testing of a “feature-rich” ensure that the cabin entertain- designed to replace systems on broadband system in a Boeing ment systems offer adequate large-cabin aircraft but has been Business Jet that combines Rock- interface for their in-flight use. expanded to include the light-jet well Collins’s eXchange broadband It is unlikely there will ever be market and the company has two avionics with Arinc’s SkyLink Ku- a completely seamless transition contracts to install Venue in Boe- band satellite service. from home or office to the air- ing Business Jets. “As we start to According to Arinc, the pack- craft cabin, but it remains a get into very large aircraft, we’ll be age adds several flight comm- worthy goal. “We’ll never really offering larger displays,” he added. Flight Display Systems is new to the full cabin management system market and unications features that are not get there,” predicts Aircell’s Jay Emteq SkyPro–In October emphasizes simplified, user-friendly controls. available elsewhere. It provides Wade. “But we’ll get close.” J last year, Emteq unveiled “Easy HD” for its own SkyPro CMS Rockwell Venue as well as those of other CMS manufacturers. Custom Control Concepts of Seattle is Emteq’s partner in the SkyPro CMS and in-flight entertainment system. The all-digital system compo- nents work independently of an aircraft’s existing CMS, and

Emteq’s SkyPro touchscreen

24aaAviation International News • February 2010 • www.ainonline.com