Thrane & Thrane announces today (4 April 2012) that its AVIATOR 700D has been awarded Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), certifying its use aboard all aircraft and allowing the company to commence shipment of the product worldwide.
PMA certification follows successful testing of the new AVIATOR 700D on a Falcon 900EX aircraft, which was carried out by Thrane & Thrane partner AeroMech Inc and also resulted in a STC for the aircraft (announced 1 March 2012).
The AVIATOR 700D is certified to fulfill the RTCA DO-178B Level-D software and DO-254 Level-D hardware requirements, making the system compliant to support FANS 1/A (Future Air Navigation System), CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Communications) and voice safety service operations via the system’s cockpit data and H+ voice channels.
Commenting on the product test, Dave Doucette, Vice President of Business Development, AeroMech Inc. said: “The Falcon 900EX testing went flawlessly and demonstrated complete functionality of the cockpit data link via Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband service. Thrane & Thrane’s AVIATOR 700D was easily integrated to the Honeywell Epic flight display system. The project certified the system for FANS1/A cockpit data link applications, which has opened the door for cost effective CPDLC for the corporate aircraft market and in-flight communications for a range of other sectors.”
Thrane & Thrane’s flagship AVIATOR 700D provides both Classic and SwiftBroadband services in one complete package. The system supports a wide range of communications applications in both the cockpit and cabin including in-flight Wi-Fi and voice calling and is also fully FANS 1/A and CPDLC compliant. By satisfying forthcoming mandates for future air navigation, the integration of the new Level-D software and hardware offers a straightforward upgrade for existing Level-E and Aero-HSD+ systems, making it a cost effective option for retrofit customers seeking to update their systems in-line with FANS and CPDLC.
Kim Gram, Vice President, Aeronautical Business Unit, Thrane & Thrane also commented: “Thrane & Thrane is excited to be adding its first FANS 1/A compliant system to the well established AVIATOR portfolio of SwiftBroadband solutions. Gaining PMA from the FAA is key step in bringing this product to market, allowing us to commence shipment of the product through our global distribution network."
The AVIATOR 700D joins Thrane & Thrane’s portfolio of SwiftBroadband solutions, consisting of the AVIATOR 200, 300, 350 and 700, which support a range of advanced applications including cockpit voice dialing, in-flight calling and Internet browsing.