International Communications Group, Inc. (ICG) announced partnerships on its Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS) and VHF unilink communications systems at the Aircraft Electronics Association conference in Nashville, Tenn. The routing technologies, offered as solutions for both the Eurocontrol and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) impending FANS mandates for Feb. 5, 2015, are paired with an L-3 CVR for display and are for sale by Comlux Aviation Services.
Though Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) may be the new normal for over-ground flight radar and Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications, over-water routing has no current systems in place at-large. What radar did for over-ground airspace, FANS will now provide over oceans, with benefits like preferred routing, fuel savings and more acute position awareness.
At the 2014 Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) convention, ICG also announced a discount on the ICG eRouter, designed with scalable data routing services for aircraft applications, to be available now through 45 days following the conference.
FANS has received certification on the CL-601, and in addition to ICAO approval, VHF and FANS have been submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for review.
Using ICG120 for aircraft that are already equipped with communication systems, ICG220 for dual channel connections, FANS allows texting when used with L-3’s CVR. The solution is targeted for Part 25 aircraft weighing 12,000 lbs. or more. Customers are expected to be announced in June, according to Regional Sales Manager Scott Brooks of Comlux and OEM and ICG International Sales Manager Adam Tsakonas.