Europe to Deploy Initial SESAR ATM Structure
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Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) CMA-9000 Flight Management System (FMS).
Photo: CMC. |
Eurocontrol has announced a decision to move forward with establishing six Centralized Services (CS) centers, achieving a major milestone in the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program.
The decision was announced following approval from 40 Eurocontrol member states to establish the CS facilities, which will provide Air Traffic Management (ATM) services that eliminate the current fragmented structure separated by individual Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) state by state. Along with establishing the six CS facilities, Eurocontrol will also deploy feasibility studies for three future CS facilities.
“We anticipate savings in the range of 1.5 to 2.0 Billion € over a 10-year period after the start of operations,” said Alberto Varano, principal director of resources at Eurocontrol. “The Airspace Users have been very supportive of the program, subject to the condition that the Centralized Services are really centralized and there is an obligation by the European Commission and the Member States to avoid duplicating the technology and service on national level and that subsequently there is a commitment from the ANSPs to provide the data needed for the good operation of the services and to use them.”
SmartPath For St. Helena Airport
The U.K. will deploy Honeywell’s SmartPath Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) at St. Helena’s airport, scheduled to open in 2016.
SmartPath augments aircraft GPS signals to make them suitable for approach and landing.
“By installing Honeywell’s SmartPath GBAS at St. Helena’s airport, we are taking the opportunity to use one of the industry’s most advanced technologies to help beat the challenge of delays and improve landing assurance,” said Janet Lawrence, director of St Helena’s Airport Project.
Esterline FMS Certified for Airbus EC175
The Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) CMA-9000 Flight Management System (FMS) and CMA-5024 have earned European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification on the EC175 helicopter.
Airbus Helicopters’ EC175 is a medium-sized twin-engine helicopter that is used across a variety of operations, including oil and gas, Search and Rescue (SAR) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). CMC developed its newly certified systems with the goal of “refining helicopter flight management capabilities,” according to Greg Yeldon, president of CMC.
Both components will provide EC175 pilots with Night Vision Goggles (NVG), WAAS and SBAS GPS approach capabilities.
Thales Brings 2020 Cockpit to Helicopters
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Thales 2020 cockpit.
Photo: Thales. |
Thales gave 2014 Heli-Expo attendees a glimpse into the future of helicopter cockpits as it unveiled the Avionics 2020 cockpit concept for rotorcraft.
The cockpit is the helicopter version of Thales Avionics 2020 concept for fixed wing aircraft, which was first unveiled at the 2013 Paris Air Show. With multi-touchscreen capabilities, head-down controls and a mission-centric approach with customizable systems, Thales is bringing cutting edge fixed wing technology to the rotorcraft world.
“A cockpit designed around the principles of open architecture, man machine interface and customizability is no longer an intellectual exercise but a viable commercial application,” said Dennis Bonnet, head of innovation at Thales’ cockpit competence center.
Lockheed To Supply UK Apache Upgrades
Lockheed Martin announced a $60 million contract with AgustaWestland for the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) system on the U.K.’s fleet of Apache AH Mk-1 aircraft. Under the contract Lockheed will also provide repairs and other support for the Apaches. The upgrades are expected to be complete by March 2019.
The system is designed to increase situational awareness during adverse weather conditions, Lockheed said.