Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple Ku-band Antenna System was granted a supplemental type certificate for use on Dassault Falcon 7x aircraft. (Photo: Satcom Direct)
Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple Ku-band Antenna System was recently granted a supplemental type certificate (STC) for use on Dassault Falcon 7x aircraft. The certification allows operators across the world to implement this new technology onboard approved aircraft. It also enables them to take advantage of all the benefits of the updated system.
The antenna system is designed to provide reliable, high-speed connectivity for business and military aviation using Intelsat’s FlexExec service and FlexAir for business and government operations, respectively. Designed to be mounted on the tail of an aircraft, the system has two line-replaceable units (LRUs), which allows for simplified installation and future upgrades.
The system received an STC from the Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANCA) for all 7x aircraft. Satcom Direct worked closely with Dassault Aircraft Services to receive this certification. The system was already approved for Dassault Falcon 2000 LX/LXS/S and 900EXy/LX aircraft earlier this year.
(Photo: Satcom Direct)
The features and provided technological support for the system will help operators enhance and modernize their fleets. As Jim Jensen, founder and CEO of Satcom Direct, explained, “We are proud that Dassault recognizes the advantages delivered by the Plane Simple system and how it can enhance connectivity on the Falcon airframes. The STC makes the full Satcom Direct ecosystem of hardware, software, ground infrastructure, cybersecurity, and award-winning customer support immediately available to this set of Falcon owners.”
“We are raising the connectivity bar with this whole new class of antenna hardware that has been purpose-built for the business aviation sector,” Jensen added. “More importantly, it gives customers greater flexibility, cost-effective connectivity options, and a single resource to fulfill every connectivity need.”
Geoff Chick, senior vice president of Dassault’s worldwide service network, said Satcom Direct’s Plane Simple Antenna System complements the design of Dassault’s Falcon aircraft. The system’s successful introduction to the Falcon 2000 LX/LXS/S is evidence of the complementary nature of Plane Simple and Dassault aircraft.
In January, Satcom Direct announced that it had installed the first Plane Simple Ka-band antenna on an SD Gulfstream G550. The Ka-band antenna includes two line-replaceable units (LRUs)—the tail-mount antenna and SD Modem Unit.