CommercialPerspectives: Avionics Technician Certification Standards From the smallest ultra-light and sport aircraft to the big jumbos hauling hundreds of souls across the ocean, all modern aircraft increasingly integrate avionics throughout. But the avionics technician is effectively an…
Business & GAPTAN’s Potential Imagine a fully autonomous navigation aid that doesn’t require a signal from either a ground transmitter or satellite constellation. It would virtually eliminate any worry of jamming or other type of signal…
Business & GASafety: Mapping Hidden Heat An approach similar to dropping sonobuoys in the water to find a lurking submarine might be taken to locate hidden fires in the inaccessible spaces of an airplane. This approach did not…
ATM ModernizationScan ADS-B Down Under With a contract issued and the elimination of all en route radar set as a goal, Airservices Australia marches ahead in establishing a nationwide automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system.…
Business & GAThe Great Spectrum Explosion It’s hard to squeeze a size-12 foot into a size-10 shoe. Yet, the two agencies that manage radio frequency (RF) spectrum in the United States have been ordered to do just that:…
Business & GASystem Design: Fraudulent and Forged Parts When high-profile crimes clamor for our attention on the nightly news, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the electronics world has its own misdeeds, which can have serious implications for the avionics…
ATM ModernizationWAAS Accelerates Nearly a year since commissioning the wide area augmentation system (WAAS) with initial capability, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is marching ahead to maximize the availability of precision-like approach capability. The satellite-based…
Business & GAProduct Focus: Wire & Cable: The Long-Awaited NPRM After more than five years of working group meetings, research and reports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) finally announced in early May its intent to issue the long-awaited notice of proposed rulemaking…