Avionics News August 2014 - 22

ADVANCING CORDLESS COCKPITS
Continued from page 21

ping. This makes their use totally plug-and-play, according to
the company. The company offers packages that pair multiple
headsets through one aircraft adapter.
EQ1's approach leaves users free to choose the company's
Bluetooth adapter for mobile phone use in addition to the
wireless audio-panel interface.
Long-life lithium-ion-technology batteries provide power
for the headset and headset adapters. The batteries can be
quickly recharged through a wall adapter or more
slowly through a hot USB connection to a computer or a battery-refresh package popular today with mobile-communications devotees.

The Aspen CG100 may offer the closest you'll find to
universal connectivity. The box provides both Bluetooth and
Wi-Fi wireless connections as well as a USB port for the option of using a wired hardware connection to manage the box
and its connected devices. The apps for Aspen's various and
numerous partners are available at the App Store on iTunes.

Wireless-cabin systems for business aircraft
The next frontier for light general aviation already holds
a fistful of turf in the light end of business-turbine aviation -
where cabin systems provide global Internet access through a
satellite connection.
Finally, an Internet portal for Part 23 aircraft appears ready to expand the access of private pilots
and their passengers to match that of counterparts flying miles higher, in near-Mach
The connected panel and
speeds - and on budgets that dwarf most
other invisible links
aircraft owners.
Bose A20 ANR with
Through five separate wireless apps,
Aircraft Electronics Association memBluetooth for phones
an iPad can access MyFlightPath,
bers who attended the association's
MyCMC, MyGDC, Connected for
convention heard about it firsthand
Pilatus, and INDS, the database manfrom BendixKing, which introduced
agement program.
the AeroWave 100 system, arguably
Aspen Avionics' clever CG100
the first full-duplex Internet-access
Connected Gateway hardware alpoint for the lower end of the general
ready leads the race for the idea of
aviation spectrum - up to light jets
a common gateway available to all
and propjets.
the avionics makers. The $2,499
The BendixKing AeroWave 100
box (plus install) offers utility
offers Internet at speeds of up to 200
for owners of Avidyne and
kilobits per second via an active low-gain
BendixKing, Honeywell and
antenna; the AeroWave 100 uses satellites
Garmin, and others.
to provide worldwide, high-speed service in
The appeal stems from the trend
areas not capable of being served by ground-based
of pilots using one of the many excellent flight-planning
systems.
software packages on the tablet - generally an iPad - yet still
More than a simple in-flight entertainment hub, this
face the process of programming the GPS or flight managefull web portal offers the same scope of Internet access as
ment system with that flight plan.
grounded office and home systems.
Aspen's CG100 Connected Gateway works with virtually
Satellite-based Internet service plans are typically meaall the approved GPS navigators enabling the pilot to wiresured by the amount of data transmitted, which can be diflessly upload the same flight plan directly into the hardware's
ficult for end users to track and often result in bills that are
brain of an Avidyne, Honeywell or Garmin GPS. This includes
significantly higher than expected.
the GNS 400W or GNS 500W-series navigators and succesBendixKing crafted a pricing regimen for its service plans
sors; BendixKing by Honeywell's still-in-development KSN
more aligned with aviation mores: Service plans based on
770 all-in-one; and Avidyne's new plug-and-play replacements
hours used versus data. Time should make charges easier to
for the GNS 430/530, the IFD540 and IFD440 touchscreen.
manage and account.
No added knob turning, no switch-twisting, no button pushFor years, a number of companies have offered service
ing - aside for the swipe-and-tap instructions the iPad needs to
variations centered on the Iridium satellite constellation,
upload the flight plan. Android apps have been expected from
which today enjoys greater speed, robustness and reduced
the start, but software developers weren't really rushing to oflatency to make various short-messaging and email commufer Android versions of some programs. That's changing.
nications a viable tool for operators around the world.
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Avionics News August 2014

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