Avionics News May 2022 - 52

ALTO AVIATION CELEBRATES 25 YEARS
Continued from page 51
" We got to know Gulfstream very well, and they trusted us
as the engineering people behind the products, " Hamilton said.
" We made a number of trips to Savannah to help them solve
issues that came up during the development stages. "
As it turned out, Hamilton and Scarlata enjoyed the
acoustical challenges that came with creating high-fidelity level
audio systems for airplanes, and ALTO
Aviation was poised to take off.
" When Bose decided to step away
from aviation (cabin audio anyway),
we stepped in and proposed our plan
to keep it going, " Hamilton said.
" They (Gulfstream) saw the value we
provided, and we soon signed our first
OEM contract with them. We've been
the standard cabin audio system on all
Gulfstreams since then. "
Today, ALTO Aviation provides
systems for other aircraft OEMs,
including Textron, Falcon, Embraer,
Honda and Sikorsky, just to name a few.
They also have OEM relationships with
Collins Aerospace and Honeywell for
their cabin systems.
" Today, we take great pride in being
'The Sound of Business Aviation,' "
Scarlata added. " It rings true to us. We have the passion and
know-how mixed with the knowledge and experience to
deliver great sound solutions to any aircraft interior. "
EXCEPT FOR A
FEW BUGATTIS,
LAMBORGHINIS
AND BENTLEYS, CAR
INTERIORS ARE MUCH
THE SAME WHEN IT
COMES TO SPEAKER
PLACEMENT. THE SAME
CAN'T BE SAID FOR
TODAY'S BUSINESS AND
VIP AIRCRAFT CABINS.
EVERY ONE
OF THEM IS
UNIQUE.
assurance checks. Product quality and durability are just as
important as the sound when it comes to cabin systems. "
While it's been a mountain of work, Scarlata said every
product that carries the ALTO Aviation badge is all the
better for it. But they're not resting on their laurels. He
stressed that everyone on the team works hard to live up
to both the company's quarter-century reputation and its
customers' expectations.
" We've benefitted from having customers that require
the highest standards, " Hamilton added.
" When we work with an OEM on a new
cabin audio product, we are signing up
to support that unit until there are very
few left in the fleet. It can be a 30-year or
longer commitment. We're in for the long
run.
" Cabin environments are harsh, and we
have to know our equipment will stand up
to it. We take all new products and subject
them to the worst-case scenario for that
situation. Failure is not an option. The
quality has to prove to be equal to or better
than the audio performance. "
If having to design and manufacture
audio electronics and speakers to such high
standards isn't challenging enough, ALTO
Aviation's engineering teams also have to
design in high levels of product flexibility.
It sounds easy, but it's not
While you may get the idea that ALTO Aviation's rise from
idea to industry leader was easy, it was anything but. Back in
its beginning, outside of top-end, business, and VIP aircraft like
Gulfstreams, the cabin's audio system was an afterthought.
" When we started the business, it wasn't uncommon for an
MRO or OEM to go to a car stereo store and buy a Sony head
unit and some speakers and mount them all in the airplane, "
Scarlata explained. " There are a couple of reasons you can't do
that today. One is passengers expect much better sound quality,
and the other is those products aren't certified by the FAA.
" Today, you have to prove the equipment meets the tougher
requirements called for in FAA certification guidelines.
We have all the FAA approvals, AS9100 certifications, and
adhere to a zero-defect protocol through a long list of quality
52 avionics news * may 2022
Nobody likes the sound of off-the-shelf
Except for a few Bugattis, Lamborghinis and Bentleys, car
interiors are much the same when it comes to speaker placement.
The same can't be said for today's business and VIP aircraft
cabins. Every one of them is unique. And what sounds great in a
Honda Jet may sound like a Chick-fil-A drive-thru speaker in a
VVIP triple-seven.
" We are very willing to work with our OEM and MRO
customers, and we think that's a differentiator for our products, "
Hamilton said. " We're not just designing components to sell;
we're delivering solutions to a need - whatever that need is.
" Whether it's a new aircraft or an upgrade to an older cabin,
if they have a problem, we will use everything in our power
to solve it. We take pride in being known for our high level of
engineering and customer service. There are no off-the-shelf
problems or customers. "
" The industry has taken notice of what we will do to help our
customers, " Scarlata said. " We will actually answer the phone
with a live person and listen to the customer's needs to help
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