Avionics News February 2021 - 64

AN UNCONVENTIONAL CONVENTION
Continued from page 63

Mahoney noted there will be more news forthcoming as
the ongoing partnerships are proceeding very well.
On the more-immediate front, Collins continues to offer
and develop clean-cabin technologies to meet a growing
demand for such features in business aircraft. He noted
the changed expectations among business aircraft users,
changes wrought by the pandemic.
He said Collins is focusing efforts on answering the
question: " How do we make that (cabin) safer, in terms
of antimicrobial treatments on those surfaces, so that they
can't retain bacteria or viruses? "
Customers, he explained, now expect hands-free
systems - both in aircraft lavatories and galleys and in
cabin-management controls. Systems such as hand-motion
activated sinks, toilets and sanitizer dispensers started
appearing years ago, in retail establishments such as stores
and restaurants at airports around the world.
But such systems are uncommon in aircraft. Among
other developments Collins is pursuing in response to the
pandemic are cabin-air sanitizing technology and items all
passengers and crew cannot avoid using, among them video
screens, cabin tables and seats.
More aircraft adding
Universal's InSight flight deck
Universal Avionics continues to attract growing interest
in its InSight integrated flight deck while new installations
and certification programs continue.
Among the additions: the first certification in the Cessna
Citation VII. InSight programs for other legacy business
jets include Dassault's Falcon 50 and 900B, the Hawker
800XP, Gulfstream's GIII, and MD Helicopters MD 902
Explorer.
The Citation VII InSight upgrade may now be retrofitted
into all models originally outfitted with either Collins
or Honeywell avionics packages. For the Falcon 900B,
InSight can be installed with either Universal's FMS, while
Dassault is offering a factory-supported option to retain the
Honeywell NZ-2000 FMS (version 6.1 or later) Falcons.
For a flying demonstrator, Universal Avionics modified its
Gulfstream GIII to showcase all of its technologies, including
the InSight flight deck, FMS, synthetic vision, and ClearVision
enhanced flight vision system with EVS-5000 camera system
and the SkyLens head-wearable display system.
64

avionics news

february

2021

Universal's InSight flight deck provides state-ofthe-art capabilities to a range of legacy business jets,
enabling seamless operation in today's NextGen and Sesar
operating environments. This includes ATN B1, ADS-B
Out, controller/pilot datalink communications departure
clearance, FAA Data Communications, FANS 1/A+, spacebased lateral precision with vertical guidance approach
capabilities, with the added capability to retrofit the
ClearVision EFVS.

Universal plans to win certification of the InSight flight
deck and ClearVision EFVS first in the GIII, shooting for
the second quarter of 2021 to complete earning approvals of
the entire package.
Gogo notes altered use
patterns amid pandemic
Leaders from AEA member company Gogo Business
Aviation offered a different perspective about COVID-19
and its impact on the growing use of in-flight connectivity
during a " Thought Leadership " session on opening day of
VBACE.
" COVID impacted us significantly in terms of flight hours
and utilization, and everybody in the industry had to make
some very hard decisions, " said Sergio Aguirre, Gogo's
president, " but it's very enlightening how they are using
their airplanes differently - and how they're using their
connectivity differently. "
Jim Zanino, Gogo's senior director for global sales,
observed that passengers are increasingly using their
business aircraft - and in growing numbers using their
aircraft for both a refuge and an office.
Zanino cited customer usage data from the Gogo
Avance system, noting, " Principals are working all the
way through, " he said. " A lot of these folks are traveling or

Avionics News February 2021

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