Avionics News June 2021 - 22

SHOW BUSINESS IS BACK
Continued from page 21
Delay of game
From opening day - Tuesday, April 13 - through
Thursday, the on-the-grounds crowds seemed less than
justified by the announced record-setting advance sales. But
then came the weekend, and the audience through the show's
end reflected the draw of the Blue Angels.
Eyewitness accounts and input from vendors and
exhibitors reports heralded strong sales from the crowds on
hand. " It's all we can do to keep up with sales demand, " one
vendor told us. Another said that sales are " strong, almost up
to normal levels. "
Sun 'n Fun head John " Lites " Leenhouts' Thursday
morning briefing brought this news from the official channel.
Leenhouts told the morning briefing that that fly-in and
camping numbers are through the roof. A couple of vendors
expected their final tally to approach, maybe even exceed,
their best year ever.
And the audience on the field reflected a larger percentage
of active pilots than typical for this first-of-the-season show.
Although major announcements were few and far between,
the show still made some business news.
Time is on your side -
if you fly behind some Lycoming engines
The Lycoming stand at Sun 'n Fun saw plenty of traffic
with questions concerning the recently issued Service
Instruction 1009 and the announced extension of time
between overhauls by 200 hours for a significant number
of Lycoming factory-new, rebuilt and overhauled engine
models.
Lycoming's Service Instruction 1009 holds the details
and criteria for the recent TBO extensions, announced
just before Sun 'n Fun. These extensions give qualified
customers more flying time, increased cost efficiency, and
peace of mind. In some cases, 400-hour TBO extensions
can be approved.
TBO extensions may also apply to future field overhaul
engines that meet Lycoming's requirements and use
genuine Lycoming parts. Pilots with questions about
qualifying streamed through the Lycoming stand, and the
engine maker continues to field questions.
Power settings and procedures within the normal range,
but more conservative than the maximum allowable limits
specified in the Pilot's Operating Handbook, may be
helpful in achieving this extended engine life.
Conditions apply, and operators can find details on
qualifying for the extended TBO at lycoming.com.
22 avionics news * june 2021
Something new: a nationwide
aircraft-records scanning service
Wichita-based SierraTrax announced on April 15 the
launch of its new nationwide scanning network, a service
designed to provide a secure mechanism for aircraft owners
and operators to convert paper logbooks into digitized
records and then store them safely in SierraTrax's cloud
service.
Aviation entrepreneur Jason Talley founded SierraTrax in
2017, disrupting the aircraft maintenance tracking market
by offering a simple, intuitive, and affordable maintenance
tracking platform, at a fraction of the cost of its competitors.
From individual aircraft owners/pilots to corporate flight
departments and Part 135 operations, SierraTrax customers
enjoy an easy-to-use, modern interface developed with the
end-user in mind.
Using advanced artificial intelligence, records including
log entries, 8130 parts traceability forms, 337s, and
handwritten logs, are automatically organized into relevant
categories and made searchable. Users of the service can
privately share and quickly search records by entering a
simple keyword or date, allowing for easier inspection
of records for Part 91 and Part 135 operations, as well as
maintenance facilities.
Soon expected to launch its services, Digital Aircraft
Records will be available as a stand-alone service or add-on
to a Maintenance Tracking subscription. SierraTrax will offer
customized scanning and annotation packages, including
access to the SOC 2 compliant nationwide scanning network.
For more information on the SierraTrax scanning network
and Digital Aircraft Records service, visit sierratrax.com.
Avidyne's advancement plans
One Aircraft Electronics Association member company,
Avidyne, is headed into the realm of AI - artificial
intelligence - with its next two projects. In a partnership
with Daedalean, a Zurich-based company focused on
artificial intelligence applications for the aerospace industry,
Avidyne is developing AI-based avionics to assist pilots and
eventually lead to autonomous operations.
First up, according to the company, will be what's likely
to become the industry's first AI-based avionics product: a
see-and-avoid system, with FAA certification expected next
year. According to the company, Avidyne chose to develop a
non-flight-critical avionics system to ease certification with
the Federal Aviation Administration.
The see-and-avoid system will employ 360-degree
cameras that the AI avionics system will use to detect
other aircraft. The goal is to develop building blocks of
autonomy as an assist to pilots. The company said its second
http://sierratrax.com http://lycoming.com
Avionics News June 2021

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