Avionics News June 2021 - 33

had to develop many of their own tests.
" The FAA's current TSO requirements for radar
altimeters were written in the 1970s, and they are very
basic, " she said. " You have to do some vibration and other
environmental tests, but other than those there are not a lot
of specific requirements that are relevant today. We had to
get very creative in developing new validation procedures
and tests. Those were then added to our existing test
regiment. The goal was to replicate current RF interference
conditions. "
The result of all this effort, dedication, and hard work
is FreeFlight Systems' fourth-generation Terrain family of
radar altimeters for general aviation, business, and military
aircraft and helicopters, as well as unmanned aircraft
systems. The Terrain family currently includes the RA 6500
and the RA 7500 radar altimeters, which were introduced in
January 2021.
" Their design represents the forward-thinking, futureproof
technology that FreeFlight Systems is known for, "
Taylor stated. " The Terrain family is designed for robust
operation in future environments and platforms while
offering a simple retrofit path for replacement of older, lesscapable
altimeters already in service. "
Ring explained that while the new Terrain family of
radar altimeters is not only 5G resistant, but they are also
significantly more precise than their predecessors.
" We're taking the nautical mile distance from 1.5 nm
down to 0.1 nautical mile - that's about 600 feet, " she said.
" That's about 250 times more accurate than a standard
radar altimeter, and it's a significant improvement for
overall aircraft operations and safety. "
ADS-B - the next generation
If any of us thought Jan. 1, 2020, was the end of the
FAA's ADS-B mandate on the avionics industry, well, we
were just plain wrong. In fact, ADS-B, as we know it, is
just one of many elements of the FAA's NextGen plan to
modernize the national airspace system. But that's another
story.
" With the devastating impact COVID-19 had on the
aviation industry, we saw a surprising number of aircraft
owners were not vigorously pursuing the compliance to
the ADS-B Out mandate, " Ring said. " We've heard from
our dealer network that there are thousands of business jets
and rotorcraft being parked because their owners stopped
installing ADS-B equipment.
" In early 2021, however, we already see increasing
enforcement for noncompliance stepping up, and the
ADS-B business is coming back strong. To meet that need,
in the last six months, we have TSO'd our new installed
datalink ADS-B transceiver, which can receive traffic
information on both the 1090 and 978 frequencies. That's
unique in the market. "
While the dual-frequency capability is significant,
another feature that sets FreeFlight Systems' new datalink
ADS-B unit apart is that it is built on the company's
legacy RANGR ADS-B unit the operator already has in the
aircraft.
" Our RANGR family of datalink systems was designed
around a reusable core for processing and RF hardware that
we can apply to multiple applications going forward, " Ring
said. " This approach allows us to bring solutions to market
faster, even considering the tough certification environment
for flight critical systems. It also keeps our costs lower.
" We have an extensive library of interface capabilities
enabling us to integrate our new-generation units with
multiple legacy platforms. In effect, we are continually
future-proofing our designs with new capabilities. We
are very intentional and systematic about collecting and
refining the operational requirements for our systems. "
Ring explained that FreeFlight Systems has a strong
network of other manufacturers, key dealers, and customers
the company works closely with during the research,
development, and fielding phases of any new product
introduction.
" In many cases, we will partner with other companies to
help bring our new products to market more efficiently, "
she said. " We are a small company, and we can't compete
with the big folks - it's just easier to partner with them.
That way, everyone benefits. "
Key dealers unlock opportunities
Developing and maintaining a strong dealer network
has always been a major part of FreeFlight Systems'
strategy, not only for new product introductions, but also
for ensuring that its products are easy to sell, install, and
support.
" We routinely vet our authorized dealer network to
ensure they have the current repair station approvals,
capabilities, and have the proper training processes
in place to provide a high-quality installation, " Ring
said. " We have a wide array of products, and our dealer
network matches them with a range of capabilities
to work on a variety of aircraft, from business and
commercial aircraft to helicopters, and now into
unmanned systems. "
With such a wide assortment of product and aircraft
types in their portfolio, it can be confusing for an owner/
avionics news * june 2021 33
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