Piaggio Avanti P180 aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line 4 avionics can now be upgraded to Pro Line 21. The new offering, available from-Switzerland-based RUAG Aviation, modernizes the flight deck with the latest in LCD technology for greater situational awareness and enhanced flight operations.
“This upgrade provides enabling flight deck technologies that allow P180 operators to take operational advantage of current and future communication, navigation and surveillance capabilities,” said Claude Alber, vice president and managing director, Rockwell Collins in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EuMEA). “We look forward to working with RUAG on enhancing legacy P180s flight decks to greatly improve continuity with those coming off the production line.”
”We pride ourselves on providing superior services to our Piaggio Avanti P180 clientele. We have just completed the first D inspection at our facilities, and anticipate a growing demand for support for the P180,” said Stephan Woodtli, general manager at RUAG Aviation’s Italian-speaking Lugano site. “Pro Line 21 enhances flight safety by ensuring pilots are able to access all necessary information clearly, accurately and conveniently. We are delighted to work with Rockwell Collins on this exciting program.”
The Pro Line 4 to Pro Line 21 display upgrade solution features three or four large, configurable 10- by 8-inch LCDs that include Rockwell Collins’ Integrated Flight Information System (IFIS). With IFIS, pilots have access to high resolution electronic charts, XM graphical weather, including NEXRAD, lightning data, satellite images and winds aloft, and enhanced navigation maps.
The Piaggio Avanti P180 Pro Line 21 upgrade by RUAG Aviation also includes an upgrade to a Rockwell Collins’ Flight Management System (FMS) and a GPS-4000S satellite navigation receiver that, when combined, enable Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS) with vertical guidance and Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) GPS localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approach capabilities.
In addition, operators that upgrade to Pro Line 21 join a large and growing family of over 4,000 aircraft operators that are positioned to accommodate future technology changes − including ADS-B out and data link mandates − due to the system’s open architecture design.

A Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental successfully completed its first test flight this week with a package of performance improvements including enhanced GE engines. This package is designed to improve the fuel efficiency of the popular jetliner.
With Boeing Flight Test and Evaluation Capt. Kirk Vining and Chief Pilot Capt. Mark Feuerstein at the controls, the airplane took off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. at 1:30 p.m. local time and landed at Boeing Field in Seattle approximately four hours later.
“It was a great flight and the engines performed as expected,” said Capt. Vining. “This is an important milestone for the flight test program.”
The airplane Performance Improvement Package (PIP) includes improvements to the GEnx-2B engines and Flight Management Computer (FMC) software.
Boeing’s continuous efforts to improve the 747-8 family have resulted in an accumulated 1.5 percent gain in fuel efficiency since the first airplane was delivered less than two years ago. These new improvements will give operators an airplane that is an additional 1.8 percent more efficient.
“These improvements are a part of our commitment to continually improve our great airplanes for our customers,” said Eric Lindblad, vice president and general manager of the 747 program. “Improving fuel efficiency by another 1.8 percent saves the airlines approximately one million dollars per year in fuel per airplane and reduces the carbon footprint.”
The test program will also validate the design changes and demonstrate the operation of the horizontal tank fuel system on the passenger version of the 747-8, which was deferred from the initial deliveries. The new configuration will first deliver in early 2014 and be available for retrofit. Entry into service of the new engines and FMC software will take place in late 2013.

In-flight catering company, PT Cardig Aero Services (CASS), is targeting to post a 29% revenue increase by year’s end as it has secured new clients.

Cardig CEO Nurhadijono Nurjadin said that the company’s revenues rose by 29% in the first quarter of the year to Rp 301.3 billion (US$30.7 million) compared to the same period last year, while it was aiming for another 29% revenues increase by the end of the year from the Rp 1 trillion it booked last year.

“We won new clients — namely Jetstar Airways, Air New Zealand and Air Asia — for our line maintenance services,” he said, referring to the Australian, New Zealand and Malaysian airlines.

He added that Mandala Airlines had returned to Cardig’s client list for maintenance services after the airline resumed operations in April last year.

Louis Chenevert, chief executive of United Technologies Corp. has stated that airline profitability looks better for 2013 than in recent years. He also stated that UTC’s $18.4 billion purchase of Goodrich Corp. and a $1.5 billion deal by Pratt & Whitney to buy out Rolls-Royce from a joint venture that makes engines for the Airbus A320 are paying off.

Web Manuals Sweden, developers of operational knowledge management solutions for the aviation industry, has announced that Gama Aviation‘s Middle East division has contracted to adopt the Web Manuals application and Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) app for iPad. Web Manuals will be used improve Gama Aviation’s control of its documentation, legal compliance and operational agility.

Flight Crew at Gama Aviation will have instant cockpit access to all relevant manuals and other documents.

Gama Aviation is a global business aviation services organisation, founded in 1983 in the UK, with operating approvals in Europe, North America and the Middle East supporting its fleet of over 80 business jets. Gama Aviation chose Web Manuals in order to streamline its knowledge management whilst maintaining the highest compliance standards. In addition, by opting for a paperless solution, Gama will realise both environmental and cost-saving benefits.

DAC International has received FAA parts manufacturer approval (PMA) for its GDC64 tablet aircraft interface unit (TAIU). The unit serves two functions: to provide the correct power supply to recharge Apple iPad tablet computers; and to safely connect iPads to aircraft sensors to supply useful data to iPad applications. The GDC64 is hard-wired to the aircraft and doesn’t rely on wireless connectivity.
With four Arinc 429 input ports, eight discrete inputs and a serial connection for weather receivers, the GDC64 could be used for many new capabilities. For example, aircraft position, air data and weather information could be delivered to an iPad to drive synthetic-vision displays and moving maps with weather overlays. This would eliminate the need to carry external wireless devices such as GPS receivers, ADS-B weather receivers, AHRS devices or a portable XM Weather receiver.
So far, the GDC64 has been installed in a Learjet 60 by DAC sister company Atlantic Aero and a Dash 8 by Samco Aircraft Maintenance (with Fokker Services managing the certification). The Dash 8 application is for Norwegian airline Widerøe, which is using the iPad as an EASA-approved Class 2 Type-B electronic flight bag (EFB). Widerøe’s iPad EFB uses Arinc 429 data from the Dash 8, including position, speed and more in an app developed by Dublin-based Flightman.
To encourage the development of more apps that can take advantage of the GDC64’s data hooks into the aircraft, DAC International (Booth 627) offers a software development kit (SDK) and also a free iPad app for setting up and configuring the Arinc 429 data. Avionics and airframe OEMs as well as avionics installers, iPad app developers and software companies are interested in adopting the GDC64 or creating app functionality for the device, according to DAC general manager Francisco Hernandez. A Turkish company purchased a GDC64 and obtained the SDK to develop applications for airlines, he said. “[Maintenance tracking provider] CAMP Systems (Booth 931) has talked to us about an app for their software.”

Inmarsat has announced it will be working with Satcom Direct, the provider of satellite voice, fax, datalink and Internet communications solutions, to take its GX Aviation proposition to the business aviation market.
Responding to passenger, airline and business jet operators’ needs, GX Aviation offers consistent, global coverage with the level of broadband speeds, data rates and bandwidth that consumers are used to receiving on the ground. After signing an agreement with Honeywell, the designated business aviation reseller for Inmarsat’s GX Aviation Ka-band connectivity services, Satcom Direct has become a business aviation partner for Inmarsat GX Aviation services and will be a distributor of GX Avionics equipment manufactured by Honeywell.
“Satcom Direct is a very important Inmarsat partner, so we are delighted that they will be adding our GX Aviation services to their product portfolio which includes Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband for the business aviation sector,” said Leo Mondale, Managing Director for Inmarsat GX. “As the first high-speed global broadband aviation service, GX Aviation offers consistent connectivity, including the ability to stream Internet content live or hold uninterrupted video calls from 30,000 feet. The service will revolutionize connectivity in the sky.”

Rockwell Collins Skybox™ cabin solution has been selected for aftermarket installation by European-based Dassault Falcon Services Le Bourget on a Falcon 2000EX. In addition, the aircraft will be equipped with Rockwell Collins’ Venue cabin management and entertainment system, marking the first aftermarket integration of the system with Skybox. Final completion is expected this summer.
“Our proven, quickly implemented Skybox is the perfect fit for the aftermarket, especially aircraft equipped with our Venue™ cabin management system,” said Dave Austin, vice president and general manager, Cabin Systems for Rockwell Collins. “Skybox with internet connectivity elevates the cabin experience by providing the commonality and convenience of the home or office experience, giving each passenger the power to watch and share exactly what they want.”
Skybox, unveiled in October, is the first airworthy and fielded cabin solution that wirelessly streams Hollywood-protected content on demand from an on-board Apple iTunes library using up to 10 Apple iOS devices. Passengers can stream movies, photos or business documents from their devices to cabin displays. The solution’s large one-terabyte library provides users with ample storage for these sharable files.

Boeing has delivered a 777-300ER to Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia). The airplane, the first-of-its-type to be fitted with a three-class cabin configuration, was delivered to the airline at a ceremony in Washington. The airline currently has a backlog of 21 Boeing airplanes on order, including 13 777s and eight 787s.

LOT Polish Airlines received its third 787 on Friday as deliveries of the type try to get back on schedule after the recent groundings.