5/14/09 AEA Comments on Large Aircraft Security Program
10/19/09 Surveillance and Broadcast Services
10/22/09 Questioning Your Radar's Performance? Here is Something You Might Try...
AEA Comments on Large Aircraft Security Program
The AEA recently submitted comments to the United States Transportation Safety Administration on the Large Aircraft Security Program notice of proposed rulemaking.
In its comments, the AEA stated,"Specifically, the NPRM states that such a security program would require the watch list matching of GA passengers, screening for unauthorized persons and weapons onboard the aircraft, and fingerprint-based criminal history checks on flight crews. Currently, the Transportation Security Administration only requires security programs for, with some exceptions, commercial and air carriers."
It is the AEA’s position that the proposed rule fails to recognize the inherent difference between general aviation and commercial aviation, and the requirements it contains put an overly onerous burden on general aviation while conferring no stated or actual national security benefit.
To read the AEA’s comments on the LASP, visit www.aea.net/pdf/2009-03-11%20LASP%20Comments.pdf.
Reprinted with permission from the May 2009 issue of Avionics News Magazine, a monthly publication of the Aircraft Electronics Association
Attention Garmin WAAS Panel Mounted owners: SB 0918
A new software Service Bulletin has been released and distributed. The Service Bulletin 0918 Rev A was release August 4, 2009. We had just received the update loader card this week and have been busy installing the latest update.
The following applies to:
Schedule a time to come in and get your software upgraded. This is a warranty claim update through Garmin; however, the deadline to comply is July 31, 2010.
Surveillance and Broadcast Services
The FAA's Serveillance and Broadcast Services program office was formed in 2005. The program office will change the nations's air traffic control system from one that relies on radar technology to a system that uses precise location data from the global satelite network.
Enabling this evolution is a proven technoloy called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). ADS-B is a crucial component of the nation's Next-Generation Air Transportation System, and its implementation over the next 20 years will turn the NextGen vision into a reality. After years of research and development, and use by general aviation pilots in Alaska and air transport carriers in the Ohio River Valley, the FAA determined in 2005 that ADS-B is ready to be made operational throughout the national airspace system.
With ADS-B, both pilots and controllers will see radar-like displays with highly accurate traffic data from satellites - displays that update in real time and don't degrade with distance or terrain. The system will also give pilots access to weather services, terrain maps and flight information services. The improved situational awareness will mean that pilots will be able to fly at safe distances from one another with less assistance from air traffic controllers.
The gains in safety, capacity, and efficiency as a result of moving to a satellite-based system will enable the FAA to meet the tremendous growth in air traffic predicted in coming decades. Because ADS-B is a fexible and expandable platform, it can change and grow with the evolving aviation system.
ADS-B Benefits
The Aviation Depot is Excited to be an Authorized Dealer for the New Evolution Flight Display System by Aspen Avionics.
Finally, there's an affordable Electronic Flight Instrument (EFD) system for certified GA aircraft. At this Summer's Oshkosh EAA Airventure show, Aspen Avionics introduced the Evolution Flight Display system, the most innovative — and affordable — glass cockpit system ever for certified general aviation aircraft. The Aspen EFD1000 got a lot of attention from show visitors and aviation press. And The Aviation Depot is excited to be one of the authorized dealers for the new Aspen Avionics EFDs.
Questioning Your Radar's Performance? Here is Something You Might Try...
Although radar has been vastly improved since its early WWII days, a thorough understanding of its operation, especially tilt management, is vital to be sure that what it shows you is accurate.
As you know, radar sends out high frequency pulsed power from the nose radome of the aircraft. Water droplets reflect a small amount of power back to the radome. The strength of the received signal depends on the density of the storm and its distance from the aircraft. This signal is processed and displayed on a screen in the cockpit, showing azimuth and distance to the weather to be avoided. In most systems, the TEST function checks only the display operation, with very little testing of the receiver or transmitter.
A good ground test is to use the ground map mode and--carefully operating the antenna tilt--find the most distant Tree line that provides a reasonable return. This will set a refference for your radar and, if checked regularly, can give you a heads up if a transmitter or receiver becomes weak. Inflight tests can be performed using the same procedure, finding a reference that can be checked each time you return to the same area. The weakest link in a radar system is the transmitter magnetron. Depending on the radar, these magnetrons output from KW to 10 KW of power. Magnetrons normally last about 5 years before replacement is needed.
If you aren't sure about the true condition of your radar, we can bench check it, and give it a clean bill of health or repair it as needed. For more information, call Marty Hall or Bruce Clinton at 517-552-8770.
