Hard to make a decision on avionics upgrades
There has long been the debate about upgrading versus trading for a new aircraft, especially when it comes to avionics mandates and updates. For many, the decision is frequently to keep with the status quo and upgrade. That is often due to fluctuations in the overall global business market and the cost of new aircraft acquisitions along with depreciating values.
The drive to keep what you have and make it current has helped fuel the aftermarket avionics industry. New technology like FANS (Future Air Navigation System)
CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Communications) and ADSB (Automatic
Dependent Surveillance Broadcast) are helping to improve older aircraft, and choosing what to do and when is further dictated by the timeline for these requirements. In many cases, the region of operation has a distinct timeline for completion.
The choice can also be based as much on time. Your aircraft is down and out of service, so what should you include in the work? Should you do a full revamp to an older aircraft or just what you need to address the current mandates? Add it all up, and this can be a very daunting time to be an owner, chief pilot or flight department manager.
If your plans include some upgrades or even a full rework of your cockpit, then your timing could not be better. The best place to window shop and get the real goods on all the options is just around the corner at National Business Aviation Convention and
Expo (NBAA). And to make it just a tad easier, we offer some updates on what we have heard so far that you might want to check out.
So what should you shop for at NBAA?
Your trusted avionics service and support specialist will likely tell you need get with the program for FANS, CPDLC and ADSB. Among the top names to seek out accordingly on this areUniversal Avionics and Rockwell Collins.
Seeing and learning is a key benefit to attending a show like NBAA. Universal
Avionics is pretty anxious to do that. It will be ready to talk about NextGen solutions for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS–B), Performance-Based
Navigation (PBN)/Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance
(LPV)/Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), Controller-Pilot Data Link
Communications (CPDLC), Future Air Navigation System (FANS) and more. The

company will also have in-booth demonstrations available for its InSight system, the
Falcon 900B Avionics upgrade, FANS/CPDLC and Software Control Number (SCN)
31 for UniLink, which includes the data link message set to meet the European Link
2000+ mandate. In addition, the company will have exclusive demos of the soon-to-be-released UniLink Trainer Desktop Software Program featuring FANS training and familiarization.
You also need to remember the Flightline show at NBAA and Universal will be pleased to have you come and visit its Citation VII with the InSight Integrated Flight
Deck on static display. Look for this at Henderson Executive Airport in Space No.
800.
Not everything at NBAA has to do with big business jets. A lot of OEMs are now turning their attention to the turboprop market as well. For example, Rockwell Collins advise that their biggest item right now is Pro Line Fusion for King Airs. With that in mind, the company will have lots to show at NBAA. For those who are not familiar with it, Fusion is now standard on new production Beechcraft King Air 350i, 250 and
C90GTx models from Textron Aviation. But for those with an older King Air, this revolutionary system is now certified as an STC upgrade for aircraft that were originally delivered with Pro Line 21. It is also available as an upgrade for those aircraft that were originally delivered with Pro Line II. With three flat panel screens to work with, Fusion offers extensive situational awareness, and simplicity.
When you dig down further into the features and benefits, you find that you can modify your flight plan by touching your route on the map. Your eyes and hands are in the same place, and that means more natural hand-eye coordination and highly intuitive operation.
If you do not want to go for a full refit like the Fusion system, Rockwell Collins would also like you to come and check out its Pro Line 21 airspace modernization package for King Air 350, B200 and C90GTi. With ADS-B and satellite-based navigation, this option will allow compliance today, benefits from the upgrade but not involve the extensive rework that a full redesign can entail. The package includes
ADS-B, WAAS – LPV and SVS (Synthetic Vision). Just the SVS alone makes this turnkey upgrade a most attractive update. In the end result, pilots can fly with increased confidence at night, or in any weather.
We also noted that FANS is a hot topic to research at the NBAA. Rockwell Collins has been busy on this front too and most recently has been working with one of its
Canadian authorized dealers – Toronto-based Mid-Canada Mod Center (MC2).
The company is about to announce a FANS CPDLC for the Challenger 604.
As Rockwell Collins point out, the big issue with today’s traffic volumes is the vintage Oceanic Air Traffic Control technologies and methods. These are proving to be big problems as controllers rely on relayed voice communications and numerous manual data entry steps. This limits your route/altitude options, and it has lead to present day modernization program deadlines.
By doing this you can make your flight operations even more predictable and efficient.
The Rockwell Collins option now available for Challengers 604s includes:
Flight planning

Online weather
Online flight tracking
Fuel services
Support services
Ground communications
VHF Datalink service
Air Traffic Datalink services iPad application
With the global size of the 604 market, this is an important and needed upgrade.
These aircraft have for the most part many more years of service in them and getting compliant to the latest nav systems will simply enhance that situation.
Going back to where we started – upgrade or replace? The choice is complicated and involved. But an upgrade is easier to consider when you can get the full story and a demo. The options discussed here are but the few from a only a couple of OEMs.
There are of course many more “players” in the field, and NBAA is seen as the single most important business aviation event in the world. With the ability to shop, plan and test your decisions before they are finalized, it shows even more value.
(Fly-Corporate)