Jet Aviation St. Louis has been chosen by Rockwell Collins to develop the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for installation of its Future Airspace Navigation System (FANS) for the Bombardier Challenger 604.
Rockwell Collins announced in August that it is upgrading current flight management systems (FMS) and control display units (CDU) with a new communications management unit. Jet Aviation is developing the STC which must be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration before installations can begin for the FANS 1/A aftermarket solution. Once the STC is approved, the FANS 1/A upgrade package, which includes the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) and Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC), will reduce pilot workload and significantly enhance the clarity and accuracy of pilot communications with Air Navigation Service Providers in oceanic and remote airspace worldwide. It will give those aircraft access to preferred wind-efficient transatlantic routes to save both time and fuel.
“The company is pleased to team with Rockwell Collins to prepare the STC and begin installations,” Blake Hogge, senior manager, Avionics Sales at Jet Aviation St. Louis, said. “Jet Aviation St. Louis can install the first FANS 1/A upgrade with minimal downtime and cost, as enabled by design of the system by Rockwell Collins.”
FANS systems have been under development by the aviation industry for years, primarily as a way to provide direct data-link communication between pilots and air traffic controllers.