TAS600 First Active Traffic System Under $10,000; Avidyne Now Provides Active Traffic for Entry-Level Piston though Turbine Aircraft.

Avidyne Corporation has introduced a new family of active traffic advisory systems (TAS) for general aviation (GA) aircraft ranging from entry-level single-engine piston to turbine-powered aircraft. With pricing starting at $9,990, Avidyne sets a new price-performance standard for active-surveillance traffic capability and makes important safety systems affordable for owners of light GA aircraft.

The debut of Avidyne's TAS600 Series follows Avidyne's recent merger with Ryan International, a global provider of independent airborne surveillance traffic systems. Developed by the Safety Systems Group in Columbus, Ohio, Avidyne's TAS600 systems are based on Ryan Active Surveillance™ (RAS) technology and are fully certified to TAS TSO C147. 

The initial three products in Avidyne's TAS600 Series are the:

• TAS600 priced at $9,990 and recommended for entry-level, single-engine piston aircraft.  The TAS600 features a 7nm range, a 3,500 foot vertical separation maximum and 18,500 foot service ceiling.
• TAS610 priced at $14,990 and recommended for mid-performance aircraft.  The TAS610 features a 12nm range, a 3,500 foot vertical separation maximum and a 25,000 foot service ceiling.
• TAS620 priced at $20,990 and recommended for high-performance aircraft.  The TAS620 features a 21nm range, a 9,900 foot vertical separation maximum and a 55,000 foot service ceiling.

Avidyne TAS600 systems show standard TAS symbology on display systems from 15 different manufacturers including Avidyne's Entegra and EX500/5000 MFDs, Garmin's G1000, MX20 and 400/500-series, as well as displays from Honeywell, Collins, Chelton, Sandel, and others.

All TAS600 systems include unique features for superior performance not found on competing systems.  Heads-up Audible Position Alerting™ verbally calls out target bearing, range and relative altitude for rapid visual acquisition of traffic.  This automated voice alert uses the same alert terminology as Air Traffic Control: " Traffic! 12 O'Clock! High! Two Miles!"  Heads-Up Audible Position Alerting keeps the pilot's attention focused outside the cockpit, scanning for oncoming traffic.

Avidyne's patented directional top and bottom antennas provide optimum signal coverage around the host aircraft, enabling faster updates, and providing enhanced performance over single-antenna systems.

When interfaced with Avidyne's Entegra, EX500, EX5000, and MHD displays, TAS600s provide transponder squawk codes, as well as N-numbers of Mode S equipped aircraft (in US airspace), making it even easier to identify specific targets.

"Avidyne has just removed the price and performance barriers that have kept pilots from adding active traffic systems to their aircraft," said Mark Sandeen, Avidyne's vice president of sales and marketing. "For those pilots, the TAS600 Series is the superior choice. And for pilots concerned about the limitations and future availability of ground-based traffic services, we're providing a far more capable and lasting alternative that is independent of ground-based systems."

The TAS600's Ryan Active Surveillance technology detects and actively interrogates other aircraft transponders within range.  TAS600 systems are not limited by dependence on ground-based systems, such as the Federal Aviation Administration's Mode S Traffic Information Service (TIS). With Avidyne's active-surveillance traffic systems, pilots gain peace of mind and an added measure of safety with instantaneous traffic updates and full-time protection both within and outside of radar coverage.

"Avidyne's mission is to transform general aviation by continuously improving the state-of-the-art in safety products and making them available for a broader range of aircraft," said Avidyne President Dan Schwinn. 

"Avidyne's TAS600 Series is a great example of how we are fulfilling that mission. Over the coming months, GA pilots and aircraft manufacturers will see even more developments that promote safer flying from our Safety Systems Group."

FMI: www.avidyne.com