The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., has announced that it will add
CMax Electronic Approach Chart display and Avidyne's Fully
Integrated MultiLink™ services - featuring XM WX satellite
weather capabilities, text messaging and flight tracking - as part
of its optional equipment package offered on all Piper entry level
and mid-range aircraft.
These powerful additional tools will be added features for the
PA-28 family of aircraft (the Warrior III, Archer III and Arrow)
and the PA-32 models (Saratoga II HP, the Saratoga II TC, the Piper
6X and the Piper 6XT) equipped with Avidyne's FlightMax Entegra
Integrated Flight Deck. They will go on sale immediately, with
first deliveries planned for October. As such, the fully equipped
PA-28s and PA-32s now join the company's flagship turboprop, the
Piper Meridian, in offering these state-of-the-art capabilities.
Plans for aftermarket installation of these features are also
underway and expected to be available in the fourth quarter of the
year.
"By adding CMax and
Multilink, complete with its powerful XW WX datalink weather
features, to these models, we are continuing our commitment to
providing our customers with the most advanced technology available
in general aviation," said New Piper President and CEO Chuck Suma
(shown below).
Said Avidyne Corporation President Dan Schwinn: "These new
features are at the core of what Avidyne is all about, providing
simple, intuitive products that deliver unmatched performance,
overall safety and peace of mind."
CMax provides instant access to Jeppesen's JeppView electronic
airport diagrams and instrument departure, arrival and approach
charts. The system automatically displays aircraft position
overlaid on the airport diagram for positional awareness while
taxiing. In flight, CMax shows the aircraft position and flight
plan on the selected approach chart. It enables the pilot to view
the entire chart, zoom in, review the plan or profile views, or
read the Jeppesen Briefing Strip™ and approach
information.
The CMax system simplifies and speeds access to needed charts
while maintaining an organized cockpit environment during
high-workload phases of flight.
With Avidyne's exclusive MultiLink technology, pilots gain
access to XM WX datalink weather for route-specific weather data
using XM's high-speed broadcast of textual and graphical weather
information from across the United States. XM WX features high
resolution broadcast NEXRAD radar images, graphical and plain
English METARs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, and TFRs. The service also
provides continental United States lightning data from the National
Lightning Detection Network®. While weather information
provided via two-way or broadcast data feeds may be used
separately, the combination gives pilots comprehensive and
continuously updated information on weather conditions and flight
restrictions.
CMax Electronic Approach Chart display and Multilink (featuring
XW WX datalink weather capabilities) are powerful additions to the
FlightMax Entegra system, designed and manufactured by the Avidyne
Corporation of Lincoln, Mass. The Entegra system delivers total
situational awareness on an integrated display, including moving
map, terrain, complete engine information and optional datalink
weather, lightning and traffic. Primary engine instrument
capability includes the display of RPM, fuel flow, and oil pressure
on the PFD.
"These additional tools offer significant new levels of safety
and value to the Piper line of Entegra equipped aircraft," said
Molly Martin Pearce, Director of Dealer Relations and Sales for New
Piper. "The Entegra System is simple to use and intuitive, and
integration of Multilink, with the XM WX system, and CMax offers
powerful situational awareness capabilities and uncompromised
in-flight information, not just data, to our customers."
The PA-28 and PA-32 family of aircraft has long been known for
their reliability and reputation. The PA-28s are among the most
capable trainers and entry-level aircraft in the marketplace, while
the PA-32s have the reputation of being one of the most reliable
platforms in current production. With the addition of the XM WX,
Multilink and CMax features, these aircraft continue to lead
innovation in the general aviation market by coupling a trusted and
proven airframe with the latest in integrated avionics suites.