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."