Will Work With Software Vendors To Integrate Applications Into Their System

Avidyne on Monday announced that their new IFD540 and IFD440 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM systems include integrated WiFi and Bluetooth capability for wireless connectivity in the cockpit. Activation of these capabilities will be forthcoming in future software releases.

With Aspen, Garmin, and Avidyne all bringing WiFi and or Bluetooth solutions to cockpit will bring signification enhances to pilots to integrate their mobile devices with their avionics. This will greatly enhance the integration and safety of maintaining the flight plan, weather and other data and information.

Avidyne indicated their strategy will be to work with software vendors to integrate applications to their systems. This open strategy is similar to Aspen which has had their “Connected Cockpit” solution for some time. Garmin on the other hand will initially only have capability to work with their Garmin Pilot application on IOS and Android.

During Q/A, Mr. Dan Schwinn, Avidyne’s President and CEO, was asked why the FAA certification process took so long. He indicated that because Avidyne has been working with the FAA for so long, just celebrating their 20th their business process and internal procedures required re-certification as well. This timing to comply with these business processes just happen to coincide with the IFD540 certification and had to be done before the product certifications.

When pressed about the “value” of the FAA certification process for Part 23 Avionics, he was open in saying that the Part 23 process and even the new one envisioned by the re-write will not and does not provide enough value to off-set the cost and delay to market. Many safety enhancements are being delayed by FAA bureaucracy oversight. ANN has seen the non-certified market and quality of products using commercial electronic parts are of high quality and perform well in the small aviation marketplace. We hope the FAA will review its current policy and process to get these new products to market faster to provide the new safety capabilities needed for the pilot’s in the 21st Mr. Schwinn was also asked about the new product ADS-B IN support for Avidyne’s legacy displays. He said that they had nothing to announce today, but that supporting the over 12,000 PDF and MFD displays of the Entegra line is important and that we should be hearing the rest of the ADS-B product family later this year.

With Avidyne getting the IFD540 certified, Avidyne now has a full panel certification with the exception of the IFD440. It will be interesting how the market, especially the retro-fit market embraces both Avidyne and Garmin’s new products. For those wanting to try and learn the IFD540, Avidyne has a training simulator on the Apple Store for IPAD and a PC version can be downloaded on their web site.

FMI: www.avidyne.com