Newsletter - June 2011 | Maxcraft Avionics Ltd.

Newsletter - June 2011

MaxNews
Bringing you knowledge of the latest in avionics technology

Volume 1, Number 3

June 2011

IN THIS ISSUE

Our Courier!

Where will we be next?

New Products from Kannad

Who's Who at Maxcraft?

What is Synthetic Vision?

DID YOU KNOW?

Maxcraft now offers free component pickup and delivery for our commercial customers at Vancouver, Langley, Boundary Bay, Delta and Abbotsford Airports using Sea Island Courier.

Call Sea Island Courier at:

604-803-5055

RECENT EVENTS

Langley! Come see our booth at the COPA Convention on June 24-25, 2011. See COPA link below for more info.

Next, we are going to be at the Pitt Meadows Airport during Airport Days! Come visit our booth and join us and others for a family fun filled day on June 26, 2011 from 10am - 4pm.

WHERE WILL WE BE NEXT?

If you are in town, come see our booth in Calgary at the Skyservice Business Aviation Hangar for the Canadian Business Aviation Association on July 7, 2011 from 10am-6pm.

EVENTS

HERE & AWAY

Canadian Business Aviation Association

(July 7)

Garmin Seminar on Sept. 14 2011 at Maxcraft Avionics

Save the date!

Abbotsford Airshow

(August 12,13,14)

AVIATION HUMOUR

Things which do you no good in aviation:

- Altitude above you

- Runway behind you

- Fuel in the truck

- Half a second in history

- Approach plates in the car

- The airspeed you don't have

QUICK LINKS

406 ELT Registration

See more on Maxcraft Avionics at our website

Pitt Meadows Airport

BC Floatplane Association

AVweb

Avionics to the Max!

Come and see us at our state of the art facility, where our friendly staff are here to help with your needs!

250-18799 Airport Way

Pitt Meadows Airport (CYPK)

Pitt Meadows, BC,

V3Y 2B4

604-465-3080

It's rebate season!

ICOM, Garmin, and more!

Check out these great deals by the manufactures:

SPOT2 Satellite GPS Messenger - $50 rebate if purchased before July 31/11

Sport Rebate

Garmin GTS Traffic Systems - save between $1000 to $2500 and get an extra $750 if you order it with a GTN Navigator. Valid to Aug. 15/11

Garmin Glass Makeover - save $1000 with the purchase of a G600 or G500 and GTN Navigator. Valid to Aug. 15/11

Garmin Rebate

ICOM Summer Savings on Handheld Radios - save $20 on the A6 and $40 on the A24 radios! Valid to July 4/11

Icom Rebate

WHERE TO FIND US!

Maxcraft Avionics Website

Aspen Avionics

Aspen Avionics - Evolution Flight Display for Helicopters

Aspen

The EFD1000H Pro PFD is an approved replacement for your mechanical flight instruments and is the most affordable EFIS "six-pack" replacement display technology available in the helicopter market today.

The Evolution flight display system EFD1000H Pro is designed specifically for the helicopter flight environment. Both hardware and software are specifically designed to withstand the harsh environment of rotorcraft. Four hundred hours of flight test development led to improvements in the Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) algorithms and the resulting design demonstrates outstanding system performance during those conditions specific to the helicopter operating environment. The system is currently STC'd in the Bell 206 and will soon be available for the following aircraft: Robinson R22/R44, Bell 407, Eurocopter AS350, McDonnell Douglas MD300 and MD500 and the Enstrom 480B.

In the Hangar

Citation 550 Bravo Upgrade Project

Last week Blackcomb Aviation dropped off their Cessna Citation 550 Bravo (C-FAMJ) for some avionics system upgrades. While the aircraft was already fairly well-equipped, a couple of systems no longer met Blackcomb's expanding operational needs. The existing Honeywell TCAS I system will be replaced with a Honeywell TCAS II system and the transponders will be replaced with dual Honeywell Mode S Data Link Transponders. These new systems will make the aircraft compliant with current regulations for flight in RVSM airspace.

Additionally, the older Honeywell Flight Management System (FMS) will be replaced with a Universal UNS-1Lw FMS system. This new WAAS/SBAS FMS will enable the aircraft to fly the hundreds of new precision LPV and LNAV/VNAV approaches throughout North America. Concurrent with Maxcraft's avionics upgrades, Port Aircraft Interiors has been selected to completely refurbish the aircraft's interior.

In about six week's time, Blackcomb Aviation will pick up their very capable and comfortable aircraft.

Solution for Rotorcraft

EFI-89OR Display Solution Now an Option for Rotocraft

Avionics equipment intended for the high-vibration environment of helicopter operations must meet RTCA/DO-160E standards, which includes testing for environmental vibration levels that far exceed those common to fixed-wing aircraft. The Universal Avionics EFI-890R Flight Display meets that stringent RTCA/DO-160E specification and is now qualified for installation in several helicopter models. Including:

Sikorsky S-76A, S-76C, S-6IL, S-6IN
Bell 212, 412, 412EP, 412CF
Eurocopter EC-155, Dauphin NI, N3, AS-332

The EFI-890R is designed specifically as an integrated retrofit display solution. It features considerable installation flexibility and may be configured as a PFD, MFD or stand-alone unit and has been successfully tested to meet the requirements necessary to be the focal point of a fully-integrated cockpit system.

New Products from Kannad

Kannad announces new GPS ELT

The new INTEGRA 406 GPS ELT is a major step forward in the development of ELT technology and aircraft safety equipment. The INTEGRA is the only ELT in the world which operates on the international 406MHz satellite search and rescue system and includes an internal GPS and 406MHz antenna, plus an internal battery.

As a result of this technological breakthrough the INTEGRA offers the international flying community a number of major benefits over the standard ELT models available on the market today. These include:

· a fail-safe system which in the event of ditching the aircraft or a crash landing resulting in considerable damage, allows the INTEGRA, through its automatic activation, to still have the ability to transmit and send both the unique identification and GPS position through its unique design.

· the ability for the pilot or crew to remove the ELT from the downed aircraft, as it will continue to transmit its lifesaving message even once removed from the airframe.

Remember that no SAR satellites continue to listen to your old 121.5mHz ELT! Maxcraft recommends upgrading to a new 406MHz ELT at your annual or the next time you have your interior out. Maxcraft Avionics sell ELT's starting at just over $800!

Elt Beacon

Who's Who at Maxcraft?

Who is Clarke?

Clarke is our Aircraft Services Manager. While planning all installations, repair and upgrades to customer avionics systems, Clarke also schedules routine aircraft system maintenance and compliance testing, from pitot/static system and altimeter calibrations to the trusty compass swing.

Clarke has yet to meet an avionics challenge that he's unable to troubleshoot effectively.

Clarke

Involved in aviation since 1989, Clarke's favorite thing about a career in avionics is that there is always something new around the corner. Back in '89, the big thing in avionics was LORAN. Clarke has been involved first-hand in the evolution of airborne navigation as GPS, and currently WAAS, have become the mainstay not only in commercial aviation, but also in private cockpits with the advent of affordable "Glass Panel" EFIS solutions from industry leaders such as Aspen, Garmin and Universal Avionics.

Clarke's extensive career began in Pitt Meadows with Reg Moen at Avionics Canada. Attending BCIT's Aerospace program in 1989 and 1990, Clarke graduated and obtained his Avionics licence in 1992, then returned in 1994 to receive his Aircraft Maintenance Engineer licence. Clarke then went to STARs Medivac in Calgary on a maintenance apprenticeship and then to Prism Helicopters in Pitt Meadows. After a 2-year break, Clarke became a part of the Maxcraft family in 1999. After a two-year sojourn with the RCMP Air Services as Western Canada Avionics Technician in 2008, Clarke has now returned to his family at Maxcraft, and we're delighted to have him.

Clarke has been married for 17 years and has two lovely boys aged 9 and 12.

What is Synthetic Vision?

Synthetic Vision Technology

Many pilots have asked us questions about Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) which we will attempt to answer in this article. SVT is a three-dimensional colour representation of the terrain ahead of the aircraft displayed on your Primary Flight Display (PFD) screen, overlaid with primary flight instrument ("sixpack") readings. This virtual 3D image is derived by cross-referencing information from a terrain/obstacle database against the very accurate WAAS GPS position and altitude information provided by the aircraft's onboard AHRS or ADAHRS flight data systems.

The resulting graphic image presented on the PFD very closely resembles the actual view of surrounding terrain when looking through the windshield on a clear sunny day. This SVT image includes such details as hills, waterways, known obstacles, and runways (even down to centreline and identification markings), making it difficult if not impossible to "interact" with terrain.

If the aircraft is projected to come close to terrain the SVT image of that terrain will turn yellow and if the aircraft continues toward it and becomes projected to collide with that terrain, the SVT will "paint" that terrain image bright red.

SVT displays also include a "Flight Path Marker" (FPM) depicted as a small green circle which shows precisely where the aircraft is going based on trend information derived from its current track and speed. The FPM shows if the aircraft will clear a ridge or the projected point of terrain impact. The FPM is also capable of depicting precisely where on the runway the aircraft will touch down!

The positive effect that SVT has on situational awareness cannot be overstated and its advantage in instrument conditions is sensational.

Synthetic Vision Technology is available as an optional upgrade on PFD products from most EFIS manufacturers and once you've experienced it, you won't be able to imagine living without it.

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Newsletter - June 2011

Avionics Blog

Citation Bravo gets a facelift and Wade gets a flight

Flight Tracking? Collision Traffic Avoidance Systems? Where to look...

Expansion to Maxcraft Avionics Instrument Shop

Happy New Year from Maxcraft Avionics!

Christmas and the New Year

Experienced Technicians

Repair / Supply