Touchdown rituals have changed in the last five years; as the wheels touch the tarmac, instinct drives us to reach for our cell phones. No matter the location, the expectation is for the connection to be there. There is no question about which satellite the phone connects with, which provider is delivering the signal, and what the upload or download time may be. It works, that’s what counts, and it is this that streamlines our daily functions and operations.
We know our aviation customers depend on secure, timely information exchanges to keep operations running efficiently. FDF provides critical data to support service monitoring and plays a significant part in communicating dynamic situational changes during flight. To facilitate this, in the same way, that cell phones connect to the best service provider, we have integrated FlightDeck Freedom™, FDF, datalink service with the ARINC datalink network and will be rolling out with OEM partners in the near future. The integration enhances connectivity for flight deck communications across the globe, ensuring that FDF and ARINC users can easily access data, which makes them more operationally efficient no matter where they are.
Our commitment is to raise industry standards by streamlining the industry. The aggregation delivers more flight-deck functionality, including expanded VHF coverage in several regions, including Asia. The amalgamation also enables increased integration with a broader portfolio of trip support providers to support even better trip planning across the globe.
The amalgamation also allows alternative access to all the advanced features offered through the Satcom Direct FDF platform. ARINC users can optimize features such as security alerts, automated notifications of hazardous weather events, and synchronization of aircraft performance with flight departments as well as leading industry suppliers.
This addition to FDF datalink also boosts connectivity continuity and reliability by providing critical data that supports service monitoring. “It is a priority for principals to keep connected, and we are committed to ensuring a consistent connectivity service globally. Keeping customers connected beyond expectations is what drives us, and this latest integration demonstrates that,” says Nick Cook, Director of Flight Deck Services for SD.
“We are always looking for opportunities to augment our offering, but more importantly for ways of adding value to the international business aviation sector,” adds Cook. “Raising industry standards is one of our key objectives, and for pilots around the globe, this integration showcases what we do by introducing a multi-faceted portfolio of information to the flight deck via a single user interface.”
Since its inception, FDF has developed to enable smoother, safer flights by optimizing data and supporting flight deck communications. Automated delivery of valuable information supports real-time decision-making, which reduces workload. Further integration with the ARINC network supports improved situational awareness. Built from the start on an open architecture platform, FDF allows the integration of multiple flight planning systems and other data, including engine manufacturers’ health monitoring. “With the latest integration, the sum of the whole is even greater than the individual parts, and with an easy reconfiguration, we’re providing a simple pathway to even more information, yet all the flight crew need to be concerned with is flying the aircraft. Just like a cell phone, they won’t need to know what network they are using, just that they are being delivered reliable data that in dynamic operating environments helps them stay ahead of the curve,” concludes Cook.
