Avionics
Private flyers demand connectivity, but equipping their aircraft
with high-speed broadband is technologically challenging and
requires aircraft that test, validate the technology
Connections
AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM // SEPTEMBER 47
and 4G LTE though, the reality is approaching the dream
– private jet passengers are video conferencing and
streaming content while their pilots use electronic flight
bags and receive the latest weather reports.
But delivering on the home/office broadband promise
also means delivering on the service standards customers
expect on the ground. If the router doesn’t connect or the
streaming video buffers, the system has failed. The
market leaders therefore want to know as much as
possible about the networks, hardware and apps they are
using, they want to know how well those elements work
and be sure they understand problems as or even before
they develop.
EXPERIENCE TESTING
A great deal of that testing can be accomplished on the
ground, but to really test a connectivity system the only
option is to go flying. Among the leading broadband
providers, SD offers a complete connectivity solution over
networks including those from Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Iridium, SmartSky and Viasat. It also offers a
comprehensive, integrated range of software and builds
its own hardware, employing a Gulfstream IV (GIV) as a
test bed.
Chris Moore, president of SD Business Aviation, says,
“We operated Cessna CJ3s and tested our value-added
services over Inmarsat SwiftBroadband. But as
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