As the operational use of data link communications continues to evolve, it is essential that pilots keep pace with changing procedures. As an example, aircraft with Universal Avionics UniLink® UL-800/801 Communication Management Units (CMU) that are Future Air Navigation System (FANS) 1/A+ equipped can use Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications Departure Clearances (CPDLC-DCL).

Operators in the U.S. are taking action to meet the FAA's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out mandate at the end of 2019. Shops are full and according to the Aircraft Electronics Association's 2017 Avionics Market Report, "the retrofit (avionics) market showed an increase in its percentage of total sales… recording an all-time high… a 20.1% increase over 2016." This growth is likely a result of aircraft equipping for ADS-B Out to meet the FAA's 2020 deadline.

This year marks two short years before the FAA Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out mandate hits…but who’s counting? I’m very pleased to say that we experienced incremental increases in Flight Management System (FMS) purchases and upgrades in 2017, confirming that our customer base is making the needed changes in preparation for the January 1, 2020 mandate.

It’s been nearly 10 years since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) introduced the first Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) approach procedures in the National Airspace System (NAS). Since then, LPV approach procedures have gained a lot of steam; there are currently over 4,236 available in the United States and Canada. For aircraft equipped with LPV capability, the approach has become a lifeline for their operations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC)-Departure Clearance (DCL) service at a large number of busy airports. CPDLC-DCL allows Air Traffic Control (ATC) to send departure clearances through digital communications, rather than voice communications.