Duncan Aviation is pleased to announce that it has completed its second Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Gogo AVANCE L5 system. Designed for the Dassault Falcon 2000 and variants of the airframe, this STC covers the Wi-Fi certification and full equipment and antenna installation required to provide in-flight connectivity to the Gogo Biz® 4G network.
While the Falcon 2000 was at Duncan Aviation’s Battle Creek, Mich., facility getting a new Wi-Fi system, new avionics and a C-check, it also had its interior refurbished. In addition to a new, contemporary Passenger Service Unit (PSU), its light hickory woodwork was stripped and given a much warmer-looking dark stain and a high-gloss finish.
“It’s an absolute transformation—it’s a whole new aircraft on the inside,” says Jared Keeny, Director of Maintenance for the Falcon 2000. “We’ve been to Duncan Aviation before for smaller jobs, but this was our first big project. From start-to-finish, Duncan Aviation did a great job. Everyone was honest and up front, and they really did it right.”
Updating the avionics to enhance the aircraft’s safety by increasing the pilots’ situational awareness with regard to other aircraft in its flight path and while taxiing at airports were among the owner’s goals. To that end, the experienced Duncan Aviation avionics installation technicians also upgraded the Falcon 2000’s flight deck with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21, which is an integrated avionics system that equipped the aircraft with a Synthetic Vision System (SVS).
The customer also wanted to upgrade to FANS 1/A, and the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 is a prerequisite for that. The Duncan Aviation team upgraded the Rockwell Collins TDR-94D transponders so they’re Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) compliant. The Falcon 2000 now meets the FAA’s looming deadline for ADS-B.
With FANS 1/A, it also has Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) and Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC), which are mandatory for using North Atlantic Tracks (NAT) to cross the Atlantic and help mitigate communication problems between pilots and Air Traffic Controllers (ATC).
“We can fly anywhere in the world now with FANS, and we’re ADS-B compliant long before the mandate deadline (January 1, 2020),” says Keeny. “We know what it’s going to look like in 2019 with all of the aircraft that don’t have ADS-B needing to get ADS-B but unable to because there are too many other aircraft that need ADS-B and not enough shops. We didn’t want to deal with that.”
In addition to enhancing the safety of the aircraft and its passengers, the owner also wanted to create an attractive, comfortable cabin with a state-of-the art, high-definition Cabin Management System (CMS) by installing the Rockwell Collins Venue system.
“With the Rockwell Collins Venue system for cabin management,” says Keeny, “the possibilities are endless as long as you have 4G. That’s the way to go because it lets you stream videos and movies.”
Joining the already completed Gogo AVANCE L5 STC for the Gulfstream GIV / GIVSP, the completion of the F2000 STC is another of several being completed by Duncan Aviation. These STCs cover Wi-Fi certification and full equipment and antenna installation. Other models currently in certification include the Falcon 900 series, Challenger 600 series and the Challenger 300 series. Other platforms are also being evaluated by Duncan Aviation.
“The new Gogo AVANCE L5 gives business aircraft the ability to allow passengers to stay connected along with the option to relax and enjoy newly released movies and their favorite TV shows with the built-in media server, says Avionics Sales Rep Mike Morgan. “It’s the next step in the evolution of the Air-to-Ground connectivity technology.”
All of Duncan Aviation’s Gogo AVANCE L5 STCs are being developed with advancements in technology in mind. Installing the AVANCE L5 equipment and Wi-Fi using one of the Duncan Aviation STCs will provide customers with a roadmap for future upgrades.