Executive Jet Electronics and Datainthesky

Marshall Business Aviation Centre.world.
Marshall Aerospace have just redisignated the airportNext generation systems will allow customers to
at Cambridge the Marshall Airport Cambridge, set up aintegrate a wide variety of digital media into cabin
new Business Aviation Centre, offering businessentertainment systems that include digital, high-definition
aviation and corporate aircraft maintenance to Londonmonitors. Control of that media, as well as all other
and the East of England. This is an addition to theircabin functions, will be possible through
traditional business of aircraft modification andsoftware-programmable touch-screen seat and
maintenance across the range from large militaryremote controls. In other words, an owner will be able
aircraft to Cessna Citations.to sit in his or her seat-or walk around with a wireless
Executive jet electronics and datainthesky.remote control-and select media sources for the
Today's "state of the art" in executive jet datacabin's monitors, speakers and headset sound
systems equals hardware and features that aren't toosystems, while also adjusting the cabin's lighting,
much more advanced than what's already available ontemperature, and window shade positions.
the ground. Bigger classes of business jets, such asAnd because the newest CMS/IFE systems
Boeing Business Jets and Airbus ACJs, have alwaysincorporate connections and docking stations for a
had better in-flight system options because they havevariety of portable devices, those media sources could
more space, can take on more weight and generallyinclude CDs, standard and Blu-Ray DVDs,iPods, MP3
require larger budgets to complete.players, Playstations, selections from an on-board
For example, real-time television and high-speedmedia library, views from forward-mounted cameras,
Internet access have been available in very large jets3-D, GPS-based moving-map displays, and real-time
VLJs for several years. High-speed internet access isnews and sports text updates.
only now arriving in smaller business aircraft, and theSatellite technology.
technology for real-time TV is still a little way off. ButBut what about connecting to the world outside the
those highly capable systems for large private jetsaircraft? Currently, satellite phone technology offers
aren't cheap. A top-end cabin management andvoice and text data transfer (hence the ability to get
entertainment system for a BBJ or ACJ can runtext scrolls of CNN and sports updates in flight). But
between $1 and $2 million.internet access is coming. A satellite based system
The good news is, the latest in-flight systems are(using the INMAR SAT network) called Swift
beginning to catch up with home entertainmentBroadband has now given jet customers in most
technology-in all sizes of private jets. The two biggestmid-sized and larger jets the first access to global
changes, are the advent of digital, high-definition,high-speed internet. Other high-speed internet options
home-theatre-type technology for in-flightfor aircraft owners operating within the US are
entertainment systems, and connectivity, both withinground-based systems created by Aircell.
the cabin and between the cabin and the outside