May 2011 Archives

Updated to report that Alaska Airlines has retracted its statement that it "experienced" the Wi-Fi interference issue with Honeywell Phase 3 display units (DUs), and now says: "We are aware that there has been an issue and we are not using Gogo in the cockpits. We are only using the iPads as an information device."

Meanwhile, the FAA says: "We're aware of the impending service bulletin [from Boeing]. Once we get it, we'll determine if we need to take some regulatory safety action."

BLOG:

Boeing has revealed it intends to imminently issue a Service Bulletin to address the problem of Wi-Fi interference with Honeywell's Phase 3 DUs.

Bret Jensen of Boeing Commercial Airplanes' engineering communications unit tells RWG this evening that the US airframer has "no firm date for issuance of a Service Bulletin, but we are confident that it is imminent".

He adds that Boeing continues to work with Honeywell "to resolve the issue".

The susceptibility of Honeywell Phase 3 DUs to Wi-Fi interference was discovered when FAA supplemental type certification for Aircell's Gogo in-flight Internet solution was sought for American Airlines' Boeing 737NG aircraft. Blanking of the Phase 3 DUs was observed during required electro magnetic interference testing.

One of the conditions for STC was that 737NG operators (American and 737NG counterparts) had to place placards in the flightdeck saying that Wi-Fi devices are to be powered off. Another condition required 737NG operators not to have Phase 3 displays installed with the presence of in-flight connectivity systems, be they Wi-Fi or cellular-based.

Boeing, in turn, stopped linefitting connectivity systems to its aircraft, and began the tedious process of scrubbing avionics parts numbers to make sure other kits were not susceptible.

But putting placards in the cockpits of aircraft, and Boeing's suspension of connectivity linefits, are not long-term solutions by any stretch.

Indeed, Gogo customer Alaska Airlines today confirmed that its pilots are not permitted to use the Internet on their brand new iPads (which are being converted into electronic flight bags) because of FAA protocol.

Other US airlines that want to bring real-time EFB applications to pilots are in the same unhappy boat. Meanwhile, airlines all over the world have been impacted by Boeing's decision to suspend connectivity linefits.

So now that Boeing has confirmed plans for releasing a Service Bulletin, the obvious questions are - what will the Service Bulletin entail? Will 737NG operators be required to pull out Phase 3 DUs and replace them with Phase 2 or 4, perhaps? Will a Service Bulletin be more far reaching, and involve other types (following Boeing's own avionics scrub)? When will linefit of connectivity systems resume (a question I'm sure AeroMobile and its customers would like to see answered, as AeroMobile previously obtained offerability on certain Boeing types)?

Bret says only that "it will be clearer once the SB is issued".

Alaska, meanwhile, is looking forward to bringing connectivity to its pilots' iPad-based EFBs, saying: "Right now, the [device] is a document reader, and if we are allowed that Internet connectivity we can use it for another whole range of things."

Related links:

Boeing confirms Wi-Fi interference with Honeywell avionics

Boeing conducts broad avionics review after Wi-Fi interferene

Alaska pilots not allowed to access Internet in the cockpit due to interference issue

The aviation industry, including the Flightglobal community, is in mourning today after learning of the sudden passing of veteran industry journalist Brendan Gallagher.

Affectionately called the 'Badger' by friends and colleagues, Brendan was a consummate professional, a true gentleman, and a downright lovely person. He was also an expert in the field of in-flight communications, and will be sorely missed by all who knew him or worked with him.

As one in-flight connectivity provider said today: "What a wonderful man and beyond-talented journo. What a loss for the world, and for the airborne comms space."

A few weeks ago, at the EBACE business aircraft show in Geneva, I had the pleasure of joining Brendan in interviewing Thrane & Thrane on board a King Air 200 about the firm's new Aviator 200 in-flight connectivity solution. This is how I will remember Brendan, asking the tough questions and clearly loving his profession. May he rest in peace.

After reading my 'US Airways transatlantic torture treatment blog', an avid industry observer and crazy man - truly my favorite kind - offered to write a guest blog about drinking away the in-flight blues.

In many ways, heavy drinking while in flight is a very big part of the passenger experience on long-haul flights (combined with sleeping pills, the two represent the 'little secret' of many road warriors, don't they?)

Nonetheless, the following information is not for teetotalers, alcoholics who are trying to stay sober, or anyone who can't take a joke (that was a disclaimer, btw). Cheers!

GUEST BLOG: Drinking away the in-flight blues, by crazy man

As my giant Amazon friend Mary has been spread rather thin as of late, I've volunteered to share my insights into "alternative forms of in-flight entertainment"...

Flying can be a traumatic experience, especially since none of these high-tech gizmos that our flame-haired oracle writes about trickles down to the huddled masses- especially on such airborne cattle-cars that U.S. Airways flies. Yes, coach on U.S. Airways... a horrifying experience by any standard- especially if you're flying trans-Atlantic or worse... It's a veritable Guantanamo Bay of the skies.

In a few short weeks as the Paris Air Show looms ominously.... I myself will have to undertake this horrifying journey to France where not only do people not speak English, but they consider snails to be a delicacy... but truth be told, escargot is actually quite good- in fact all their food is awesome and there are plenty of hot chicks in Paris- unlike in the Washington Metro area... so those are positives.
 
Oh yeah, and Kirby will probably be there... But I digress...

What I am here to discuss is the fine art of in-flight alcohol abuse- it's probably not good for you pre se, but it doesn't compare to the horrors of being trapped on a A330 with 300 or more malodorous humans on a U.S. Airways flight across the pond. I wonder if my health plan covers PTSD?

Anyways, moving on...

The first step is to pre-drink- but not to the point where they won't let you on to the flight. Remember, airline cabins are pressurized to 8000ft, so even if you're not inebriated on terra firma- all is not lost; you might be quite intoxicated up in the air as the altitude magnifies the effects of alcohol.
 
If it's in the morning, you want to start off with something that isn't obviously alcohol to those around you- Irish coffee is but one fine choice. Another fine choice could be a Screwdriver- a fine mix of vodka and orange juice- all the better for not looking like a drunk at 10 a.m. in front of your boss- for instance.
 
I recommend a 50/50 blend- time can't be wasted in matters of such vital import.
Once on board- one must pace him or her self, lest the guards errr... flight attendants become suspicious and cut you off. Usually, on international flight they have the basics... beer, wine, and sprits.

I recommend mixed drinks, as the selection of wines and beers is usually atrocious. Gin, Vodka or Rum can be used as the foundation of many drinks that can help the flight go more smoothly. Both Vodka and Gin can be combined with an assortment of juices and sodas that are readily available in-flight.  Rum goes best with Coke or Pepsi.
 
After a few rounds, the alcohol and 8000 ft cabin altitude will kick-in and the living nightmare that is a trans-Atlantic flight will pass quickly as you fall into a state of inebriated bliss.

A mere six years after filing for the patent, Panasonic Avionics has received the all-clear to provide the following portable entertainment device for use in what appears to be any passenger vehicle:

A portable media device for use in cooperation with passenger entertainment systems installed in vehicles, such as automobiles and aircraft, and methods for manufacturing and using same. The portable media device is configured to communicate with one or more content sources, which provide viewing content and which may be proximate to, and/or remote from, the portable media device. Preferably being configured to wirelessly communicate with the content sources, the portable media device can select content from any available content source and can download and present the selected content in any conventional manner. The selected content can be streamed to the portable media device for contemporaneous presentation and/or stored by the portable media device for viewing at any time, including after disembarking the vehicle once travel is completed. As desired, the portable media device likewise can be configured to transmit appropriate upload content to the content sources.

The patent lists no fewer than 14 inventors, chief among them Panasonic Avionics CEO Paul Margis.

So, what do you make of all this? 

It's official. All these back-to-back trips are kicking Runway Girl's butt just a little bit. The upside to being a road warrior is that I'm getting to experience the downside of the passenger experience on a regular basis (US Airways, you know I'm looking right at you), and can attest with complete certainty to the following:

1) In-flight entertainment and particularly in-flight connectivity are necessary distractions to what has otherwise become an agonizing in-flight experience for economy class passengers (all the mood lighting in the world isn't going to make that seat pitch any better).

2) The airline that sits on the fence too long and doesn't offer passengers these distractions is asking for trouble, especially now that travelers are FaceBooking and Tweeting every little thing they do/see/feel, like this:


Now then, do I think that US Airways gives a fiddler's fart that its passengers despise its service? Not in the least. Do I think that the lion's share of US Airways' employees are happy? Hell's to the no. Some of the flight attendants are downright hostile. But can you blame them? The carrier had back-to-back bankruptcies and demanded its pound of flesh from employees.

Nonetheless, I'd like to urge US Airways (again) to change its ways, and it doesn't have to go particularly high-end or complex either. Lookie here, for instance, at the Siemens/ALTRAN outfit, which has been quietly drawing a lot of attention lately for its "Simple" wireless IFE solution. The following video is in German, but you'll get the gist. 

Last year Panasonic Avionics and Lufthansa Technik announced plans to form a joint venture to provide customized in-flight entertainment and cabin management systems for VIP operators. This year, at the #EBACE11 show in Geneva, the so-called IDAIR joint venture was open for business. IDAIR is initially targeting the business aviation industry but intends to also meet custom product requirements of the airlines. Here is IDAIR CEO Andrew Muirhead explaining the new joint venture.

Bill Boyer, the former Alaska Airlines baggage handler who invented the digEplayer portable in-flight entertainment system and later sold his company to Wencor (which renamed it digEcor), is returning to the world of IFE with an embedded solution that he claims will weigh just under 1 lb at the seat.

Under one blessed pound?!? That's what the man said in an exclusive interview with RWG. After accounting for the two servers (one for content, the other to support point-of-sale credit card transactions), the weight of the entire system on a 172-seat Boeing 737-800 comes to "under 300 lbs", says Boyer, noting that these specs are for 7in monitors throughout, but that the weight penalty would be "not much more for the 8.9in screen".

"Additionally, airlines will not need to take their planes out of service. Installation of the entire system can be accomplished in three overnights. And, if it's broken, a mechanic can fix it in less than five minutes."

So how is Boyer accomplishing this feat? Is he a magician? "We're being creative," he says cryptically.

Hmmmm. I wonder if this is a wireless IFE solution with an embedded component. If it is, Boyer's not telling...just yet. His firm, SkyCast Solutions, which is working with an aircraft seat engineer and certification legend, will formally unveil its ultra-lightweight IFE solution at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) conference and exhibition in September.

Here are just some of the comments made about Boyer's idea by said legend (according to Boyer):

Video at the weight and cost of audio, now any airline can have simple reliable video on demand with no weight penalty.

This totally changes the video installation equation, video for less than seat refurbishment.

Why hasn't anyone done this before, it's perfect and couldn't get more simple for the airline to install.

Quite the most incisive reduction of non value added components in cabin entertainment ever devised. Cabin entertainment will never be the same again.

Oh yeah, and one more thing. Boyer says he has already secured an airline customer. Who else is looking forward to #APEX11???

At an exact height of 5ft, 11.75in (and a solid 6ft, 3in in heels), I'm considered a tall lass. But people like me are becoming less of an oddity, as our species gets collectively taller.

So why is EADS Sogerma bringing a high-density full-flat business class seat to market? Simple. Airlines want to be able to maintain the capacity of a modern business class cabin (often distinguished by those 'hold-on-with-your-toes' lie-flat seat nightmares), while offering a full-flat solution, which has become the cost of doing business in business class.

I tried EADS Sogerma's so-called Equinox business class seat at the recent Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, and here's the result of my little experiment. 

Airlines all over this increasingly toasty planet are getting in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems line-fitted to their new aircraft. But the retrofit market is also very hot right now, as evidenced by the growing number of carriers opting for new retrofit-ready seat-centric solutions.

On last count we've learned of seat-centric embedded offerings from The IMS Company, Zodiac unit Sicma, Intelligent Avionics, Rockwell Collins and digEcor, plus a fiber optic solution from Lumexis not to mention the gaggle of wireless IFE folks, Aircell included. Yes, the company is pursuing true wireless IFE, not the video download service previously planned.

All the IFE newcomers claim to be offering significant weight savings over "legacy" systems. If they're weighing embedded platforms against 10-year old, still-in-operation embedded IFE then they may have a good point, although I wonder if it is fair to compare an all-economy aircraft with 9in monitors throughout, no PCUs, no handsets and no PED power with systems that offer all of this - plus big screens up front - and more on a widebody? Ahem.

But who cares, right? What matters is the passenger's perception and experience. So let's call a spade a spade. Beyond seeing duct tape on overhead bins, natty seats, and crappy toilets, nothing makes passengers question the age (and ponder the safety) of an aircraft more than old, heavy-looking, antiquated IFE. They glance down at their iPhones, glance up at the IFE, and, well, #nuffsaid.

So, how are the superstars of IFE - Panasonic Avionics and Thales - responding to the new competition? In the line-fit market Panasonic and Thales have the big business locked up. They are the only two manufacturers in the world to have line-fit status on the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 (an in-flight connectivity conundrum is brewing on the latter project...more on that later).

For the retrofit market, Thales is offering its new seat-centric AVANT-lite solution to rival what's on offer from the new seat-centric players. I've got some nice video from #AIX11 about AVANT-lite and will post that soon.

Panasonic, meanwhile, says it can bring to airlines its new Android-based X Series, which retains head-end servers, "all-in" at around 4.6 lbs per seat on a Boeing 777-200 (see chart below).



"We can provide a business platform that weighs 4.6 lbs, not just an entertainment system that's 4.6 lbs. It's a much better value proposition for the same kind of weight," says Panasonic's Neil James. "By adding Android, in-flight connectivity and by being really light and smart at the seat and using capacitive touch, we see airlines saying: 'Wait, that's the same digital touch point as a smartphone or a Galaxy Tab'. That's what we're really striving for and have hit a home run with. They understand the system's revenue generation capability, and think to themselves 'Oh my God, I can get apps created by a local university and I don't have to incur the cost or time as in the past.'"

But what if a carrier absolutely wants more content stored in the seat to, say, improve reliability? Panasonic, which says its new systems are at 99.5% reliability already, is nonetheless happy to oblige.

James notes that Panasonic has offered airlines the ability to have seat-centric solutions to back-up or augment the existing server technology since 2006. "But customers found the systems to be reliable enough that for the most part they haven't necessarily had to use those drives. As we move to this [new Android] system, we will go to a second generation of displays that have local content storage so the airline has the choice to use it or to augment the experience. You're still obviously going to want to get content to those. And even the seat-centric guys have a device at the head-end."

James believes seat centric "is going the opposite way to the way the rest of the world" is going.

"Android phones are incredibly light. You're not walking around with an Android phone with a terabyte of storage. So when you do, for example, voice recognition for text on Android phones, it's not happening at the phone. It's going though the network and its happening at the server. So the world is going thinner and thinner client and more capacity at the server, but seat-centric goes the opposite way and says, 'Put complexity, weight and power into every single seat, as opposed to having a really fast network. We don't' think that's the way to go, but we are offering our airlines the option if you want to do that for redundancy, or if you think it's a better idea, we can do that and put storage in the seat."

He adds: "More and more airlines are recognizing that the latest generational systems are bringing IFE back as an essential touch point as opposed to that discretionary world we've been in for a while. There are several RFIs and RFPs out there where the airlines have left white space for us to dream a little and normally we only see that when airlines are freeing up discretionary expenses. We love that white space because that's where we get to bring our creativity and innovation to the table."

So why are the seat-centric guys gaining a bit of traction? Are they giving their systems away for free to get a toe-hold?

"We're seeing a lot of launch programme deals so I don't' know if the price has stabilized yet," says James. "Panasonic is providing global support. We're here for the long haul. We still support systems we made 20 years ago. We have a proven record in being able to do that and some new vendors will learn those lessons [about product support over the life-cycle] over time as we have. I can't speak to the price differential but what we see is airlines with aircraft where they say 'We're only going to fly this for so many yeas, we want to limit the amount of investment, but want to keep people occupied' and they're opening up to these new systems."

Updated to inform you that Aircell is no longer pursing a video download strategy, and instead is jumping into the wireless IFE space. The solution that will be trialled on American's 767s requires a content loader and the software and WHAM, BAM, THANK YOU MAM! 

I recently sat beside a true road warrior in business class on a Delta Air Lines flight from Newark to Atlanta. Since he is a monthly subscriber to Aircell's Gogo in-flight Internet service  - and a lover of the Gogo app - I naturally wanted to tap his brain about his personal experience with Gogo, and how he uses the connection to access his personal music server at home. He's an Irish music lover. Hello!  I was elated when he agreed to speak to me on camera. Check out our conversation below.

Meanwhile, American Airlines has announced that it is going to trial Aircell's BRAND NEW Gogo wireless streaming video product (NOT the video Client, aka, the cache/cash machine) on two Boeing 767s, and plans to bring Gogo to the rest of its domestic mainline fleet (awesome, awesome, awesome).

(Warning to future seat-mates - I tend to break out the camera after a glass of wine. Or two.)