Honeywell's wireless communications are now available to Falcon operators, with avionics upgrades to follow.

Honeywell has certificated its new Communication Gateway System and the MCS-7120 satcom for use in cabin and cockpit communications aboard Dassault aircraft, and is progressing with avionics upgrades for Falcon operators.

The Dassault certification represents the first OEM installation of the Communication Gateway System, which allows in-flight BlackBerry and PDA communications as well as voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephony services. VoIP can be deployed in air traffic control communications.

An internet protocol-private branch exchange (IP-PBX) inter-operates with the public switched telephone network via a network router and wireless access point (models CG 170 and CR 710), enabling calls to be made to and from the aircraft via wired or wireless handsets.

The MCS-7120 andCommunications Gateway System are available as options on Dassault Falcons entering service in the second quarter of 2009.

Honeywell has meanwhile completed the first phase of flight testing of expanded avionics capabilities for Dassault Falcon aircraft equipped with Primus Epic EASy cockpits and retrofits for earlier model Dassault aircraft. These capabilities include synthetic vision within an integrated primary flight display; future air navigation system capability; wide area augmentation system-localiser performance with vertical guidance; and "approach and required navigation performance -special aircraft and aircrew authorisation required"capability.

The OEM says it is "now delivering full development load software of its new avionics capabilities to Dassault for their evaluation".

Source: Flight Daily News