Professional Pilot, March 2018

Astronics AeroSat FliteStream F Series system is a fuselage mounted internet connectivity solution ideal for airline and VVIP aircraft FliteStream F Series is composed of an antenna FMU transceiver HPT and satellite modem antenna controller ACMU would point straight up in Barrow Alaska at 71 degrees north the same dish would be aligned almost horizontal The signal gets weaker as the latitude angular difference between the satellite and recipient increases So the Fresnel lens horn acts like a bigger diameter dish achieving a higher gain and sensitivity than traditional satellite antennas The end result is that the Astronics AeroSat product continues to provide internet and television in locations where other antennas tend to drop offline FliteStream F T series When it comes to connectivity Astronics AeroSat produces 2 product lines Airline customers approximately 500 airframes have it installed benefit from the fuselage mounted FliteStream F Series Business aviation is served by the FliteStream T Series a tail mounted system available in 2 options T 210 or T 220 T series versions consist of a Gimbal Antenna Unit GAU at 235 lbs Power Amplifier PAU Antenna Control Modem Unit ACMU Low Power Transceiver LPT and a diplexer Connection speeds are specified in excess of 40 Mbps The T 220 is considered an upgrade in terms of worldwide coverage of live TV High speed data and global live TV is provided by Panasonic which advertises coverage over 996 of the worlds flight routes while customer care and subscription services are delivered by Sat Com Direct Astronics AeroSat uses Ku band Astronics AeroSat specializes in the Ku band frequency range under 64 PROFESSIONAL PILOT March 2018 an open architecture philosophy to prevent locking the customer with a specific satellite network or provider The modem in the ACMU is compatible with a number of broadband providers so that flight departments can choose from a variety of options to meet their specific needs Theres a lot of hype these days about Ka service Matt Harrah president of Astronics AeroSat explains why Ka band has recently garnered the majority of the airborne connectivity news because it is new and promises faster internet speeds in flight declares Harrah Unfortunately this has confused the market making customers think Ku band means slow internet and Ka band means fast internet However this is not factual as the speed from Ka band is solely a function of how the satellite was designed using multiple small antennas to cover a region creating spot beams versus the traditional single large antenna creating a single wide beam over an area New Ku band satellites being launched today also have the same spot beam architecture providing similar speeds Harrah also points out that Kuband satellites are more prevalent as there are relatively few operational Ka band satellites in orbit All other things being equal reflector gain is proportional to frequency squared A Ka receiver operating in the 265 40GHz range has a mathematically better sensing capability than a Ku receiver at 117 145GHz However the Astronics AeroSat design offers a distinct advantage over standard Ka antennas Further path loss the quality of signal to noise is also proportional to frequency squared This translates to a higher noise ratio when it comes to Ka signal quality Rain has a tendency to absorb signals over 11 GHz so Ka is also subject to rain fade an important consideration for operators that frequently visit tropical regions Business jet applications In regards to business aircraft Astronics AeroSats tail mounted T series have been FAA approved for the Gulfstream G IV G IVSP family and the Dassault Falcon 7X along with the Gulfstream G 450 and Bombardier Global Express XRS 5000 6000 on its heels According to Matt Harrah 2018 is an exciting year for the company Multiple sequential aircraft STC programs are being kicked off to maximize business aviation market availability for quick installations for interested customers says Harrah Since its inception in 1997 Aerosat has been highly regarded for its technical expertise and innovative designs In 2004 Rockwell Collins began using AeroSat antennas for their Tailwind DBS TV system product line Theres no doubt that the combination of Astronics a global powerhouse in the world of aerospace and AeroSat with its strong history of SatCom engineering will produce some exciting products now and in the future under the Astronics Aero Sat brand Shannon Forrest is a current line pilot CRM facilitator and aviation safety consultant He has over 10000 hours and holds a degree in behavioral psychology