Professional Pilot, October 2017

As part of this design a single Flight Control Panel FCP is located at the top of the MFD This FCP is used to control all the autopilot or Auto Flight Control Systems AFCS functions except go around For those not familiar with an FCP with this set of controls you can select Approach Mode or LNAV or Heading and Altitude Hold or other functions to activate the Flight Director FD and operate the autopilot The knobs are used for dialing your selected altitude heading bug and minimums for the approach This center location simple layout and adoption of a familiar format lets you manage the flight and aircraft as a single or multi pilot operation BendixKing also offers an optional Synthetic Vision System SVS function that enhances the PFD Runway numbers and runway centerline markings are easy to fly This new SVS form of flight display enables the highest form of precision and safety over a standard blue over brown instrument The ability to have terrain and other features integrated into the PFD sets a new standard for flightdecks installed in affordable turbine powered business aircraft This SVS feature enhances the panel presentation especially for airport clarity The BendixKing SVS is most likely one of the major innovations in flight instruments enabling the pilot to clearly see the terrain and threat of collision aided by the visual and aural annunciations from the TAWS Cursor control and more The keys to access and manage AeroVues vast capabilities are done by the Cursor Control Device CCD on the pedestal You stay heads up and your free hand can scroll and select navigation radios map and flight display information at the basic level or you can go deeper for additional weather and flight planning detail Graphical flight planning is also managed by the CCD and buttons close to your index finger And the CCD itself is an object you can hold onto rather than trying to work your finger on a screen in turbulence The crosshairs of the cursor can be easily seen on each display as you move the track ball around to the selected item and the touch and roll of the pointer is simple to manage If you have ever operated a computer of any kind this will be easy to learn 90 PROFESSIONAL PILOT October 2017 Flight planning and performance are also core parts of AeroVue The system provides the means via the FMS on the MAU card to initialize and load some basic data and then get a performance and NAV plan Using the CCD and the key pad on the pedestal you load flight plan and performance data and get a graphic flightpath on the large scale map that also includes terrain info The CCD can then be used for flight plan changes meaning you can select or stretch or move legs on the map and flightpath or you can set up a revised flight plan just like on the bigger bizjets When you get near the terminal area you can select the type of approach you want and the system loads the proper navigation and approach frequencies The vertical profile can also be controlled to let you monitor or adjust your descent accordingly Even though the AeroVue flightdeck provides a lot of information it can be worked to the level of detail or sophistication of the user from just the basics to that seen on a high end bizjet The ability to tailor this information on the displays makes the use of the system every day stable And regardless of whether the copilot is a beginner or a vet the operation can be customized to the level of skill on either side of the flightdeck Sharing of both the tactical and strategic flight planning and big picture weather is shown on the center display AeroVue and the turbine The list of standard items that AeroVue offers for a King Air or Citation avionics refresh is amazing Far more than just a surface treatment of displays this system is an entire redo of the flight instruments radios autopilot and more The options list is long but its designed to allow you to tailor your aircrafts panel to suit your mission and your working environment These include radar additional Mode S transponder EGPWS electronic Jeppesen charts and maps and even AeroWave inflight connectivity for internet VoIP phones and text messaging Another aspect of the AeroVue system that comes standard with the flightdeck configuration is system redundancy And it comes standard with dual ADHARS dual WAAS GPS and dual radio panels Getting to learn a new system such as AeroVue has also been well thought out by BendixKing you can get familiar with the system and learn using a PC based simulator and or a series of customized online video training tools This way you can experiment with the menus and various selections all without burning kerosene on the ramp or in the air The Honeywell Bendix team has taken the time to integrate AeroVue on a company owned King Air 200 Thus the STC has been done with care using inputs from experienced pilots and the integration has worked out well Fly away price reported by BendixKing for the AeroVue is between 300000 and 350000 Development of the AeroVue flightdeck is a modern age refresh for ageless airframes If you have been bouncing around in King Airs and Citations and want to take your skill and performance to a new place you can do it with BendixKings AeroVue Glenn Connor is president of Discover Technology Intl He is a pilot and a researcher specializing in the development of enhanced vision systems and advanced avionics Interaction with the FMS is done through a keyboard and cursor control device a track ball that allows the pilot to navigate the various display menus while remaining head up