Calgary, Canada-based Flyht Aerospace Solutions has developed the Dragon, a low-cost Iridium-based portable satcom system that draws on the company’s expertise in airborne telecom. Selling for less than $10,000, Dragon allows pilots and passengers to communicate using voice or data, without the need for an expensive certification and installation approval program.
The Dragon device is not just for voice and texting, however, but also taps into Flyht’s flight-following and aircraft situational display (ASD) capabilities. Pilots and passengers use Apple iPads to connect to Dragon, which also plugs into the pilot’s headset or the aircraft’s audio panel. The Dragon iPad app allows users to make phone calls and send and receive email and text messages anywhere in the world via the Iridium satellite network. Operations departments can also use Dragon to send information to pilots, such as notams and weather updates.
