A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

StandardAero (Booth C8121) is providing a vision of cabin and cockpit upgrade nirvana here at the NBAA Convention. The view comes in the form of a three-sided avionics/mods kiosk that can “give operators a hands-on glimpse of what is possible, new and exciting,” and reflects “what our customers are requiring,” said Don Milum, director of technical sales for avionics and completions.&nbsp;

 


One side of the kiosk features the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4-to-21 cockpit upgrade that modernizes the flight deck while answering the approaching ADS-B airspace mandate and FANS CPDLC requirements for operation in the North Atlantic Tracks.

 


Cabin entertainment possibilities are showcased in the flanking area where the minimally invasive installation of the FDS Avionics do Capsule is being presented. The do Capsule supports streaming content such as HD movies, files and high-resolution 3-D moving maps. The third side of the avionics/mods kiosk displays a variety of CMS options that address both system obsolescence issues and operators’ ability to implement minor changes that bring new creature comforts and convenience to legacy cabins at low—by historical standards—costs.&nbsp;Products from Innov8, Alto, Rockwell Collins and Honeywell are all on display and ready for review.

 


Visitors can also touch, see and feel many of the new materials StandardAero is using in today’s cabin refurbishment projects, including multicolor carbon-fiber, new plating options, sleek stainless steel and brushed-nickel accents, along with ultra-modern laminates and veneers. In fact, these materials are all incorporated in the construction of the kiosk itself, giving attendees an immediate appreciation of their potential application.

 


Customers today are finding a little bit of upgrade goes a long way, Milum said. “There’s less ‘rip and replace everything.’ People are trying to maintain and polish, or fix existing woods and changing soft goods,” he continued. “There’s a little more caution and re-diversion of investment, shifting some investment to connectivity, to valance panels, carpet, possibly reconfiguring the CMS systems.” In the area of design, he said, “things are moving much more toward sleek and slim. More brushed stainless steel versus gold plating from ten, fifteen years in the past. Ultra-modern, clean and crisp.” Customers are also requesting small technology upgrades, like having the ability to project information from an iPad onto a cabin monitor, display moving maps with 3-D graphics and get refreshed cabin-control systems.

 


The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company is also showcasing here its business aviation engine MRO capabilities, underscored by the prominent display of a Honeywell HTF7000 rotating turbofan engine cutaway. “This display is a true work of art and it always draws a crowd,” Milum said. A Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop engine is on view as well. Attendees can also avail themselves of the knowledge base on tap at StandardAero’s exhibit. “Experts will be available to discuss a wide variety of maintenance options for operators,” said Milum.

 


Associated Air Center (AAC), StandardAero’s large-scale VIP transport completion center in Dallas, is also displaying a vision of cabin nirvana at the display, though conceived on a somewhat larger scale. Earlier this year AAC redelivered a head-of-state ACJ320 to an undisclosed Middle Eastern customer. Using “newly developed construction methods,” overall interior weight was reduced 10 percent below customer specifications, according to AAC.

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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