Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

Phased-array satcom antennas are moving closer to availability for aircraft, following a successful demonstration of a Viasat antenna on a Cessna Citation II. The first demonstration flight took place on April 20 during a flight from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Payerne, Switzerland.

 


This effort was part of Project AIDAN, which is led by Viasat Antenna Systems Switzerland and involved a consortium of partners that included Viasat Netherlands, NLR, and Lionix International. The Citation II was provided by NLR, and funding for Project AIDAN comes from the European Space Agency, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Viasat, and other European companies.

 


Viasat's phased-array antenna can track satellites without any moving parts, electronically steering “its beams to maintain contact with the satellite,” according to the company. While the antenna is somewhat large and must be installed in a suitable location on top of the fuselage, it could open opportunities to deliver broadband high-speed Ka-band connectivity for aircraft that can’t accommodate a tail- or fuselage-mounted mechanically steered antenna.

 


Prior to the April 20 demo flight, the phased-array antenna’s tiles and apertures were tested in an anechoic chamber, then the antenna was mounted in a van that was driven around to ensure its beams could point properly at the Viasat satellites.

 


After the first flight, multiple demonstration flights were conducted, according to Carolina Vigano, RF and terminal director at Viasat Antenna Systems. “We were trying to stress the system and see how it is responding,” she said. This included streaming Netflix on one laptop, making a Zoom call on another laptop, while another user uploaded a large file using a VPN and everyone on board connected as many devices as possible.

 


“This core technology is a building block to connect fixed and mobile platforms in the air, on land, and at sea, to enable the game-changing broadband experiences that Viasat satellites will provide worldwide,” according to Viasat.

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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