three reasons to upgrade an aircraft cabin management system · aviation business consultants...

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ThreeReasonstoUpgradeanAircraftCabinManagementSystemWhyupgradeaCabinManagementSystemorCMSinabusinessjet?The“backbone”oftechnologyforthecabincommunicationandin-flightentertainmentsystemsisoftenoutofsightandoutofmindforpilotsanddirectorsofmaintenance,whomaynotgiveitasmuchthoughtasflight-criticalaircraftcomponentsortheavionicsinthecockpit.Discriminatingpassengers(andwhousesprivateaviation,besidesdiscriminatingpassengers?)demandatop-notchCMS,eveniftheydon’tspecificallyknowwhatitisorwhatitdoesbynameorbyfunction.Andthosepassengersareusuallytheonespayingthebillsfortheentireflightoperation,whetherit’sacorporateflightdepartmentorachartercompany.Passengers’highexpectationsareperfectlyreasonable.Weareallsurroundedbypowerfultechnologyintheformofcellphones,tablets,householdappliancesandeven“smart”carsand“smart”homes.Alloftheseincludesophisticatedtechnology.Thetechnologybehindmakingacall,watchingavideo,sendingadocumentorpushingabuttonhasbecomesuchanimportantpartofdailybusiness,entertainment,familyconnectedness,andgenerallogisticsofgettingaroundthatwedon’tgivethemmuchthought.Untiltheydon’twork.Whetheranaircraftisusedforpersonalcharter,flyingclients,orteammembers,passengersinprivatejetsoftenexpecttohavealltheconveniencesoftheirhome,office,oracommercialairliner.

“Whatwe’rehearingisthatitcomesdowntoexpectations,”saidEliCotti,NBAAdirectoroftechnicaloperationsinNBAAInsider’sSpecialReportonConnectivityChallenges.“Youflyinacommercialflightandthenjumpintoacompanyjet,andallofasudden,systemsareslower.”

Compoundingtheconfusion,Cottiadded,isthatthebusinessjettypicallyhasonlyafewpeopleonboardaccessingtheWi-Fisystem,whilethecommercialaircraftmighthave100peopleormoreusingitsimultaneously.“Intheprivateplane,you’dthinktheexperiencewouldbebetter,”saidCotti.

1.Perception.PrivateaviationpassengersaresometimesdismayedtofindthattheWi-Ficonnectivity,in-flightentertainmentsystems,andcabinswitchpanelsortouch-screenpanelsseemantiquatedoraren’tfunctioningreliably.Nervousflyersorpeoplelessfamiliarwithprivateaviationmaywonderiftheavionicsandothersystemsarereallyup-to-date,andiftheaircraftisassafeasitshouldbeifthecrewandgalleycontrolsaretemperamentalornotfunctioningperfectly.Ifapassengerhasanxietyaboutyouraircraft,theoperatormaynothearaboutit,butthepassengermaychooseadifferentproviderinthefuture.

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RobertMcWinters,afrequentflyeronprivatejetsforbusinessandpleasure,putsitthisway-“IanalogizeflyinginaprivatejetthesameasIdowhenIgotoarestaurant.Inbothcases,Iamputtingmylifeinsomeoneelse’shands.Attherestaurant,Iamtrustingthatthefoodissafe,conditionssanitaryandthatIamnotgoingtoingestanythingthatisgoingtoinjureorworse,killme.WhenIaminaPrivateJet,itismuchthesame,asmyhealthandlifealongwiththoseIamtravellingwithareintheoperator’shands.IfIgetaboardandseethatmultiplethingsarebrokenormissinginthemaincabin,itimmediatelymakesmewonderwhatitislikeontheflightdeckorwiththemechanicalsideoftheaircraft.Whathasnotbeencheckedaswellasitshouldbe,orwherewerecornerscut?Themaincabinoftheoperator’saircraftistheirbusinesscardtome.Soyes,assumptionsaboutthesafetyoftheplanearemade…andIbelieveshouldbe.”

2.Productivity.Passengersonacorporateaircraftshouldbejustasproductiveastheywouldbeintheoffice,andoldersystemssimplycan’tmanagecommonbusinesstasks.Somelevelofsecurityfromcyberthreatsorhackingisrequiredbytoday’sbusinessstandards.TheWi-Fisystemmayneedtoconnectwithgroundstationsaswellassatellites.TheymayneedU.S.onlyorglobalcoverageforWi-Fi.Theymayneedtoprintorstoredocuments.EuropeanpassengersmayneedtoconnectequipmentwithEuroISDNprotocols.4Gconnectivitymaybeexpected.Corporateinteriorupgradesmayincludeconfigurationssetupforonboardmeetingsand/orindividualwork.Manyofthesedetailsarenotgivenmuchthoughtuntilanimportanttaskcan’tbecompleted,aprojectgetsdelayedorameetinggoesoffline.3.Entertainment.Onaprivateorcorporateaircraft,passengersexpecttospendthetimeincomfort,andtheyexpectmusic,movies,andgamesonhighdefinition,high-resolutionscreensandwithgreatsoundquality.Touchscreenremotesystemsshouldworkflawlessly.

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Whileitmaynotseemasvitalastheperceptionofamodern,current,safeaircraftorproductivity,entertainmentisnowanimportantpartoftheexperienceandanexpectationofmanyprivatejetpassengers.

Justin Crabbe, the CEO of Jettly, agrees - “We receive hundreds of requests from clients each day in terms of connectivity, and sometimes some very specific requests, like ensuring download speeds are ‘X’ mbps etc. otherwise our clients simply WILL NOT charter that particular aircraft. When you're in this particular market, the sky is the limit with respect to what we get asked for.... connectivity has become the number one concern of our private flyer.”

TheSolutionTosumup,perception,productivityandentertainmentthatwereonceseenasluxuriousoptionshavebecometablestakesforparticipationintheprivateaviationmarket.UpgradingyourCabinManagementSystem(commonlycalledtheCMSinaviationparlance)isanimportantpartoftheexperienceofprivateflight,andthevalueoftheaircraftprovidingit.Manyflightdepartmentsandcharterorganizationsfindtheprospectofchoosing,installingandoperatinganewCMSdaunting.Therearemanysolutionsavailable;someofwhichmayormaynotbeadequateforpassengers’needsandexpectations.Anumberofvendorsprovideonlyaportionofthesolution,makingtheprocessofupgradinganaircraftcabintime-consumingandcomplex.C&LAviation,anleaderinaircraftmaintenanceandrefurbishment,haspartneredwithDPILabs,thecreatorsandmanufacturersofinnovativeCMSsystems,switches,controlpanelsandothercomponents.Theresultofthepartnershipisanarrayofbest-in-classsolutionswithprofessionalconsultationandinstallationtomaketheprocesssimpleandconvenientforDOMs,flightdepartmentmanagersandaircraftowners.“Weprideourselvesonbeingaone-stopshopthattheownersandmanagersofGlobal/Challenger,Hawker,Gulfstreamandotheraircraftcantrust,”saidChrisKilgour,CEOofC&LAviation.“That’swhyit’simportanttoustoasktherightquestionsandprovidethebestsolutionforeachcustomer.”“DPILabsrecognizesC&LAviationGroup’sexperienceandcommitmenttoprovidingitscustomerswiththebestproductsandservicesavailableandwearepleasedtoenterintopartnershiptoofferourCabinManagementSystemsandcomponents.”saidScottDeSmet,DirectorofBusinessDevelopmentforDPILabsInc.

AboutC&LAviation

C&Lisaglobalaviationservicesandaftermarket-supportproviderforcorporateandregionalaircraftspecializingininteriorandexteriorrefurbishment,avionicsupgrades,heavy

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maintenance,aircraftteardownservices,partssupport,andaircraftandenginesalesandleasing.AnFAA/EASAPart145CertifiedRepairStation,C&Lstrivestomakeaircraftownershipmoreeconomicalbyprovidingallservicesinonelocation:astate-of-the-art140,000square-footfacilityatBangorInternationalAirportinMaine,butalsomaintainssalesofficesandwarehousesworldwide.

C&LalsoofferscharterservicesthroughthePart135chartercompany,SevenJet.

AboutDPILabsAircraftmanufacturersandoperatorsrelyonDPItodevelop,manufacture,andsupportqualityswitchesandswitchpanels,lightingandairdistributionsystems,entertainmentsystems,andcompletecabinmanagementsolutions.DPILabsoriginatedthe“membrane”typeswitchesspecificallyengineeredforVIPprivateaircraft,andthecompany’sadvancedSmartLinkclosedloopcontrolandinterfacesystemiswell-knownforitsreliabilityanddurability.DPILabswasthefirstcabinmanagementsystemmanufacturerscertifiedthroughtheBoeingAircraftD1-9000QualityWorkmanshipStandard,andDPIcontinuestoleadbyexceedingindustrystandards.