New Avionics Box To Fly in FAA Flight Inspection Fleet

As a key element in the FAA's Next Generation Automated Flight Inspection System (AFIS), the FAA awarded Formation, Inc. a $5.7 million contract to design, develop flight-qualify, and produce its new Data Collector Correlator (DCC) avionics box.

With the responsibility to monitor the quality of navigation signals in the National Airspace System (NAS), the FAA performs in-flight inspection of navigational aids in the NAS, which requires the timely collection of numerous data sources. The DCC will meet this need.

"We are very pleased to be part of this initiative for the FAA," said R. Nim Evatt, president and CEO of Formation, Inc. "This contract allows Formation to do what it does best - build complex electronics with precision and accuracy, quickly and cost-effectively,"

"We have a long history of manufacturing excellence for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the world and look forward to continuing this tradition with the FAA by demonstrating Formation's ability to execute and perform."

As the primary Input/Output interface for NAFIS, DCC will collect, correlate, and time stamp real-time analog and digital data, which originates in on-board flight-check instrumentation elements of NAFIS. The DCC will then supply this correlated data to the on-board NAFIS computer for further analysis and also to other NAFIS components.

The FAA is developing NAFIS as a replacement for the previous generation AFIS equipment, originally deployed in 1982. AFIS/NAFIS are used to calibrate the nation's air navigation system. AFIS/NAFIS are hosted on FAA flight-check aircraft, including Canadair Challenger, Beech King Air, and other multi-engine business jets and turboprops.

Formation will develop the DCC hardware and software, perform integration testing, and work to obtain FAA certification for the units at its Moorestown, NJ production facility. Formation designs and manufactures hardware and software products and provides related engineering services for the defense, aviation, data communications and transportation industries.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.formation.com