STC Approved For Citation 500 Jets

B/E Aerospace, Inc. has received FAA approval expanding the aftermarket applications for the company's LED-based interior lighting systems. The FAA approval, known as a Supplemental Type Certificate, permits the aftermarket installation of both B/E direct and indirect LED lighting on the Cessna Citation 500 series business jets. The Supplemental Type Certificate indicates that B/E's product meets all of the FAA's airworthiness and safety standards.

The Citation approval is the latest milestone in the certification process for the company's LED lighting system. Within the past year, B/E also received FAA Parts Manufacturing Approval for LED lighting for a wide range of business jets. The company has already provided LED lighting for installation on over 50 aircraft, including Gulfstreams, Challengers, Falcons, Boeing Business Jets, Sabreliners and Merlins. In addition, B/E's LED Reading Lights are FAA-approved as direct replacement parts for Learjet models 35 and 60, Raytheon's King Air series and the Hawker 400XP.

For the first Citation 500 installation, B/E teamed with O'Gara Aviation in Atlanta, Georgia. John B Foster III, President of O'Gara Aviation, provided the launch aircraft. O'Gara Aviation has more than 22 years experience in aircraft brokerage, management, refurbishment and turnkey services for a full range of corporate aircraft.

B/E's LED lighting system consists of reading lights and wash lighting that feature natural, high quality white light. Other advantages of the system include high reliability, a 40 percent reduction in power, a 40 percent weight advantage, lower maintenance costs and a patented temperature compensation circuitry designed to increase LED longevity while maintaining the quality of light output. The company designed its system to be completely compatible with its latest-generation fluorescent system, making the upgrades simple and timesaving. "We designed our LED lighting units to fit in the same valance locations and to utilize the same control and power wiring. In most cases, aircraft owners will not even have to re-program the cabin management system," said John Gerken, Director of Product Support for B/E.

FMI: http://www.beaerospace.com