Expands Transponder Integration Options For 1203C SBAS/GNSS Sensor

NextGen avionics company FreeFlight Systems’ 1203C SBAS/GNSS sensor has been approved for installation with Rockwell Collins’ latest TDR-94/94D transponder variant. Rockwell Collins has received FAA approval of an Approved Model List Supplemental Type Certificate (AML-STC) for ADS-B Out installations across a wide range of Part 25 aircraft including models from Bombardier, Gulfstream Aerospace, Sabreliner Aviation, and Textron Aviation. Installation is also approved for Part 23 Class 3 and 4 aircraft via the AML certification Rockwell Collins received earlier this year.

This product pairing provides legacy aircraft registered in the United States a complete and cost-effective way to meet equipage requirements for the upcoming December 2019 ADS-B mandate. Additional foreign validations are planned to support mandate compliance in other regions.

The FreeFlight Systems 1203C SBAS/GNSS was designed to be modular and integratable with various other avionics, providing full ADS-B Out compliance when paired with a compatible Mode S Extended Squitter transponder like the TDR-94/94D. Select part numbers of the TDR-94/94D can be upgraded via service bulletin or exchange to the latest ADS-B Out compliant status.

With several hundred 1203Cs in service today across airline transport, military, and business aviation platforms, these receivers are characterized by their high performance, ease of installation, operational reliability and longevity. The 1203C can also serve as the approved position source for select manufacturers of TAWS/FMS, RNP, and other NextGen applications, and allows customers to take advantage of the operational and safety benefits provided by the NextGen airspace transformation without the need for extensive and costly avionics upgrades.   

With the ADS-B mandate now only 18 months away, business aircraft operators need to prioritize ADS-B installations during routine aircraft maintenance. Significant portions of today’s business aircraft fleet will remain in service long after 2020, and in many cases an STC’d retrofit solution comprising of a transponder upgrade and the addition of a dedicated SBAS/GNSS receiver like the 1203C is the simplest and most cost-effective way to achieve mandate compliance.

(Source: FreeFlight Systems news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.freeflightsystems.com, www.rockwellcollins.com