GA's Most Accomplished EFIS System Adds Even More Features
ANN's Editor-In-Chief,
Jim Campbell, calls the Chelton EFIS System, "the best we've seen
so far... from a group (Avidyne, Chelton, Garmin) that was damned
impressive to begin with." Now, several new additions add more
to an impressive resume of futuristic features and capabilities.
Chelton Flight Systems has announced FAA certification of its new
AIU-1 Analog Interface Unit that adds seven more TSO's to the
FlightLogic EFIS. With the AIU-1, the EFIS is now certified to
display dual RMI/VOR (TSO-C40c), localizer (TSO-C36e), and
glideslope (TSO-C34e), as well as marker beacon (TSO-C35d), ADF
(TSO-C41d), radar altimeter (TSO-C87), and conventional flight
director (TSO-C52b) and is compatible with virtually all existing
avionics.
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Chelton's conventional dual-cue flight director is centered on
the flight path marker on the synthetic vision primary flight
display.
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The AIU-1 also provides advanced GPS roll steering to
any existing autopilot that supports a heading
bug. This enables virtually any autopilot to fly DME arcs,
procedure turns, holding patterns, and even holding pattern entries
with no pilot action required. The EFIS also sends vertical
guidance and autothrottle commands although no existing autopilot
is capable of performing these functions.
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HSI symbology can be superimposed on the primary flight display
to minimize the instrument scan.
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"This is a huge benefit for the single-pilot IFR operator," says
Nick Cain, Chelton Sales Manager and ATP-rated pilot. "The
reduction in workload is staggering; the pilot need only load the
flight plan, DP, STAR, and approach into the EFIS and engage the
autopilot. The EFIS will take care of the rest. It will even
automatically calculate the correct entry to a holding pattern,
whether teardrop, parallel, or direct, and fly the entire flight
hands-off."
The FlightLogic system's certified Highway-in-the-Sky (HITS)
functions as a predictive 3-D flight director, giving the pilot two
miles of turn anticipation so he or she is always "in the loop."
The pilot knows well in advance that the autopilot is about to
begin a procedure turn, for example.
"It will fundamentally change the way you view single-pilot
IFR," says Cain.
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The MFD can be configured as a conventional HSI/RMI with
glideslope if desired.
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The AIU-1 is certified now and shipping as an option with the
FlightLogic EFIS. The FlightLogic EFIS is the world's first
synthetic vision primary flight display and features and integrated
GPS/WAAS receiver and FMS. The EFIS also features integrated TAWS
(Terrain Awareness and Warning System) that satisfies the FAA
mandate and is RVSM compatible. ANN has a review of this amazing
system scheduled for the near future--as soon as Campbell comes up
for air.
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This ILS approach shows the aircraft on the glideslope and the
localizer nearly centered on the flight path marker. The
runway is visible inside the flight path marker. ILS symbology may
be overlaid with GPS/WAAS-based Highway-in-the-Sky for added
situation awareness and navigation system redundancy on
approach.
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NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1
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