Page 34 - Volume 16 Number 2

by David Miller
IBeam Me Up Scotty
never really liked Star Trek. All those silly red and turquoise costumes didn’t resonate with me. But, after a visit to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I am beginning to think that anything is possible. At
the invitation of Adam Evanschwartz, Business Development Manager of Rockwell Collins, my buddy Stuart Fred and I got an inside peek at some avionics of the future. It’s called Fusion.
First, a word about Stuart. Born so poor his family could only afford to give him two first names, Stuart has done quite well. He flies a CJ2+ as well as several L39’s for fun from a magnificent hanger in Houston. Unassuming, Stuart wears cut off shorts 300 days a year. The other 65 days the shorts are at the cleaners.
We met on a cold, snowy December afternoon in Iowa. Neither of us was sure why we were invited except that we are owner pilots. Stuart’s perspective was from a Collins Pro Line 21 operator. Mine was from the Garmin G1000 world. We were met at the airport by Betty, our limo driver and the sweetest little old lady you have ever met. Turns out she and her husband Ron worked for Collins for over 30 years and both retired to drive the transportation to and from the corporate office. Have you ever had someone your mother’s age load your luggage into the trunk? It took me ten minutes to convince Stuart he should tip her.
We were whisked away to a huge football-stadium sized building with the longest hallways I have ever seen. Door after door was marked “Do Not Enter – Security Clearance Required.” Adam cleared the way and we found ourselves in a cockpit simulation laboratory full of all sorts of technicians. Ahead was a mockup of the Pro Line Fusion cockpit for the Bombardier Global 5000. Stuart and I were like two kids in a candy store. Three things immediately caught our attention (1) the incredible graphics (2) the ability to change functions and data by simply touching the screen you were viewing and (3) a heads up display (HUD) featuring synthetic vision.
We played and played until they asked us to leave. “But Adam, maybe Stuart can afford a Global but I can’t even get Patty to approve plastic cups for the Mustang,” I said. “Wait till you see this, “Adam
With 5,000-plus hours in his logbook, David Miller has been flying for business and pleasure for more than 40 years. Having owned and flown a variety aircraft types, from turboprops to midsize jets, Miller, along with his wife Patty, now own and fly a Citation Mustang. You can contact David at davidmiller1@ sbcglobal.net.
countered as he led us into another secret room. There we saw smaller versions of the “heavy iron” boxes, including a revolutionary light weight HUD, the HGS 3500 for light aircraft. What is revolutionary is that this level of sophistication was previously found only on Part 25 “heavy iron” airplanes. It turns out that most of this space age stuff will be available to us smaller Part 23 turbine operators in just a couple of years. Retrofits for King Airs and light jets will probably be first.
Imagine a HUD with synthetic vision, “showing on a screen near you” with all relevant data projected right in front of your face. Clouds, terrain, runway, missed approach, airspeed, altitude – you name it. Talk about situational awareness!
The first Fusion installation will be certified for the King Air in 2013. At under $300,000 installed (not including the HUD) it’s still a lot of money but dramatically less than previous systems. Add the HUD for a hundred or two a couple of years later and you have a real spaceship. And all this capability will eventually trickle down to something that even Patty can afford.
I guess I need to try on those red leotards. Fly safe.
ON FINAL
32 • TWIN & TURBINE FEBRUARY 2012