Aspen Avionics has received TSO approval for Connected Pilot, the first in a series of wireless-enabled flight management applications that are designed to link certified panel avionics with a pilot’s iPad or iPhone.
The most interesting of Connected Panel technologies — and the reason why pilots want it — is the ability to create a flight plan using one of several popular iPad apps, such as ForeFlight Mobile, WingX Pro or Jeppesen Mobile FlightDeck, and then wirelessly transfer it to, say, a Garmin GNS 430.
Connected Pilot makes use of a small, remote-mounted box called the CG100 that provides a communications link in the cockpit allowing users to plan their flights on an iPad and then wirelessly send the data to the installed avionics and, finally, accept what has been sent. Connected Pilot currently is compatible with Aspen’s Evolution Flight Displays as well the Garmin GNS 400 and 500 series navigators and the Bendix/King KSN 770.
Aspen’s Connected Panel partners – including ForeFlight, AvConnect, Hilton Software, Digital Sectional, Seattle Avionics, Bendix/King and Jeppesen – have created apps that allow functionality for a variety of cockpit tasks. Capabilities due soon will include radio tuning using an iPad and automatic aircraft data and pilot data management.
Connected Panel sells for a list price of for $2,499. Aspen says the initial Connected Pilot STC approvals are imminent and so has started taking orders.
