Pentastar Aviation to Install First SKYLinkSM System on a Dassault Falcon 2000
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Annapolis, Maryland, USA, May 17, 2007- ARINC Incorporated today announced that Pentastar Aviation of Waterford, Michigan has contracted to install the SKYLink broadband communications system on a customer's Dassault Falcon 2000 business aircraft. It will be the first SKYLink installation on any marque other than Gulfstream, which has enjoyed exclusivity as an original SKYLink launch partner.
SKYLink has developed a new, slimmed-down avionics package designed to fit a range of mid-size and larger business jets. Pentastar Aviation, a leading provider of corporate aircraft services, is SKYLink's newest U.S. channel partner. The company expects to obtain an STC for the Falcon 2000 and complete the first SKYLink installation in September.
"We are pleased to partner with ARINC to satisfy our customer's requirements for broadband data and VoIP communications," stated Mike Baker, Vice President of Maintenance and Avionics, Pentastar Aviation. "We also see SKYLink as a growing business opportunity, since the broadband service is significantly faster and more affordable than other communications offerings for business jets."
SKYLink's new slim avionics package is designed to fit radome dimensions of the Dassault Falcon 50 series, 900 series, and 2000 series, as well as the Bombardier BD100,
Challenger series, and Global series. The main physical change is a narrower antenna mount, and performance of the SKYLink Ku-band avionics is unchanged.
ARINC has started DO-160E testing of the new SKYLink antenna hardware and expects to finish by June. "Operators of many different types of business jets have expressed interest in SKYLink in the past year," stated Joe Inglisa, Director of ARINC's SKYLink Program. "With DO-160E approval of our antenna, their wait will be over."
SKYLink is the world's only satellite broadband communications system for business aircraft. With Ku-band satellite connectivity up to 3mbps to the aircraft, SKYLink permits the use of Internet applications and VoIP for multiple users on the same business jet. Most SKYLink customers are based in Europe and North America, and SKYLink's Ku-band satellite coverage now provides seamless communications for transcontinental flights from eastern Europe to the Pacific coast of the United States.
Pentastar Aviation of Waterford, Michigan is one of the nation's leading aviation services providers, ranked among the top five Fixed Based Operators (FBOs) in the Americas and number one in Michigan. Pentastar operates a 150,000 square foot state-of-the-art service facility and offers unparalleled capabilities, including a design team experienced in the certification of avionics systems for both U.S. and E.U. Regulatory Agencies. Pentastar holds numerous Supplemental Type Certifications (STCs), both international and domestic, and has developed STCs for many companies that have resulted in Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA). For more information, visit the Pentastar web site at www.pentastaraviation.com.
ARINC Incorporated is the world leader in transportation communications and systems engineering. The company develops and operates communications and information processing systems and provides systems engineering and integration solutions to five key industries: airports, aviation, defense, government, and surface transportation. Founded to provide reliable and efficient radio communications for the airlines, ARINC is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, and operates key regional offices in London and Singapore, with over 3,200 employees worldwide. ARINC is ISO 9001:2000 certified.
For more information, visit the ARINC web site at www.arinc.com.
Contact:
Anthony Rowbotham
Senior Director, European Sales & Marketing
arowboth@arinc.com
+44 1293 641339
