Honeywell Aerospace (Booth No. N4100) has recently signed new partnerships that will enhance the flight planning capabilities available to business aviation pilots and operators through its Global Data Center (GDC), including new runway analysis data, expanded international trip support and added weather radar capabilities.
A new partnership with Aircraft Performance Group (Booth No. C11030) will provide runway analysis data and weight-and-balance software to GDC users. APG maintains a database of airports worldwide to provide customers with up-to-date information for preflight planning, and provides its proprietary Atlas program for calculating takeoff and engine-out runway analyses.
“The new [software] equips our flight operations customers with improved runway analysis and allows them to make more efficient and safer decisions.” said Tim Beatty, v-p of customerand product support for Honeywell’s Business Aviation division. “This is an enhancement of the services we offer through the GDC, which include trip support, pilot services and concierge services.”
Honeywell’s recent partnership with Dubai-based flight planning company Jetex (Booth No. C11616), announced earlier this year at the EBACE show, allows the companies to jointly offer their flight-planning, aircraft datalink, flight-following and international trip supportservices. The agreement now allows customers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific to access Honeywell’s Flight Sentinel system through Jetex. Previously offered only in North America, the Flight Sentinel team monitors airspace andATCinitiatives to ensure on-time departure and informs the crew en route of any weather changes via datalink. Honeywell customers also benefit from Jetex’s international trip-planning services, including local 24-hour support for flight logistics and after-trip conciergecare.
“Jetex is one of the larger flight support services, and this partnership significantly expands our ability to do flight planning—including finding fuel services, permits and FBOs— for our operators over larger regions around the world,” said Beatty. “Jetex does the actual partnering with those entities and then we provide the information through the GDC.”
While GDCservices can be accessed via the myGDC iPad app, an updated Honeywell-Jetex app is expected to launch by the end of this year.
The third partnership that expands GDC services entails enhanced weather radar coverage through WSI (Booth No. C7915), a division of The Weather Company. Honeywell GDC customers will be able to view actual radar coverage images through the GDC website, online portal and the updated GDC iPad app.
“Providing the actual radar coverage images, versus the aviation text weather briefing, allows pilots to get away from the cryptic language and allows them to have a safer, more efficient way of navigating weather,” said Paul David, director of customer support, Americas for the Business Aviation division.
Honeywell also launched a new mobile app at NBAA 2013. The new Direct Access Directory for Business Aviation mobile app provides a directory of worldwide support contacts for engines, avionics and other Honeywell products installed on business aircraft. In development for approximately one year, the free app allows users to obtain AOG support in two clicks, input their locations to find the nearest dealer or technical support contact or dial direct to Honeywell’s Parts Support line to order parts quickly.
“We’re continuing to expand and invest in our global footprint, expanding the quantity of part numbers in high growth regions,” said Beatty. “The average business aviation operator doesn’t have the [in-house] team of technical services people nor the asset support that an air transport operator has. So we understand that making it easier to do business with Honeywell and having the parts and technical support at the right place at the right time is critical.”
The app, available on Android, Apple iOS and Blackberry platforms, also provides access to Honeywell’s monthly business newsletter, Business Aviation News.
To help operators manage costs and reduce the risk of unscheduled downtime, Honeywell has upgraded is Honeywell Avionics Protection Plan (Happ) Gold program and for engines the Maintenance Service Plan (MSP) Gold. Happ Gold upgrades include coverage for mobile service crews, counter-to-counter shipping and extended troubleshooting allowance, plus elimination of fees associated with no fault found issues. The MSP Gold program now covers all Cessnas equipped with Honeywell APUs, including LRU removal and reinstallation labor, routine inspection and troubleshooting, plus “optional coverage for road trip costs anywhere in the world when an aircraft is grounded for maintenance issues,” according to Honeywell.
