Time for Falcon Owners to Upgrade to EASy II
By Jeremy Thomas, Avionics Product Director, StandardAero
If you own or operate an EASy-equipped Falcon, it’s time to upgrade to EASy II. Introduced on new production F900LX aircraft in July 2011, the EASy II production-standard is now available for retrofit of in-service aircraft. The EASy II upgrade provides pilots with new safety-enhancing features and better accessibility to airports, and is a prerequisite for future Air Traffic Management (ATM) mandates such as ADS-B and CPDLC.
As you plan your upgrade, keep in mind that pilot training is required and slots are limited while CAE, Inc. and FlightSafety International ramp up training capacity. Most importantly, you can take advantage of introductory pricing for a limited time at each of the four StandardAero facilities, all of which are approved Dassault Service Centers. In short, upgrading now can save you money, helping you make the most of your 2011-2012 budget.
So what’s new with EASy II?
With the baseline upgrade, you’ll immediately notice improved display symbology along with special features that improve situational awareness and increase safety. Honeywell’s SmartRunway™ Runway Awareness Advisory System (RAAS) provides aural alerts of vehicles on runways, helping reduce the risk of dangerous incidents. Aircraft safety is improved further with the full Take Off and Go Around (TOGA) mode, which decreases flight deck workload.
Approach procedures are improved with temperature compensation and enabling of the Required Navigation Performance - Special Aircraft and Aircrew Authorization Required (RNP SAAAR) 0.3 approach procedure capability.
This baseline installation also opens the door to even more benefits as a pre-requisite for EASy II’s valuable optional features.
What are some of the optional features?
If you like the idea of seeing everything in one place, you’ll love EASy II's SmartView™ Synthetic Vision System (SVS). Based on Honeywell’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) terrain database, the optional SVS feature integrates EGPWS data with advanced head-up display symbology to render a comprehensive image of the terrain, runways and obstacles.
In additional to SVS, additional optional features like Dual Jeppesen Charts and XM Graphical Weather significantly improve situational awareness, further enhancing flight safety. And, in case of pressurization system failure, an Automatic Descent Mode (ADM) feature allows the autopilot to automatically descend the aircraft to a safe altitude.
Smarter navigation and more access to more airports comes via EASy II's compatibility with the FAA’s Wide Area Augmentation System/Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance Approach (WAAS/LPV). WAAS/LPV precision approaches enhance GPS accuracy to enable approaches down to 200-foot minimums. Right now, WAAS/LPV approaches are available at more than 2,400 U.S. airports. With ADS-B OUT, ATC has the capability to provide you with more direct routing and continuous descents, saving you time and fuel.
Other optional features prepare the way for future regulation requirements for Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC). CPDLC allows ATC and pilots to exchange written messages, clearances and data easily, thereby reducing mistakes and misunderstandings.
Which aircraft are eligible for the upgrade?
Eligible aircraft include EASy-equipped Falcon F900EX/DX/LX, Falcon 7X, and Falcon 2000. Operators can expect eight to 12 days downtime for a standard EASy II configuration plus up to four additional days for most optional features. Additional downtime is required for the XM Weather Optional Feature but can be reduced when combined with your airframe C-check.
StandardAero provides Falcon owners one-stop shop capability, and the experience and expertise of being an authorized Dassault Falcon Jet Service Center at all four installation facilities: Springfield, Ill., Houston, Texas, Los Angeles, Calif., and Augusta, Ga. For details about upgrading to EASy II, call Jeremy Thomas, avionics product director, at 480-377-3125