WAAS LPV from Universal Avionics installed on Falcon 2000 aircraft

Posted by John McHale TUCSON, Ariz., 9 Nov. 2010. Universal Avionics authorized dealer Jet Aviation St. Louis (formerly Midcoast Aviation) completed the first Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)flight management system (FMS) installation in a Dassault Falcon 2000 aircraft. The installation replaced existing Universal Avionics FMSs with dual UNS-1Ew WAAS/SBAS-FMS and includes approval for Localizer Performance with Vertical (LPV) approach capabilities. Certification approval for the installation was completed by way of an Engineering Assisted Field Approval, an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification process that allows Universal Avionics WAAS/SBAS-FMS to be approved with LPV approach capabilities under a field approval (337) process. Using the Engineering Assisted Field Approval Process, operators of approved Universal Avionics FMSs may upgrade to WAAS and LPV capability during regular aircraft maintenance, as did this Falcon 2000 operator. The upgrade package replaced the UNS-1C FMSs with UNS-1Ew WAAS/SBAS-FMSs, which provides the ability to fly RNAV (GPS) approach procedures down to LPV descent minima. LPV approach procedures take advantage of the precision of WAAS GPS for both lateral and vertical guidance during the approach segment. Aircraft operators with WAAS GPS avionics can fly with RNP-like accuracy of 0.3 nautical miles and minima as low as 200 feet with half-mile visibility for "instrument landing system (ILS)-like" capability at airports without ILS navigation aids. Greater airport accessibility and improved safety in poor weather conditions are just some of the other advantages of utilizing Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) guidance. "Jet Aviation St. Louis and Universal Avionics partnered to deliver a first-of-its-kind system that allows this operator to access smaller airports with LPV approaches," says Skip Madsen, vice president of MRO for Jet Aviation. "Together with Universal Avionics, Jet Aviation St. Louis put its experience and engineering capability into play and the upgrade went smoothly."

WAAS LPV from Universal Avionics installed on Falcon 2000 aircraft

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