Avidyne will have an updated version of its Entegra Release 9 integrated flight deck avionics system in coming months and the new version, called Release 9.1, has some innovative features designed to aid in en route situational awareness. At a news conference at Sun ‘n Fun 2010, the company unveiled a feature called FMS Preview that allows the pilot to see a split screen graphical display as they scroll through the departures, airways, approaches and other decision point items. There’s also an FMS Centered feature that centers the display on each of the waypoints in the flight plan. The pilot can scroll through the waypoints to get a picture of the en route weather. The combination of the two features enhances the pilot’s ability to plan and safely execute the flight says Avidyne COO Patrick Herguth. “Not only can pilots be sure they are choosing the correct procedure, they can also see the procedure relative to datalink weather on the map to ensure they are choosing the best route or best approach for the current weather conditions,” he said.
The company is also introducing safety enhancements for autopilots. The DFC90 autopilot for legacy Entegra systems and the DFC100 for Release 9 series systems feature a “straight and level button” that will restore order from a wide latitude of unusual attitudes. There’s also a “flight envelope protection” feature that prevents the aircraft from stalling when it’s unable to maintain the altitude or attitude programmed into the autopilot.
