VIVAERO

Gulfstream G550 has new high-speed satellite communication antenna

A Gulfstream G550 was installed with Satcom Direct's Ka-band Plane Simple antenna. The plane was the first of its model to receive the new high-speed satellite communication equipment.

The system consists of two LRUs, the aircraft empennage-mounted antenna, and the modem unit. The Plane Simple platform operates within Inmarsat's Jet ConneX broadband service.

An intense testing campaign will begin, with the aim of validating its operation and perfecting specific details of the installation. All testing will be performed during normal G550 operation, allowing finalizing the design for optimized functionality.

In the fourth quarter, the in-service evaluation of Plane Simple's Ka-band antenna should begin, followed by the request for Supplementary Type Certificates (STC).

The Ka-band antenna(side image) is Satcom Direct's second high-speed communications project aimed at business aviation, the first being a Ku-band design.

“We rigorously tested the band Plane Simple Ku, which performed beyond expectations. Now, with Ka-band terminal validation, we are adding more value to our offering to meet our customers' needs," said Chris Moore, president of SD

When fully functional, the Ka-band antenna will support high-speed data transfer for teleconferencing, video streaming and multiple digital applications for large volumes of users traveling on medium to large business jets.

“We anticipate that Satcom Direct hardware technology, combined with our enhanced next-generation satellite network, will reinforce our position as a premium connectivity experience for SD customers,” said Kai Tang, Inmarsat's Head of Executive Aviation.