SAE-ITC/AEEC Ku/Ka-band (KSAT) Subcommittee Telecon Report, 9 June 2026

KSAT subcommittee launched development of a new Connected Application Server (CAS) standard following recent approval at the general session. The CAS will support modem-outside antenna configurations and provide generic computing capabilities for multiple aircraft applications. Document number candidates 787 or 790 were proposed, with use cases spanning KSAT, EFB, IFE, and standalone applications.

Reflecting on Cybersecurity from 2015 to today

I spoke to the APEX Technical Committee back in 2015 on Aviation Cybersecurity. What happened in the last 11 years? ARINC 848 Media Independent Secure Offboard Network (MISON) was published. ATN/IPS emerged as the sanctioned ACARS-over-IP protocol. VLAN ID has proliferated as a the preferred method for network slicing. Aviation-ISAC has remained the focal point for cybersecurity tactical coordination. Sadly, OpenSSID remains the standard for IFC Wi-Fi, with very good alternatives still on the bench. Occasional hiccups persist with EFB software, and its influence to aviation safety remains blurred on the edge.

Fail-Op KSAT

 

Presented to the Performance-based Aviation Rulemaking Committee - Connectivity Working Group meeting #55 (PARC-CWG55). Thanks to Trey Turner (Southwest Airlines) and Kevin Kelley (FAA) for leading the three-day session. Also to L2 Aviation, especially Mark Lebovitz and Jim Nuse, for sponsoring the meeting at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/66JK1Rudx9c

Dual KSAT and Fail-Op

Installation of a two Ku/Ka-band satcom systems (KSAT) on airliners has become commonplace. Modems are being integrated into the Outside Antenna Equipment rather than in the Modman.  These dynamics are opening the door to fail-operational (Fail-0p) KSAT.  Fail-Op KSAT, in turn, opens the door to possible use as a required radio service (safety communications - ATC data link). That may provide for a tradeoff between installing a second L-band satcom (Viasat/Inmarsat or Iridium) and a second KSAT. 

 The Future of Connectivity: Airlines Examine the Critical Second Chapter for IFC

Sponsored by ST Engineering, iDirect

4 Dec 2024

Five airline leaders gathered with Mark Holmes, Senior Editorial Director, Via Satellite, for a one-hour webinar looking at the “second chapter” of inflight connectivity (IFC).  I have summarized some of the conversation and added my own thoughts.  The Seamless Air Alliance has an airline forum which meets monthly. I found the sentiments raised in the airline forum are very much aligned to what was expressed by panelists.  Seamless Air Alliance uses the airline forum to set the agenda for all the work being conducted across the nine expert’s groups.

Inmarsat Aero Conference 2002

Inmarsat Aero Conference 2002

June 11-12, 2002

ICAO Conference Facility, Montreal, Canada

A time capsule, here are my notes from the annual Inmarsat Aero Conference, 2002. I was CTO for Tenzing Communications. This was a difficult time, following 9/11. Tenzing had downsized by 60%. We were focused on deploying Swift64, 64 kbps in either circuit switched or packet switched channels. Sorrow for all that have passed since then.

VoePass Flight 2Z2283

VoePass Flight 2Z2283 crashed south of Campinas, Brazil, on Friday, 9 May 2024, with 62 (previously reported 61) persons onboard.  PZ-VPB was a 14 year old ATR 72-500 (72-212A).

Every search and rescue operation hopes to find survivors but, given the severity of the event, tragically, all lives were lost. Sorrow for the victims and those that loved them. 

The flight was scheduled from Cascavul (CAC) to Sao Paulo (GRU).

Project Paper 793 - Third Generation Aero Satcom

Project Paper 793 is under development by the AEEC/SAE-ITC Ku/Ka-band Satcom Subcommittee. PP793 is the third generation satcom system, following ARINC 791 and ARINC 792. PP793 provides support for multibeam antennas through the use of fiber optic interconnections that replace all coaxial cables and quadrax (Ethernet) cables.

Aeronautical Communication - Designations, Divisions, Domains

Aeronautical Communication is characterized in several different ways, which can get confusing. Follow along the avalanche of acronyms.

Severe Stabilizer Mistrim - Pitch Upset - Challenger 300 N300ER - One Fatality

A Bombardier Challenger 300, N300ER, encountered an upset when the flight crew disconnected the autopilot while suffering from a nose-up mistrim situation. The mistrim was the result from a failure of the autopilot stabilizer trim control. The upset resulted in a roller coaster exceeding +4g and -2g, eventually brought under control by the flight crew. Tragically, a passenger was fatally injured in the upset.

The flight crew made several mistakes unrelated to the upset. They also apparently disregarded the caution alerting them to the mistrim. The NTSB preliminary report provides an account of the accident. The final report will provide analysis and probable cause. This post goes through the preliminary report and offers some additional commentary and excerpts from an operation manual of the same type aircraft.

Satshow 2023 Tuesday - The Exhibit Hall is Open!

Satshow 2023 is a gathering of service providers, equipment suppliers, technology wizards and a reunion of the many people involved in satellite communication. Held once again in the Washington Convention Center, the show runs four days long: Monday dedicated to lectures and an exhibit hall open Tuesday through Thursday, with speakers continuing alongside. 

Engineer Week - 2023

I was asked to speak to a group of engineers today. Here were the questions I was asked and my talking points. What did I miss?

Long Live the 747

I have a fondness for the 747-400.

Goodbye Twitter - Where to go now?

I have deleted my account on Twitter (satcom_guru).

While I cannot support the platform, I am anxious to support the community that I have grown so fond of.  This is my list of who I enjoyed from hearing from, learned from, or inspired me to jump into a new rabbit hole. This post will be updated frequently.

I intend to stay here on this site, but may also post occasionally at LinkedIn. 

SJ182 A Sequence to Tragedy

On 9 January 2021, a Boeing 737-500 aircraft, registration PK-CLC, was on a scheduled domestic flight, from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (WIII), Jakarta, to Supadio International Airport (WIOO), Pontianak. PT Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 crashed into the sea about five minutes later, with all 62 lives lost in the tragedy. Weather conditions for the mid-afternoon flight were not considered a factor.

The Captain was the pilot flying (PF). The 54 year old Captain had nearly 18,000 flight hours, over 9,000 in the 737. The 34 year old First Officer, pilot managing (PM), had over 5,000 flight hours, virtually all on the 737.

KNKT, Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi is the Indonesia Independent Investigation Authority also known as National Transportation Safety Committee / NTSC) released the final accident report on 10 Nov 2022.

Elon Musk Starlink Update MWC2021

Elon Musk joined the Mobile Wireless Congress for a thirty-minute keynote address. His online presentation did not reveal much new information about Starlink but did provide confirmation and consistency from other remarks and with regulatory filings available to the public. 

737 MAX Timeline and Links

Black: satcom.guru

Blue: FAA

Gray: Other

Red: Accident or Accident Report

Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182

Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182 crashed shortly after take off from Jakarta on 9 January 2021. The flight, operated by 737-500 registered PK-CLC, departed at 07:36 UTC (14:36 local time). The last ADS-B signal from the aircraft was received by Flightradar24 at 07:40 UTC (flightradar24.com).

(airplane attitude not representative as shown)

The airplane appears to be destroyed on impact with all 62 lives lost. 

Sorrow for the victims and for those that loved them.

Mid-Value Select (MVS): Goldilocks in the House of MCAS

Angle of Attack (AoA) is measured on the 737MAX using two AoA vanes, one installed on the left side of the airplane and the other on the right side. While each AoA vane is calibrated and precise, inferring AoA directly overlooks local aerodynamic factors that can cause the sensor reading to diverge from the desired value, notably with sideslip. A tolerance exists from what the AoA vane senses and the expected value. The question arises, how to manage AoA sensor tolerances or undesired behavior to maximize availability of desired functionality, while limiting exposure to undesired hazards?

I know it when I see it

video of the entire presentation.