Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

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Gregory Polek

FreeFlight Systems’ Terrain Series RA-4500 MK II radar altimeter has received Technical Standard Order (TSO) certification, the company said on the opening day of NBAA-BACE 2023.
Designed as a drop-in replacement for RA-4000 and RA-4500 radar altimeters installed before the emergence of spurious C-band interference caused by 5G network transmissions, the RA-4500 MK II simplifies retrofit installations by supporting existing antennas, control heads, and cabling. For more display options, FreeFlight offers the RAD45 standalone indicator, which meets EASA AMC1 SPA.NNVIS.110(b) guidelines.
Since October 2021, FreeFlight has completed major certification milestones such as successful flight and Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) tests while working toward and receiving TSO certifications on the RA-6500, RA-5500, and RA-4500 MK II radar altimeters.
The FAA recently issued two final rulings as airworthiness directives (ADs) by revising the original blanket AMOC-specific AD from 2021. The AD ensures continued operations for aircraft and rotorcraft in the presence of C-band 5G interference. FreeFlight Systems’ Terrain series radar altimeters meet the power spectral density curve threshold (known in the community as the “Group 4” curve) specified in the ADs.
FreeFlight Systems is an active member of the RTCA SC-239 working group developing the next generation of minimum operational specifications for 5G interference-tolerant radar altimeters.
“FreeFlight Systems is a global leader in radar altimetry with hundreds of radar altimeters installed on in-use aircraft,” noted company president Anthony Rios. “In foreshadowing the impact that this may have on our dealer, operator, and OEM partners, we designed a simple but effective solution that will satisfy industry requirements while alleviating the burden of having to install a completely new system twice.”

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

FreeFlight’s 5G-Tolerant Radar Altimeter Gains TSO Certification

The RA-4500 MK II resists 5G interference 

FreeFlight Systems’ Terrain Series RA-4500 MK II radar altimeter has received a Technical Standard Order (TSO) certification.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

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NBAA-BACE 2023

In this article

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