FMS Advancements underway to reduce environmental impact

July 14, 2008 – Farnborough, UK – GE-Aviation announces the completion of the new flight management system (FMS) software Update 10.8 for the Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft. The new software will be standard fit for all 737 production aircraft starting in October 2008. In addition, GE’s FMS is part of Eurocontrol’s CASSIS project that recently carried out its first flight trials at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm. 

“GE’s Flight Management System is an example of how we’re helping operators to ‘Fly for less’ as it relates to less fuel, emissions, weight, noise and less through-life cost,” said John Ferrie, president of GE’s Aviation Systems. “We’re developing solutions to enhance performance, while reducing an aircraft’s impact on the environment.”  

FMS Update 10.8:  This software update provides improved operation, increased navigation data base size for storage of a worldwide size data base with 95% spare memory for growth, and supports the APB Blended Winglet installation on all 737 Classic and Next Generation aircraft. The FMS provides precision navigation compliant with the Required Navigation Performance (RNP) standards that allow reduced separation from terrain and other aircraft.  RNP approach procedures also allow the aircraft to descend to lower altitudes when flying on instruments in reduced visibility conditions.  The FMS provides output of the aircraft 4-dimensional trajectory to be used by Air Traffic Control to enable integrated air-ground operations. 

CASSIS project: EUROCONTROL recently initiated a first series of flight trials at Stockholm Arlanda Airport in order to validate the utility of controlled FMS time of arrival (CTA) functionality in terminal area operations. The CASSIS project, CTA ATM System Integration Studies, is investigating how airborne controlled time of arrival can support future operational concepts for arrival management at airports, bringing efficiencies on the ground and for the airlines.  

In addition to the 737-300 through 900 models, GE’s Flight Management System is currently on the U.S. Navy E-6 aircraft, the USAF E-4 and C-130, UK C-130, Spanish Air Force C-130s, C-130 AMP, UK Nimrod 2000, IL-96, Airbus A320/330/340.  GE certified their first flight management computer in November 1984.    

GE-Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet engines and components as well as integrated systems and product solutions for commercial and military aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation.

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