Fort Worth-based Trimec Aviation is developing a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the installation of Gogo Business Aviation’s Galileo HDX satcom system in the super-midsize Gulfstream G200. Gogo Galileo is scheduled to begin service by year-end and runs on Eutelsat’s OneWeb low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite network.
The half-duplex HDX electronically steered antenna is the smaller of two antennas that Gogo will offer for its Galileo service and will be the first product available for Galileo. It will fit on turboprops to larger jets and weighs 21.6 pounds and measures 24 inches long, 11.8 inches wide, and 2.1 inches tall.
Meanwhile, the larger full-duplex FDX antenna—at 40 to 45 pounds and with a length of 30 inches, width of 24.6 inches, and height of 2.1 inches—will be available in the first half of next year and will provide faster service speeds. Antennas for LEO satcom have no moving parts and are installed on the top of the aircraft’s fuselage.
More than 230 G200s are in service, according to Trimec. “We are excited to work with Gogo on the new Gogo Galileo HDX STC to provide our G200 customers with an easy upgrade option to the latest satellite connectivity technology,” said John Holland, general manager for Trimec Aviation.