Story ID: 435
FreeFlight Terrain Radar Altimeters Block 5G Interference
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: The manufacturer has appointed AvPanels as a preferred reseller for equipment it says is the first major upgrade to radio frequency circuits in decades.
Word Count: 212
FreeFlight Systems has appointed AvPanels as a preferred reseller of its Terrain series of radar altimeters designed to avoid disruption by spurious 5G C-band network interference. The manufacturer said the equipment, which used digital signal technology, is the first major upgrade to radio frequency circuits in decades and weighs 60 percent less than current devices. Texas-based AvPanels is a specialist in avionics solutions for Part 27 helicopters.
Operators of rotorcraft—including the Robinson R44, Bell 206/407, Airbus AS350, and MD Helicopters MD 500/530—can now order the Terrain RA-5500 units for single installations, the RA-6500 for dual installations, or opt for the RA-4500 Mark II unit as a drop-in replacement for existing RA-4000 or RA-4500 equipment. FreeFlight said it intends to have supplemental type certificates in place for other models by mid-May.
“We are seeing increased demand for 5G-tolerant radar altimeter solutions across rotorcraft, business aviation, and advanced air mobility markets,” said FreeFlight sales and marketing v-p Shane LaPlante. “We understand the criticality of safe continued operations in the face of airworthiness directives and are excited to extend these solutions to law enforcement, air medical, search and rescue, and other operators that navigate dense urban centers.”