Story ID: 
Universal Avionics Gains Connected FMS TSO
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: The Universal Avionics Connectivity Ecosystem adds safety and convenience features to Universal's Connected FMS.
Word Count: 282
The Connected FMS that powers the Universal Avionics (UA) Connectivity Ecosystem has received technical standard order certification from the FAA. Connectivity Ecosystem allows the secure sharing of information from UA’s flight management system (FMS), and two UA applications are now offering services using Connected FMS.
FlightPartner enables “weather-driven smart flight planning, two-way flight plan exchanges in-flight and on the ground, and seamless interaction with third-party applications,” according to UA. The app includes a georeferenced moving map with charts and weather information, vertical profile weather depiction, airport data and terminal procedures, and tools and utilities such as a notes function and checklists.
For postflight analysis, FlightPartner connects to UA’s FlightReview app, which automatically collects FMS and aircraft data for delivery of safety and performance insights.
The Connected FMS also speeds database updates and optimizes flight time, fuel planning, and flight data reporting, according to UA, “and may be used as part of a flight department’s safety management system.”
UA plans to add more features to its Connectivity Ecosystem and FlightPartner and FlightReview apps, including ADS-B In and data-link weather for all phases of flight; weight-and-balance, takeoff and landing, and engine-out performance entries; and flight data monitoring analytics and real-time event reporting. More extensive data collection will also be available for aircraft equipped with UA’s InSight flight deck avionics suite.
Access to the Connected FMS features is enabled by UA’s Solid-State Data Transfer Unit Plus (SSDTU+), which uses low-power Wi-Fi access controls to provide secure wireless connectivity between tablets and the FMS. In-service UA SSDTUs can be upgraded to the plus configuration to add Connected FMS capability.