Tucson, AZ – November 23, 2009 – Long-time Universal Avionics customer, Marinvent
Corporation, recently upgraded its Piper Super Cheyenne with dual Universal Avionics EFI-890Rs Flat Panel Displays, Vision-1® Synthetic Vision System and Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS). The upgrade provided an opportunity for Marinvent President John Maris to work with the newly opened Aerospace Flight Test Training Centre (AFTTC) using the Cheyenne (C-GTMM) as the main training platform for the Canadian Department of National Defence.
The enhanced situational awareness provided by the upgrade package has proven immediately
valuable for Marinvent, a company specializing in certification and flight test services. The EFI-
890R is specially designed for retrofit applications where interface flexibility is paramount. In the
Marinvent Cheyenne, this flexibility allows the company to integrate new avionics products with
minimal interface or downtime and without the requirement of entering the “Experimental Flight”
category. It also allows Maris to demonstrate to AFTTC students various advanced avionics
systems during in-flight evaluations and offer valuable hands-on experience.
“Universal Avionics sees new applications in special use and special mission aircraft for EFI-
890R and situational awareness systems like TAWS and Vision-1®, as core business. We’re
pleased that John Maris and Marinvent chose Universal to work with, as an avionics supplier for
this training platform for the Canadian Forces and future clients and we wish him great success,” says Norm Matheis, Universal Avionics Canadian Sales Manager.
The first module offered at AFTTC is the "Introduction to Avionics Flight Testing" for the Canadian
Department of National Defence. The AFTTC, located at Carp Airport outside Ottawa, provides
aerospace certification, training and applied research and development services for pilots,
aerospace engineers and senior technicians.
The majority of flight hours for the extensively-modified Cheyenne are spent as the primary
avionics test-bed for Marinvent’s research and development activities, including systems flight
test and human factors evaluations. Outside the test departments of the largest OEMs and
government laboratories, Marinvent’s unique aircraft are the only commercially-available
platforms in Canada for this type of research.
The complete upgrade for the Cheyenne included several cockpit components including a new
Altitude Heading Reference System, air data system, weather radar and traffic avoidance system. The integration was completed by Universal Avionics dealer Kitchener Aero Avionics (KAAV).
About Universal Avionics
Universal Avionics manufactures and markets an extensive line of advanced avionics equipment. Product lines include the UNS-1 SBAS/WAAS-enabled Flight Management Systems; the EFI-890R Flat Panel Display; a line of Flat Panel Integrated Cockpit Displays; the Vision-1® Synthetic Vision System; the TAWS Terrain Awareness and Warning System; the ASU chart, E-DOCS, checklist display system; Cockpit Voice Recorders; Radio Control Units; an Engine Display System; and a host of other advanced avionics equipment.
About Marinvent
Based in Saint-Bruno, Quebec, Marinvent is an Aviation Week and Space Technology Laureate
recipient. Founded 22 years ago by Canadian air force test pilot John Maris, the Marinvent name
has been associated with some very high-profile aerospace projects. Among these was the
development of Jeppesen's popular JeppView® electronic charting software and the underlying
vector graphics technology that re-creates digital charts and moving maps - a key component
installed in thousands of electronic flight bag (EFB) portable computers flying in a wide variety of
aircraft. The company lists dozens of aerospace patents to its credit and has worked with NASA,
Transport Canada, and a variety of avionics manufacturers on R&D and Human Factors
evaluation projects for various systems, including Flight Management Systems, new types of
stall-warning systems, and the development of enhanced heads-up display (HUD) symbology.
CONTACT:
Dan Reida, VP Marketing & Product Support
Universal Avionics Systems Corporation
3260 E. Universal Way
Tucson, AZ 85756
Email: dreida@uasc.com
(520) 295-2300 or (800) 321-5253
www.uasc.com
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