Upgrading the fleet
The vision is to install Wi-Fi on all its jets, but the hardest part is the planning, explains NICHOLAS AIR chief technology officer Fernando Pineda. Words by Rob Hodgetts
Upgrading the fleet
The vision is to install Wi-Fi on all its jets, but the hardest part is the planning, explains NICHOLAS AIR chief technology officer Fernando Pineda. Words by Rob Hodgetts
HE DESCRIBES it as like “playing Tetris and chess at the same time”.
That’s the brain twister behind trying to upgrade NICHOLAS AIR’s fleet with broadband Wi-Fi.
The issue is the planning, strategising, reacting and adapting that is required to balance the business need with minimal time out of service for the aircraft, says Fernando Pineda, the company’s chief technology officer.
“A jet is a time machine, right?” he tells us. “But that time machine is useless if you cannot communicate in the process. So when we saw the promise of something faster, better, more stable, we became very interested.”
NICHOLAS AIR is in the process of enhancing its broadband connectivity across its fleet of Phenom 100, Phenom 300E, Citation CJ3+, Citation Latitude, Challenger 350 and Gulfstream G600 jets. Most recently it has updated several of its aircraft with Starlink systems. However, with the recent price hikes from Starlink it is also evaluating other solutions including those from Gogo, Viasat and Satcom Direct to ensure that its members are provided with the best and most cost-effective solution.
Regardless of the type of system being used, installing the system takes about 10 days and the company endeavours to combine it with a planned maintenance event.
“Ideally, you want to pair it with a heavy maintenance or paint,” says Pineda.
“We then try to line up the certified repair station’s availability along with our maintenance needs.” Sometimes there has to be some “variance” to make it work which might mean going into maintenance ahead of time. If the schedules don’t coordinate, NICHOLAS AIR will look across the fleet to see what workflow demands can be absorbed elsewhere.
“Because connectivity is so critical, if we cannot pair it with a maintenance procedure, we may get the kit installed regardless because it is just that important for addressing the needs of our members,” he says.
However, supply chain issues from the vendors also mean the availability of the kits add another level of complexity to the planning.
“Choreography between availability, training and maintenance schedules remain the biggest hurdle right now,” Pineda adds. “While Gogo kits have shorter lead times, Starlink kits can take anywhere between 10 to 20 weeks to receive.” However, being nimble and “having your ducks in a row” is a key asset should availability and timing align.
“Our members don't care about lead times. They expect to go from A to B with the best connectivity solution available.”
“As we continue to deploy wireless solutions from different vendors, we intend to fully test across a set of metrics including availability, reliability and signal strength,” adds Pineda.
Taking a step back, the fundamental requirement for installing a connectivity solution, with its access issues, wires, boxes and fuselage-mounted antennae – the size of a “small pizza box”, says Pineda – is to make sure there is a supplemental type certificate (STC) for that system and the specific aircraft. NICHOLAS AIR’s fleet averages about five years old so typically there are fewer issues which might require extra modification outside existing STCs.
To understand why certifications matter so much, Pineda points to the difference between consumer technology and aviation systems. “People are used to buying a device, plugging it in and expecting it to work immediately,” he says. “In aviation, it doesn’t work that way. Every modification has to be evaluated for safety, compatibility, and compliance. He explains that even something that appears straightforward from a passenger’s perspective can involve extensive engineering review, certification requirements and installation procedures before it ever reaches an aircraft. “The aviation industry is built on precision,” says Pineda. “You don’t simply mount equipment and turn it on. You need approved engineering data, a certification path, and assurance that the modification won’t affect any other aircraft systems. That’s why STCs are so valuable—they eliminate the guesswork because the testing and validation have already been done.” For NICHOLAS AIR's members, however, those complexities remain largely invisible. “Our members don’t need to understand the certification process,” he says. “They expect the technology to work reliably every time they step on board, and it is our job to always meet that expectation.”
For most Tetris players, the computing behind the multi-coloured building block puzzle is of no interest. It’s the same for NICHOLAS AIR’s members across its jet card, fractional and lease programmes.
“Our members don't care about lead times or anything like that,” says Pineda. “They expect to go from point A to point B and be provided with the best connectivity solution that is available.”
