As you’ve probably noticed in this issue and in those over the past year, Avionics has increasingly focused on technological trends, the evolution of cockpit capabilities and aircraft fleet investments among major commercial airlines and business aviation operators.

That coverage has primarily lead to a focus on the continued expansion of communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) on board aircraft and how that expansion is synced with ongoing deployment of advanced air traffic management (ATM) infrastructure across the world.

At the same time, end users’ largest expenditures were spent on new air-to-ground and satellite-based connectivity technologies.

But after recent conversations with some of our most avid readers and having attended earlier this year a very interesting embedded systems conference hosted by VITA in Austin, Texas, I am starting to look at how we can expand our coverage in 2018.

We typically haven’t featured much coverage of embedded systems. But after seeing how critical embedded companies will be to building future avionics super computers, we are seeking a contributor who specializes on the topic to regularly cover it for us in future issues.

We will also be focusing less on cabin-based in-flight entertainment and connectivity — reserving that for Global Connected Aircraft Link, the publication launched out of our annual Global Connected Aircraft Summit.

At Avionics, our focus regarding connectivity will be increasingly centered around its use in cockpits and for improving efficiency in aircraft predictive maintenance programs.

So please enjoy the last Avionics issue within this format format, and know that some major coverage changes are in the works.

In this issue, we have some great coverage around investments in improving cabin IFEC and upgrading to new hardware and software-based satellite communications technology. I also wrote a fleet strategy interview with the president of Delta Private Jets and provided an update on global aviation industry progress toward the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) concept of operations.

What would you like to see more of in our remaining issues for 2018 and beyond? AVS