Meggitt Avionics' state-of-the-art secondary flight displays provide the information pilots need to land should the primary system fail. Its latest generation product is now fully certified on both sides of the Atlantic.

Meggitt Avionics has just received European Technical Standard Order (ETSO) Authorisation from EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and Technical Standard Order (TSO) Authorisation from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for its integrated secondary flight display (iSFD). This makes the display the most up-to-date, low risk standby instrument on the international market.

iSFD is Meggitt's third generation solid-state secondary display. Showing critical flight data such as attitude, altitude, air speed and heading, it can be matched so closely to a primary system it will appear to be integrated with it. For pilots, this means an easy transition to the standby in an emergency. First introduced to the market in 1995 as a back-up to primary digital cockpits, Meggitt's secondary flight display has been installed on over 40 different aircraft programmes. Over 5,000 are in service worldwide.

Like those before it, iSFD is sustaining a high level of interest for its low weight, shortest installed length and best use of screen space. Customers are also attracted to the low power, long life and the magnitude of brightness that comes with the LED backlights unique to Meggitt standby systems. The product can be customised and configured within certain parameters without having to be recertified. Long-term agreements with suppliers will ensure a stable pipeline, enabling cost and price to be controlled and obsolescence managed. Selecting iSFD will also cut the compliance workload for manufacturers and aircraft operators: United States export control (ITAR) regulations do not apply.

Certification gives Meggitt Avionics the green light to move several key programmes forward-iSFD has already been selected by seven customers, a mix of military and commercial programmes which includes the Boeing Apache, HondaJet, LearJet 85 and the Korean medium weight utility helicopter, KAI Surion. Further programme awards are expected.