Low-cost integrated display certification

FAA certification requirements and processes appear to have disproportionate impact on overall system costs and production schedules for General Aviation avionics. In particular, we are investigating the effects of certification on integrated cockpit display systems that provide weather, traffic, navigation or terrain information to the pilot. This work is aimed at fostering a more practical and cost-effective certification process. Industry should benefit by being able to leverage commercially available products for airborne use, and the ability to price their systems to appeal to the large GA market. FAA and National Airspace System users should benefit from implementation of streamlined certification processes, and from rapid, widespread system equipage by General Aviation, allowing potentially earlier transition to modern ATC systems. General Aviation should benefit by acquiring systems that are lower in cost and which provide useful information and services to the pilot. Lower costs will encourage greater numbers of General Aviation owners to equip. Overall safety of flight will improve with widespread use of this added information. This paper documents the results of this project to date