One of the best things about owning a private aircraft is being able to transform it into an extension of your home. Today, more than ever, technology plays a huge role in that transformation.
Cabin management systems are becoming increasingly important, especially in longer-range aircraft where passengers can be in the air for 12 hours or more. You think you watch a lot of Netflix at home? Try being on an aircraft that has Apple TV integrated into its cabin management system on a flight that lasts all day.
Today’s cabin management systems control lighting, temperature, flight tracking, entertainment and more. Some newer aircraft cabin management systems allow you to control their functions from your iPhone or iPad, which is a far cry from Airshow and DVD players.
Rockwell Collins’ next-generation aftermarket Venue HD cabin management system is customizable to fit almost any aircraft–from a Cessna to an Airbus. Rockwell’s Venue CMS has a feature that allows you to stream movies from the onboard iTunes library onto your Apple devices, so you can watch movies on your iPhone, iPad or Macbook from anywhere on the plane. It works in reverse, as well, allowing you to display content from your Apple devices on the aircraft’s HD screens. Venue also gives you the option of adding on their Tailwind TV system, giving you access to live TV, including news and sports. Anybody up for a Super Bowl party at 40,000 feet?
Gulfstream’s cabin management system is one example of a CMS that allows you to download an application to your Apple device in order to control lighting, temperature and entertainment settings from your iPhone, iPad or Macbook. It allows you to save your settings, as well, so once you find the lighting and temperature that you like, you can save it as a favorite and go back to the same settings at the touch of a button. Gulfstream is one of the many cabin management systems that allows you to track the status of your flight from your device.
Cessna’s newer business jets, including the Citation X, Sovereign and M2 now come equipped with the Clarity cabin management system that comes with WiFi and upgraded fiber optic cables. The Clarity CMS will also be featured on the upcoming Latitude and Longitude models. One of the key benefits of the Clarity system is that it’s “device-agnostic,” meaning the mobile controls are compatible with just about any mobile device, regardless of brand.
Some cabin management systems come with HDMI ports and BluRay players, as well, allowing you to plug in gaming systems and watch high-definition movies as easily as if you were doing so in your own home.
Most newer business jets will come with top of the line, next-gen technology, like Apple iOS compatibility and mobile lighting and temperature controls. However, if you’re looking at older aircraft, you’ll want to know exactly what’s included in the cabin management system. If live TV and WiFi are features that are important to you, you’ll probably have to shell out some extra cash, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to put iPads loaded with games and movies at every seat.
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