SmartSky, a provider of inflight air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity for business aviation, has received another FAA STC for its SmartSky Lite system on Cessna Citation 525B models encompassing the CJ3, CJ3+ and CJ3 Gen2, manufactured by Textron Aviation. The install package is available now for the CJ3+ with the CJ3 and CJ3 Gen2 revisions coming soon.
Both SmartSky Lite and the Citation CJ3 Gen2 are 2024 recipients of Robb Report Best of the Best in Aviation awards, with SmartSky named the first-ever winner for best cabin connectivity and the Citation CJ3 Gen 2 named best light jet.
SmartSky Lite is designed to provide streaming-level inflight wi-fi performance, and has also garnered other industry accolades.
The engineering for the first article installation on a CJ3+ was provided by Liberty Partners of Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The installation was at the Textron Aviation service centre in Wichita, Kansas. As part of a previously announced agreement encompassing more than a dozen Textron Aviation aircraft models, the ownership of the STC will be transferred to Textron Aviation. Installations may be completed at Textron Aviation service centres or by an authorised SmartSky dealer.
“This iconic series of aircraft are known for their performance in the sky,” said SmartSky CEO David Helfgott. “It’s only fitting that both the Citation CJ3 and SmartSky are Robb Report Best of the Best winners, further highlighting the value of this pairing. The owner and pilot of the aircraft has told us they are beyond pleased with the real-time communications for cockpit applications along with business and leisure tasks.”
Along with the recent issuance of two new STCs (the other being for the Beechcraft King Air B200-360 series), SmartSky has completed first-article installations on three additional models that are awaiting STC issuance. Six more STC installations are in progress as SmartSky continues to expand the roster of certified airframes. SmartSky has STCs covering more than 6,800 in-service aircraft and the in-progress projects represent just under 8,000 more.
