SmartSky, a provider of inflight air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity for business aviation, has announced the issuance of an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for SmartSky Lite on the King Air 350i.
The certificate covers installation of the inflight wi-fi system for King Air models B200, B200C, B200GT, 250, 250C, 250EP, 260, 260C, 300, 350, 350C, 350CER, 350i, 350iER, 360, 360C and 360CER, representing more than 2,000 in-service aircraft.
The first article installation was completed by Davinci Jets Services, a full-service MRO and FAA Part 135 charter firm operated by North Carolina-based aircraft management firm Davinci Jets. As part of previously announced plans to equip the majority of its managed fleet with SmartSky connectivity, Davinci has already completed first-of-type installations of SmartSky systems on a Citation CJ4, Citation Latitude and Pilatus PC-12.
“Receiving this STC marks significant progress in the SmartSky STC line-up and in delivering our high-performance solution to a series of aircraft that has long been underserved by inflight connectivity,” said David Helfgott, CEO at SmartSky.
“The pilots and passengers of this aircraft are absolutely delighted with the ability to connect to whatever is most important, without limitations,” Helfgott added about this first King Air.
Along with the Davinci Jet Services installations, SmartSky shared that it has completed first-article installations on four additional models that are awaiting STC issuance, with six more in progress as it continues to expand its roster of certified airframes. SmartSky has STCs covering more than 6,000 in-service aircraft and the in-progress projects represent about 10,000 more.
