it’s fair to say that reliable cellular coverage in the cabin is non-existent above a few thousand feet AGL. That’s disappointing to passengers glued to their smartphones and tablets, and inconvenient for pilots who want to stay connected with the ground on long hauls. The only real option is connecting to a cabin satcomm system and the latest comes from Georgia-based Send Solutions Airtext, which has FAA approval for its new Iridium-based Airtext transceiver/router.
We evaluated the Garmin InReach Explorer portable communicator (May 2017Aviation Consumer) and while we thought it was a good performer and offered decent utility, it won’t connect multiple users. But the Airtext, which is a permanently mounted transceiver/router, can connect up to 16 users, plus it has someadvanced features that cater to flight crews and FBO staff. We’ve been using a demo system and prepared this field report.