Tustin Firm Gets FAA OK for TV System on Jetliners

A system enabling corporate fliers with $200,000 or so in spare cash to watch television broadcasts at 50,000 feet has received its first airworthiness certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. Tustin-based Airshow Inc.’s on-board satellite television system won approval after a rigorous flight test Dec. 27 in a big Gulfstream jet.

So far the company has sold only one of the systems, but Airshow President Dennis Ferguson said the FAA certification “opens the doors.” The FAA has to certify new equipment to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with other electronic systems, won’t affect a jet’s flight characteristics and is installed in such a manner that it doesn’t break loose and fly all over the place during violent maneuvers.

Gulfstream Aerospace Inc. of Savannah, Ga., and Bombardier Business Aircraft in Montreal, makers of the large business jets capable of carrying the Airshow TV system, have agreed to offer it as an option to purchasers.

Right now, TV reception is possible only over the continental U.S., but Ferguson says plans are underway to expand the service to Europe, Latin America and Japan.

Separately, Airshow will announce this morning that it has put together a partnership to manufacture, market and install the systems in North America and Europe.