FreeFlight Systems Designs and Manufactures High-Performance Avionics for Flight Safety

by Kayla Spence, Director of Operations, FreeFlight Systems

FreeFlight Systems (FFS) designs and manufactures high-performance avionics for flight safety. These solutions deliver substantial safety, cost, environmental and other benefits from the NextGen airspace transformation. FFS pioneered the first certified aviation Wide Area Augmentation System/Global Positioning System (WAAS/GPS) receiver and the first rule-compliant Universal Access Transceiver Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (UAT ADS-B) system. We serve many markets within the industry — general aviation, business aviation, airlines, military and airport safety infrastructure. To say it’s an exciting time at FFS would be an understatement.

Innovative Activities in Progress

FFS was acquired by ACR Artex Group in February of 2020. ACR is a leading provider of safety and survival solutions, including emergency rescue beacons and safety and signaling lighting to aviation, marine, military and outdoor customers, so our values and missions are very much aligned.

ACR was able to see the value in our dependable, cost-effective product lines, our research and design proficiencies and our manufacturing capabilities located in Robinson. They also appreciated our innovative talent, sophisticated processes defined in our quality management system, our operational-excellence focus and our strong relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Starting in the third quarter of this year, we will be manufacturing flight data recorders for one of our ACR sister companies. The regulation requirements for flight data recorders will increase in 2021. The current standard is two hours of flight voice recording, but that increases to 25 hours next year. Our goal is to exceed their expectations for builds this year and help bring a robust and reliable product to the aerospace industry as we have done historically with legacy FreeFlight products.

FFS currently has three major products in development for roll out in 2020 and 2021. All are significant upgrades to our current product lines. FFS is a technology-based business, so we are always evolving and looking outward to potential opportunities within our markets and to meet our customer needs.

First, FFS will soon release an ADS-B datalink, which adds a second channel to our system making it more applicable for military and international customers. Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (or ADS-B) is the latest technological leap in airspace surveillance. More aircraft can operate safely in the same airspace, so congestion is reduced. ADS-B technology is the cornerstone of the global airspace management systems for the coming decades which not only increase the capacity of the system but also provide aircraft with more efficient and greener operations.

Second, FFS will be releasing third-generation digital radar altimeter. Radar altimeters are a downward pointing radar system that measures the distance between the bottom of an aircraft and the ground. FreeFlight Systems is already a major player in the light helicopter radar altimeter market and this new product gives us access to larger and smaller (including unmanned) aircraft.

The last product currently in research and design phase is a new Flight Management System. This system stores and executes flight plans automatically, directly controlling the autopilot. This significantly reduces pilot workload and allows the aircraft to take advantage of the advanced flight plans and profiles available in the airspace system of tomorrow.

Local Talent and Workforce Pipeline

FFS has a strong relationship with the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. Kris Collins introduced us to the facility we currently occupy. Not only does the facility work well for our current needs, but it has resulted in greater manufacturing efficiencies and extra space in the event we need to add more manufacturing or warehousing space. It is also located strategically on Interstate 35 in between our supply chain partners in the DFW and San Antonio/Austin areas. Because of this location, we can also recruit talent from these two areas in Texas.

We are members of the Greater Waco Aviation Alliance and we are a charter member of the Women in Aviation Central Texas Chapter. We are currently participating in Leadership Waco program through the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. FreeFlight also has memberships to industry associations including the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) and Helicopter Association International (HAI).

We were fortunate recipients of the Skills for Small Business Training Grant with the Texas Workforce Commission and the MCC Corporate Training Program in 2019/2020. This allows us to invest and develop in our current staff depending on the needs of the department and our organization. We have already completed or have scheduled classes such as Management Training, Advanced Excel Training, Authentic Professionalism Training and more. Additionally, we have relationships with the Aviation Department at Texas State Technical College for recruiting needs. While we do not have large turnover, which we attribute to our positive company culture, we know who to call when there is a need.

Business Effect of the Pandemic

As a critical supplier of systems and support to both civil and military airspace, FreeFlight has been deemed “essential” and continued operations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Our civil aviation business has slowed considerably but we have won enough military business to keep us busy as our civil business recovers. We did, unfortunately, furlough some team members early in the crisis, but all those team members have been recalled. At this point we do not foresee the need for any more of those actions.

Forecasting the Future

Like everybody, we are uncertain about the shape of recovery of the civil airspace business, but our current military business and military applications of our new products will carry us through, and those same products and their planned derivatives will ensure our growth for the coming decades once the market has recovered.

We also expect that market conditions will favor us as both civil and military customers extend the service life of their aircraft as a result of the current economic constraints. Our business is focused on the retrofit of older aircraft to make them safe and efficient in modern airspace; this focus opens more opportunities for not only FFS, but the entire ACR organization.