The team at Columbus, Ohio-based Spirit Aeronautics has completed the first aftermarket installation of the Bongiovi aviation speaker-less audio system in a business class aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 7X.

Bongiovi works by attaching transducers to the backside of aircraft interior panels, which then transmit high fidelity sound. This means that any customised interior theme is maintained without the disruption of speaker grills, and the audio system space is minimised by the elimination of speakers.

The complete upgrade project required new engineering and technical support for all engineering, kitting and aircraft modifications. The retrofit work included an all new cabin entertainment system, a satellite communications system, window shades, wi-fi router, new video monitors and the Bongiovi system. All airworthiness certification services were provided and the ground and flight test plans were completed without any discrepancies.

CEO Rick Ochs comments: “This project was a challenging yet extremely rewarding delivery of a leading-edge cabin electronics design for business and charter aircraft. The Bongiovi technical team was very helpful in the integration of their technology into the cabin management system. Our team delivered on my promise to the client to make his audio and media system dreams come true. They deserve so much credit for achieving such impressive results. This cabin entertainment system surpasses any business class aircraft cabin system flying today for ease of use, while it provides audiophile-level sound quality of the highest order.”

The company also welcomes Mark Gomez as regional sales manager for the Dallas/Fort Worth area. His focus will be to expand the company's already significant network of customers requiring avionics OEM support or exchange/overhaul services, and he will market and sell new OEM extended service warranties such as the Collins Avionics Service CASP and Honeywell’s MSP avionics extended warranty programmes.

Previously Gomez worked at Conklin & de Decker for five years supporting aircraft acquisition, operations and maintenance cost research programmes. He was later promoted to client relations and served as sales manager before becoming responsible for key client accounts and generating new sales worldwide for the Conklin & de Decker Report.

Gomez also worked for Bombardier for three years, where he was responsible for aircraft maintenance and supervised numerous avionics system installations. He also served his country for 12 years in the United States Marine Corps as an avionics shop supervisor maintaining a squadron of KC-130T Hercules aircraft.

Ochs adds: “Mark brings his in depth knowledge of aircraft maintenance and avionics systems technical requirements to our team. He has a great understanding of business and government aircraft systems as well as maintenance life cycle planning programmes. Mark excels in building client relations with his engaging personality. He will have the flexibility to develop new sales processes to meet avionics support requirements for a unique market. His presence in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area is very intentional. We have many great clients in the area and we expect to continue to grow our corporate presence in Texas. Mark’s addition to our team as a local expert is a perfect fit for our growth path.”