Satcom Direct and Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. team up to offer integrated datalink and trip planning

Wednesday 2nd March 2016

Melbourne, FL / March 2, 2016 - Satcom Direct's FlightDeck Freedom® datalink and Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.'s online flight planning and weather services are now available in an integrated and bundled offering, pairing one of the industry's leading business aviation connectivity providers with the global resources and expertise of Universal.

Joining forces to offer seamless datalink and online flight planning, Satcom Direct (SD) FlightDeck Freedom (FDF) datalink and Universal® flight planning are integrated through uvGO, Universal's do-it-yourself (DIY) mission planning and management solution.  uvGO, available via iPad app and online, allows users to plan, build, and manage all aspects of a mission--from DIY worldwide flight planning and weather, to UVair® fuel pricing and arrangements, to airport and FBO information, and total trip coordination through Universal Trip Support.  Flight crews can uplink and view flight plans and weather in the cockpit, and display aircraft communications, position details, and messages via uvGO, when on the ground and in the air.

The alliance recognizes Universal as the preferred trip management provider for Satcom Direct flight deck services, and FlightDeck Freedom is now the unlimited, fixed-rate datalink service offered by Universal. Aircraft operators receive the bundled datalink and flight planning offering through a single contract and a single invoice.

"This collaboration perfectly fits our mission of advancing the industry by both developing new technologies and bringing together the right partners to deliver unmatched capabilities," said Jim Jensen, SD Founder and CEO.

Satcom Direct's FlightDeck Freedom datalink service is fully compatible with all avionics and airframe manufacturers. FDF uses datalink technology that is specifically designed to support business and military aviation, worldwide.

"uvGO integrates all of our services and functionality into one simple interface that has been redesigned around the way business aircraft operators tell us they plan and manage their missions. The seamless integration of FDF into uvGO adds tremendous value for our clients," said Denio Alvarado, Senior Vice President, Global Product Strategy, Universal.

FDF enables the flight crew to monitor cabin communications to assure voice and internet services are working for passengers. Schedulers/dispatchers and maintenance personnel have access to automated takeoff and landing reports, email messages to and from the aircraft, and can monitor aircraft position at any time with SD's exclusive SD Flight Tracker.

"Today, the Universal and SD collaboration brings robust capabilities to our customers. In the future there will be a deeper integration allowing us to deliver services that no other trip support provider or datalink provider is offering," said Scott Hamilton, SD Chief Strategy Officer.

About Satcom Direct:

Satcom Direct (SD) provides global connectivity solutions for business and general aviation, military, government, and heads of state aircraft, as well as operations in areas with connectivity limitations such as remote locations, large scale events, and disaster recovery. SD is a technology innovator.  Since 1997, its teams have worked to advance the technology of connectivity, making SD the first in the marketplace to deliver numerous advancements and capabilities.  The company is a premier Inmarsat Distribution Partner (including Jet ConneX), Iridium Service Partner, ViaSat Yonder's preferred reseller, and the Exclusive Service Provider for SmartSky Networks.

The SD world headquarters and primary operations center is located in Melbourne, Florida, with additional office locations in the United States, Canada, UK, UAE, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Australia, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa. For more information regarding SD, visit:

www.satcomdirect.com