CMC Electronics' Senior Engineer Wins Airline Avionics Institute Volare Award
Dr. Michael Gordon-Smith Recognized for Pioneering Work in Navigation Systems and Cockpit Upgrades
(Montréal, February 11, 2002) Dr. Michael Gordon-Smith of CMC Electronics has won the prestigious Volare Award by the Airline Avionics Institute, in the Avionics Manufacturer category.
The Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC) presents the Volare Award on an annual basis to an individual who has made a significant contribution to avionics engineering and the airline industry. This year’s award was based on Gordon-Smith’s unique concept and architecture for the Global Positioning System/Flight Management System (GPS/FMS) as the heart of the Boeing 747 "Classic" Cockpit Upgrade Program. The award was presented to Gordon-Smith following the planned AEEC conference, which was cancelled following the events of September 11.
In a presentation held at CMC's Montreal facility, Gordon-Smith was presented with the coveted annual award by Jim Close, president and chief executive officer, CMC Electronics, on behalf of Paul Smyczek, president of the Airline Avionics Institute.
According to Smyczek, "Dr. Gordon-Smith was selected by a committee of his peers from a strong list of candidates nominated from throughout the worldwide avionics community."
In the citation, Gordon-Smith’s significant contributions were cited as follows:
"Since joining CMC Electronics, he has dedicated his considerable talents to the advancement of cockpit avionics systems, particularly in the application of state-of-the-art navigation systems to the real environment of airplane operators. His crowning achievement was his concept and architecture for a fully-integrated, triple GPS/Flight Management System (FMS) as the heart of the Boeing 747 "Classic" Cockpit Upgrade Program. This architecture is now becoming the standard for "classic" long-range aircraft navigation improvement programs. "
Gordon-Smith holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in aeronautical engineering from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He obtained a Doctorate in aerospace engineering sciences from the University of Toronto, Institute of Aerospace Studies, in the area of mathematical modeling of the human pilot.
While at CMC, he has held senior marketing and product/program management positions for a number of airborne navigation systems, including GPS/FMS, Doppler and Omega systems and sensors for a wide variety of civil and military applications. Since 1996, he has been responsible for GPS/FMS applications for air transport aircraft operating in the FANS CNS/ATM (Future Air Navigation System, Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) environment. During this period, he has gained experience in the CNS/ATM requirements both for airborne equipment and ground-based infrastructure.
Since 1993, Gordon-Smith has been an active participant in subcommittees of the AEEC, including those involved in flight management systems and systems architecture and interfaces. He has also been an active participant in RTCA’s (Requirements and Technical Concepts for Aviation) Special Committee SC-181/EUROCAE WG-13, Standards of Navigation, responsible for the development of Required Navigation Performance standards.
Note to Editors
About CMC Electronics
CMC Electronics is the new name for a company that was known for decades as Canadian Marconi Company. CMC Electronics is a private company controlled by an investor group led by ONCAP L.P. ONCAP is a C$400 million investment fund established by Onex Corporation and a number of leading Canadian financial institutions. Onex is Canada's fourth largest company, with more than C$20 billion in assets, C$25 billion in revenues and over 97,000 employees.
CMC Electronics Inc. designs and produces leading technology electronic products for the aviation, communications, infrared sensing, marine electronics, global positioning and space markets. CMC Electronics has designed and built innovative communication and electronics systems since 1903. Its principal locations are in Montreal, Ottawa and Cincinnati. The company's capabilities are broadened by its subsidiaries, NovAtel Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, and Northstar Technologies in Acton, Massachusetts.
Contact
Janka Dvornik
Public Relations Manager
CMC Electronics Inc.
Telephone : (514) 748-3113
Fax : (514) 748-3184
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