At Rockwell Collins, we are working hard to ensure that our company is consistently viewed around the world as an aerospace and defense industry leader. We do not want to stand in the shadow of our competitors – which is why producing the innovative solutions that our customers are asking for is so important.

In this issue of Horizons online , you will learn about a team of engineers who exemplify what innovation is about. Dan Woodell and Roy Robertson are the masterminds behind our extremely successful MultiScan^TM weather radar – a product introduced into the commercial market segment seven years ago and one that is now operating on more than 100 commercial airlines.

Despite the fact that MultiScan provided far greater capabilities than the manual weather radar that had gone before it, our customers were asking for more. They wanted a product that would provide them with the capability to see what type of weather was in front of them no matter where they were in the world.

Committed to the customer relationships they had already formed and passionate about enhancing a product capable of providing sustainable profit for our company, Dan and Roy listened closely to those customer recommendations.

The engineering duo also listened to the diverse ideas and perspectives brought forth by their team members, and ultimately developed a business plan that made its way to senior leadership.

The result of that meeting was approval of a multi-million dollar series of flight tests around the world that gathered enough data to help this group of engineers perfect the geographic smarts the radar needed to provide the best performance.

Innovative ideas and passion like this will help our company continue its success. I encourage you to explore new concepts, and to carry your ideas forward so that our company strengthens its presence as an industry leader.

Rockwell Collins employees (from left) are: Brian Rach, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Yen Pham, San Jose, Calif.; Cheryl Nelson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.