True Blue Power Unveils 100-Watt USB-C Ports for Inflight Chargers

The Wichita, Kansas-based company is known for specializing in the custom design and manufacture of advanced power solutions for a broad range of general and business aviation applications. Besides its charging port series, True Blue Power also creates inverters, converters, emergency power supplies, and lithium-ion batteries. Customers of the product will recognize the brand by its signature blue casing.

Matthew Harrah, senior vice president of technology and products for True Blue Power, stated that “new mandates require USB-C compatibility for personal electronics—and tablets and laptops need more and more power to operate. Our new, 100-watt chargers fill the gap.”

In June, the European Union announced a mandate that required all new portable devices utiliza a standard charger by 2024, i.e., USB-C. Though Europe will be the first to enforce the law, it could have implications worldwide as companies prefer to streamline products to minimize production costs. Since then, at least two U.S. senators have called on Congress to urge the Department of Commerce to enact the same requirements. With pilots increasingly depending on mobile devices in the flight deck for a range of services, they would undoubtedly be affected by any changes in the ruling.

With AC outlets set to phase out, Harrah said customers would be able to get all the power they need by plugging directly into a USB port instead of using the “bulky charging adaptor.” The 100-watt USB charger will supply 5–20 volts of power at 3 to 5 amps for smartphones, tablets, electronic flight bags (EFBs), and headphones. They also have intelligent, device-driven output that efficiently gives each device the right amount of power supply.

True Blue Power is a division of Mid-Continent Instrument and Avionics (MCIA), the iconic brand known for its leadership in the overhaul, exchange, repair, design, and manufacturing of aircraft instruments and advanced power solutions. Also based in Wichita, the company has established itself as a brand that supplies products for flight deck panel upgrades. 

The company says it manufactures more than 25,000 units per year and processes more than 15,000 units in its overhaul/exchange and repair operation, including gyros, altimeters, HSIs, and autopilot systems. Besides power supply systems and products, MCIA also ships things like weather radars, Mode S transponders, emergency locator transmitters (ELTs), and other navigational and communications systems.

The new 100-watt chargers are TSO-certified and are available in single, dual, lighted, and non-lighted configurations.