Russ,
The type of aircraft is determined by PilotAware by comparing the Hex ID (where received) against an internal database (which is also how it determines the Aircraft Reg). This info is then passed to the Nav systems in the form of a code which they can elect to use to determine what aircraft ‘type’ symbol to display. This system was developed in conjunction with major Nav System providers and worked very effectively with earlier versions of SkyDemon, EasyVFR and others.
Recent moves, for example to the use of the GDL90 protocol for data exchange, however, seem to have had a negative effect on the effectiveness of the aircraft ‘type’ display with some Nav systems. There are also issues due to ‘gaps’ in the aircraft ID database, which are outwith our control.
Hope this helps explain things.
Regards
Peter