This sponsored article was prepared by Insight magazine, the sponsored content division of MHM Publishing, on behalf of Helicopter Express.

Ever since Helicopter Express began weighing in with heavy-lift helicopter services, business has tipped the scales.

In fact, the last two years have been the busiest on record since the company was founded by pilot Scott Runyan in Atlanta, Georgia, back in 1995.

Today, the company has relocated to a more spacious plot of land in the nearby community of Tate. Dubbed “The Farm,” it has been a dream for years — and now it’s finally reality.

“We were based at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Atlanta,” said Runyan, CEO and owner of Helicopter Express. “We were running out of space. We bought a 250-acre [100-hectare] farm, built a 30,000-square-foot [2,800-square-meter] hangar with offices, and a 30,000-sq.-ft [2,800 sq.-m] maintenance facility, and moved there in June 2023.”  

The complex is home to some of Helicopter Express’s light, medium and heavy helicopters. Others are based in Dallas, Texas; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Stuart, Florida; and Lancaster, California.

Currently, Helicopter Express operates 31 helicopters — one for every type of job. 

“We started with Type 3 light helicopters, then moved into Type 2 mediums, and then into Type 1 heavies about eight years ago with our first [Kaman] K-Max,” Runyan recalled.

Helicopter Express flies a range of light helicopters, including seven Bell 407HPs, six Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3s, one Bell JetRanger, and one new Bell 429, the company’s first light twin-engine aircraft.

The company’s medium fleet includes six Bell Super 205s. (There are also five new Subaru Bell 412EPXs being delivered between January 2024 and March 2025.)  

On the heavy side, the company fields four K-Max helicopters and six Sikorsky S-64 Skycranes (four F models and two E models). The first Skycrane was obtained in October 2022, whereas the remaining five were acquired through a deal with Erickson Incorporated in fall 2023. 

“We’re known for our heavy-lift and crane services,” said Danny Hoss, vice president of commercial services at Helicopter Express. “We do a lot of things with the helicopters that many don’t do, including precision setting of powerline structures and maneuvering heavy equipment into congested areas.” 

He said new machines — combined with the company’s current heavy fleet — help Helicopter Express stay ahead of its competitors, since it has the right aircraft for any job.  

“A lot of people look at us as the top of the line; we have the best equipment out there teamed with the highest skilled employees,” Hoss continued. “Across the board, our employees show their dedication not only to our company, but also to the customers.” 

Success for Helicopter Express is being able to deploy a helicopter when it’s needed, anywhere in the world. 

“The company doesn’t measure success by hours flown; it’s measured by contracts and how long the aircraft stay on contract. Our availability rate stays around 99 percent,” Runyan explained. 

Among others, Helicopter Express has worked with Duke Energy, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Georgia Power, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the National Park Service. 

It has also deployed helicopters to Chile, Haiti, Australia and Canada. One of its most unusual customers came onto the radar about two years ago, when Hoss handled a call from Saudi Arabia.

“Our first Skycrane was acquired for work over there in Saudi Arabia, where it is now assisting with building their new city, Neom,” Hoss said. “We have been working in the Kingdom since December 2022.” 

As they look back over the last two years or so, Runyan and Hoss said it’s been a whirlwind of activity. 

“It’s been pretty steady growth,” Runyan reflected. “We bought one K-Max and we then put in orders for two new ones. That was big growth. Two years ago, we started working on Saudi, and bought our first Skycrane. Then, we concluded the deal with Erickson for additional Skycranes. While doing that deal, the next-gen contracts came out for USFS — the Subaru Bell 412EPXs.”

Looking ahead, Runyan expects to pursue more next-gen contracts.

“We like buying new aircraft. We’re very focused on the 429 contracts, and the next round of 412EPX contracts.”

Hoss said customers around the world are becoming very interested in Helicopter Express and its diversified fleet.

“The U.S. and global powerline market has always been there, and the S-64 is the perfect machine to handle the job,” Hoss said. “With the new acquisitions, this will allow us to come to the contract not only with light and medium-lift capability, but also a helicopter for every aspect of the powerline sector. We are the one-stop shop.”

Runyan, who started Helicopter Express from the ground up and has flown countless firefighting missions, said his experience helps him understand the whole picture for the company’s success.

“We really respect our employees. I think we have the best longline construction guys in the industry, and a great firefighting crew,” he said. “When you get to heavies and mediums, we have virtually no turnover with employees. I think our safety record and our reputation is second to none, and that we are by far the best utility company out there.”

Hoss, who makes a point to stay connected with all employees, added that Helicopter Express still tries to operate like a small family business, even though it’s grown bigger.

To learn more about Helicopter Express, visit https://helicopterexpress.com/contact

The post Helicopter Express: Elevating the standard appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Since 1986, SKYTRAC has pioneered satellite-based flight following for all sectors of aviation, developing tools and technologies that further improve fleet performance trending, quality assurance, and real-time aircraft connectivity solutions.

Today, SKYTRAC is known for connecting aerial firefighting, airlines, business aviation, emergency services, general aviation, law enforcement, military, oil-and-gas, and unmanned aviation operators with a host of reliable products, services, and capabilities. With its successful history in narrowband capabilities, it was a logical next step to expand into Iridium Certus midband and broadband solutions.

SDL-350 approved by Iridium

In summer 2023, SKYTRAC’s flagship satellite transceiver — the SDL-350 broadband Iridium Certus satellite data unit and onboard server — gained official Iridium approval. This achievement cleared the SDL-350 to provide truly global L-band connectivity across the aviation industry at transmit speeds of 352 Kbps and receive speeds of 704 Kbps.

Harnessing the world’s only pole-to-pole satellite network, the low latency SDL-350 facilitates mission-critical operations in a number of sectors, including emergency medical services, search-and-rescue, law enforcement, offshore oil-and-gas, business aviation, scientific exploration, uncrewed aviation, military and airlines.

Fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft, and advanced air mobility programs will benefit from the SDL-350’s small and lightweight form and low power requirements in a new L-band speed class unlike anything that exists in the current market. The SDL-350 delivers uptime reliability of 99.9 percent to ensure mission-critical operators are always connected.

Carson Air chooses the SDL-350

SKYTRAC also announced in October 2023 that it had secured SDL-350 launch customers across nearly every aviation segment. Carson Air, the primary provider of air medical services in the province of British Columbia, selected the SDL-350 as the connectivity solution for its fleet of King Air 360 aircraft.

Along with tools to improve pilot awareness, flight paramedics will be able to provide better care when they connect with medical experts on the ground using video, inflight internet, and voice communications.

The SDL-350 will replace multiple onboard systems, reducing size, weight, and power consumption on the King Air 360 fleet. In return, Carson Air’s critical missions will benefit from truly global satellite connectivity, medical data transfer, telemedicine video conferencing, electronic flight bag connectivity, and engine and flight data transmission.

GMR selects SKYTRAC for fleet upgrade

Along with the official approval and launch of the SDL-350, SKYTRAC introduced its newest midband Iridium Certus offering earlier in 2023.

The SkyLink 7100 delivers reliable connectivity in a lightweight and versatile package, boasting up to 88 Kbps of Iridium Certus connectivity.

In March 2023, Global Medical Response (GMR), the largest medical transport company in the world, selected SKYTRAC and its comprehensive suite of products for a fleet-wide connectivity upgrade.

GMR’s 381 helicopters, spanning multiple popular airframes from Airbus Helicopters, Bell, and Leonardo, will be upgraded to harmonize onboard satellite communications equipment and key mission-critical capabilities. These include automated flight following and mission management, voice and text messaging, satellite push-to-talk, SAFR flight data monitoring, and satellite and cellular onboard connectivity for medical devices and electronic flight bag applications.

A range of SKYTRAC solutions will be incorporated into the GMR fleet upgrade, all enabled by SKYTRAC’s ISAT-200A and SkyLink 7100 satellite communication terminals for narrowband and midband satellite and 4G/LTE cellular connectivity. 

The SkyWeb platform will facilitate automated flight following and mission management capabilities to mitigate flight risk. Operational control centers will be able to communicate and monitor fleets to improve fleet-wide efficiencies.

SKYTRAC’s SAFR FDM suite and high-definition cockpit camera will acquire and analyze flight data for GMR’s pilot training programs, and provide automated post-flight data download capabilities through cellular 4G/LTE networks. This data can then be visualized through the SAFR software via multiple dashboards to provide deeper insights into flight operations.

The SKYTRAC Cockpit Display Panel and Dispatch Voice Interface (CDP/DVI) and next-generation ultra-slim touchscreen Multitouch Controller 100 (MTC-100) will be used in the cockpit and cabin for connecting air and ground crews, as well as medical professionals through voice and text-based communications.

Once installed, these upgrades will equip GMR’s fleet with modern, state-of-the-art cockpit and cabin connectivity for the company’s mission-critical operations.

Undoubtedly, 2023 was a milestone year for SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus offerings. As 2024 unfolds, the company will follow the same tried-and-true path it has forged since 1986: Developing and delivering the most powerful global satellite tracking capabilities for aircraft of all types, no matter where they are flying or what important missions they perform. 

The post SKYTRAC: Future-ready connectivity appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Taken as a whole, the depth and breadth of Signia Aerospace is much greater than the sum of its parts.

At the end of 2023, the Signia Aerospace family included five companies: ACE Thermal Systems, Lifesaving Systems Corp., Meeker Aviation, Mezzo Technologies and Onboard Systems International. Together, the companies represent specializations in two key areas: thermal management (ACE Thermal Systems and Mezzo Technologies) and mission systems (Lifesaving Systems, Meeker Aviation and Onboard Systems International).

Through its brands, Signia Aerospace partners with customers across the aerospace and defense industry to innovate, manufacture and deliver specialized technical systems and components. With more than 537 aerospace patents under their wings and rotors, each subsidiary produces both type certificate (TC) and supplemental type certificate (STC) components for more than 500 aircraft models — all designed to enhance aircraft safety, performance and comfort.

Below is a summary of each subsidiary’s capabilities and the solutions they will be displaying at Heli-Expo 2024.

ACE Thermal Systems

ACE Thermal Systems specializes in developing solutions for complex thermal management challenges in extreme aviation environments. The company — a combination of Air Comm Corporation and Enviro Systems — specializes in developing thermal management and environmental control systems (ECS) for both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

From initial design through product development, testing and production, ACE partners with aircraft manufacturers to apply its expertise in systems integration, component design, testing and regulatory approval — enabling new products to reach certification sooner.

The company manufactures and services bleed air valves, electric fans and motors, electric heaters, temperature sensors and controllers, pressure regulating systems, air conditioning components, and air distribution valves. With certified part 145 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) repair stations, ACE provides onsite testing for RTCA DO-160, thermal capacity and mechanical and electrical components, as well as part 21 manufacturing.

On display at the Signia Aerospace Heli-Expo booth: Environmental control systems.

Mezzo Technologies

Mezzo Technologies uses state-of-the-art thermal management solutions that utilize microtube heat exchanger technologies to solve complex thermal management challenges.

Microtubes are lighter and smaller than traditional heat exchange applications and are durable and resistant to air-side fouling, making them the ideal solution for high-pressure/high-thermal applications.

Mezzo’s microtube products include radiators, intercoolers, oil-air and oil-coolant heat exchangers, bleed air coolers, condensers and evaporators, and cryogenic recuperators. Phase change material heat exchangers made with microtubes typically offer substantial weight savings over alternative designs.

Mezzo Technologies’ products are found across many industries, including aerospace, defense and space.

On display at the Signia Aerospace Heli-Expo booth: Microtube heat exchangers.

Lifesaving Systems

As a leader in helicopter and maritime rescue and survival equipment, the company designs, manufactures, and services over 400 helicopter and marine rescue and survival products that are used to save lives in some of the harshest environments on earth.

The Lifesaving Systems product line includes helicopter hoist hooks, rescue litters and baskets, harnesses and life vests, and marine and specialty hardware for professional rescuers. Its solutions are in use with both civil and military operators around the world.

On display at the Signia Aerospace Heli-Expo booth: Rescue gear, including the new Quad-Lock release system.

Meeker Aviation

Meeker Aviation is a leader in the design and manufacture of aircraft external payload mounts for electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors, cinematography camera systems, searchlights, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser scanners, and speaker systems.

Meeker also manufactures a popular line of aircraft door hinge and pin kits. The company has more than 10,000 STC products in service and continues to develop new solutions and support existing designs worldwide.

On display at the Meeker Aviation Heli-Expo booth: Dovetail and QDD quick release systems for camera and EO/IR mounts.

Onboard Systems

Onboard Systems is well known for its cargo hooks, weighing systems and mission equipment for helicopters and unmanned aircraft. Every major helicopter original equipment manufacturer installs Onboard Systems’ cargo hooks and weighing systems. The company offers thousands of solutions for more than 35 commercial and military aircraft models. Onboard’s external load products are also available as aftermarket STC kits for a growing number of rotorcraft platforms.

With a goal to continuously improve load and operator safety, Onboard has released products such as its keeperless and hydraulic TALON brand cargo hooks, human external cargo (HEC) systems, and load weigh systems. It also produces a variety of specialized and innovative remote equipment, including the SPIDER Smart Carousel system and the Auto-Loc remote cargo hook system, which allows pilots to pick up and drop off pre-rigged loads from unmanned locations.

On display at the Signia Aerospace Heli-Expo booth: The new Bell 429 HEC dual cargo hook system, as well as the UH-60 cargo hook and weighing system, which has become a must-have for firefighting operators.

Led by a team of industry professionals, Signia Aerospace and its subsidiaries are looking forward to exciting growth and continued innovation in 2024.

If you’re visiting Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California, Signia Aerospace invites you to stop by booth 1631, where you’ll find a full suite of innovative thermal management and mission systems solutions that will enhance the safety, performance and comfort of your aircraft.

The post Signia Aerospace: Synergized Solutions appeared first on Vertical Mag.

This sponsored article was created by Insight magazine, the sponsored content division of MHM Publishing, on behalf of Ace Aeronautics.

When Rich Enderle sat down with employees at the Ace Aeronautics holiday party in December 2023, he told them the company would be hitting the accelerator hard in the new year.

“Our goal for 2024 is turning 16 aircraft refurbishments a year, and then add to that a minimum of eight cockpits per year,” said Enderle, the company’s president and CEO. “We have 70 employees right now and I’d like to be at 150 by the end of 2024.”

Headquartered at the municipal airport in Guntersville, Alabama, Ace Aero prides itself on being a full-service resource for any rotary-wing needs — from maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to airframe, avionics, paint, engineering and certification solutions. The company focus is currently the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter — a legacy platform that is gaining renewed popularity in both civil and military applications.

Ace Aero was founded in 2015 by Frank Wallace and Darrell Kindley (the latter sold his interest to board chair Bob Caldwell in March 2023). The company’s foundation was built upon offering a modernization plan and long-term sustainment program for the Black Hawk. The company got its start with the Ace Deck VL-60 cockpit upgrade, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved supplemental type certificate (STC) solution which integrates Garmin’s G5000H avionics suite into the UH-60/S-70 family of Black Hawk helicopters. 

“Ace was founded on that digital cockpit,” Enderle said. “It was the catalyst that started it all.”

Wallace, who is currently the company’s executive vice president, said there are nearly 5,000 Black Hawks deployed worldwide, with about 2,000 of them in the U.S. Armed Services inventory.

The rest are scattered throughout the world, including about 500 to 600 excess defense helicopters that have been offered for sale.

“We consider the market for our Ace Deck cockpit is 1,000-plus aircraft,” said Wallace, adding that the company’s customer book divides into about 75 percent commercial and 25 percent military. To date, Ace Aero has completed Black Hawk cockpit upgrades for Portugal, Ukraine, Austria, and a private operator in the U.S. Malaysia has also contracted for four Black Hawks with the modernized Ace Deck cockpit, with delivery in 2024.

Enderle said Ace Aero takes pride in delivering a Black Hawk that is customized to a client’s specific mission requirements. The company’s three “your way” Black Hawk options include a base, refreshed UH-60 with the original analog cockpit, new paint and preventive maintenance performed; the Ace Deck VL-60 integrated flight deck that eliminates obsolescence issues, reduces pilot workload and provides a path for easy future upgrades; and the Ace Deck VL-60 plus a mission computer that enables the use of FLIR, tactical maps, aircraft performance calculations, weapons management systems, etc.

“We can customize for the end user as required,” Wallace noted. “That is one of the benefits of the Ace Deck architecture. We have bifurcated the flight critical functions so that when we add additional radios or equipment, it does not impact the operational flight program.”

Enderle said that as 2024 unfolds, Ace Aero will continue to invest in the acquisition of aircraft that will be brought to a base configuration, in preparation for eventual customization. Currently, there are 14 Black Hawks in the hangar, compared to just two last March.

“Where we’re going, I jokingly call it Ace 2.0,” he said. “It’s sort of a reset in my opinion. Our plan now is to acquire aircraft, perform a solid and thorough inspection, make any repairs, and then take all the upgraded systems available to us and apply them to the helicopter to meet the customer’s needs — to give them a safe, modernized aircraft.”

Enderle said the company is currently developing a catalogue of upgrades available for the Black Hawk. For instance, Ace Aero already holds an STC for a FLIR EO/IR mount on the helicopter, as well as a blade fold kit.

In addition to its 110,000-square-foot (10,220-square-meter) Guntersville headquarters, Ace Aero also operates a 20,000-sq.-ft. (1,860-sq.-m) manufacturing shop in Arlington, Texas. Despite its state-of-the-art facilities, Enderle said it is Ace Aero’s quality people who enable its success. “The calibre of our senior leadership and our mechanics is second to none.” Visitors to Heli-Expo 2024 in Anaheim, California, will find Ace Aero at booth #9039, with static displays in S63-S66. Enderle invites show attendees to stop by to see the Ace Deck VL-60 cockpit upgrade and the FLIR EO/IR sensor mount, as well as the UH-60 blade fold kit, all developed by the company.

“Come by and see our engineering capabilities,” Enderle concluded. “It’s worth a chat to discuss your needs. We are differentiating ourselves by investing in aircraft up front and keeping them in inventory, ensuring that they will be available quickly. We’re also offering blast and paint services, and spares. Plus, we’re buying aircraft to harvest components, for operators all over the world. We can even offer UH-60 pilot and maintenance training through our partnership with U.S. Aviation Training Solutions Inc. in Titusville, Florida.”

From its early experience upgrading the UH-60 cockpit with the Garmin G5000H, Ace Aero has remained focused on delivering advanced systems solutions to resolve obsolescence and capability gaps. As the company accelerates into 2024, there is certainly much more to come.

The post Ace Aeronautics: Build your own Black Hawk appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Modern air medical equipment is getting smaller and more efficient just as selected aircraft platforms are getting bigger. This translates into more space on board for medical teams to transport increasingly complicated cases over longer distances.

It’s a trend closely followed by Spectrum Aeromed, a Fargo, North Dakota-headquartered provider of modular and custom-built air medical equipment solutions for helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft since 1991.

Matthew Christenson, the company’s vice president and account executive, said there is a definite global trend toward using longer range fixed-wing aircraft for medical transports.

“It’s driven by the opportunity to bring people home or bring them to a specific hospital or facility where they need specialized treatment,” he said.

With longer flights comes the need for more equipment.

“Having oxygen available along with additional monitoring devices is crucial,” Christenson said. “With advancements in technology, especially in medical devices, they are getting smaller in size which allows for their integration within medical flights. Over a short period of time, the opportunity air medical teams have to provide amazing medical care is changing rapidly. New innovations emerge every few months.”

Thomas Redder is Spectrum Aeromed’s vice president of international sales. Based in Germany, Redder confirmed the trend toward longer range medical transports.

“Formerly it was quite acceptable to take a Learjet 35 from Australia to Europe with multiple fuel stops, but that is becoming less acceptable,” Redder observed. “We are now looking at aircraft that fly non-stop from the Middle East to the U.S.”

In addition, some customers are dedicating an aircraft purely to air ambulance missions in order to maximize space and comfort for the patient. 

“We’re creating new stretchers and new devices. It becomes more like a hospital,” Redder said. “We have developed new types of oxygen storage because more is needed. The charging of medical devices becomes more important as we see a trend toward more complicated medical cases like heart or lung issues.”

At the moment, Redder said the most popular aircraft for conversion is the Learjet 75, with some being equipped to handle up to three patients, including heart-lung transports and incubators for small babies.

Every completion is customized to some degree, he said. Even within Europe, air ambulance systems need to be customized for different gas and oxygen outlets.

“Then we have all the different kinds of medical devices. There are different brands of ventilators, monitors and defibrillators.”

Streamlined solutions

Spectrum Aeromed is focused on growing with its customers, aligning its air medical innovations with customer needs.

“We really allow the customers to lead us,” Christenson said. “Our emphasis is on getting the right setup, but we let the customer determine what is right for them. What is their scope, their plan, what kind of patients are they transporting?”

Recently, Spectrum Aeromed introduced a brand-new air medical system, the Infinity 5000X. Lighter and fully self-contained, the 5000X was designed in collaboration with flight nurses and air medical teams and provides unobstructed access for patient care and transfer.

“It’s an all-inclusive system with oxygen, air pumps, a vacuum pump and inverter power in the base system that attaches to the floor,” Christenson said. “On top of that is the patient stretcher or incubator transport system for infants.”

He said the 5000X is lighter than other standard applications, so medical teams can bring on more gear.

“We can accommodate more medical devices when we’re looking at that equipment integration. One possible layout allowed for up to 70 pounds [32 kilograms] of added medical devices,” Christenson said.

Another innovation is Spectrum Aeromed’s adoption of liquid oxygen (LOx), which has now been incorporated into five of its supplemental type certificate applications, including the Bell 429, AW109/119, Bell 407, King Air 350 and Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.

“Liquid oxygen is a big space saver,” Christenson explained. “You can take on longer missions with a 10,000-liter [2,640-US gallon] orb, the size of a basketball. A standard module compressed tank has only 3,500 liters [925 US gallons] and is eight inches by 40 inches tall.”

While LOx is common in military applications, it is only now starting to bridge the gap to civilian air medical transports.

As it becomes more readily available, “we just need customer education,” Christenson said. “Helicopter and fixed-wing clients are showing interest for longer range flights for patients who need high oxygen volume.”

Finally, as the air medical equipment field continues to develop rapidly, Spectrum Aeromed is focused on delivering streamlined solutions, taking on even more aspects of an interior completion.

“It’s what we’re calling a turnkey application for a customer,” Christenson said. “We are now handling more of the project than just the medical devices. It might be a dedicated sidewall, or coordinating the paint and avionics upgrades. We can handle more of the interior completion and remove some of those pain points for the customer. We understand what needs to be done.  Again, it’s about growing with our customers and responding to their needs.”

The post Spectrum Aeromed: Customer-driven innovation appeared first on Vertical Mag.

This sponsored article was created by Insight magazine, the sponsored content division of MHM Publishing, on behalf of StandardAero.

After a busy period of growth and transition, StandardAero is running at peak efficiency, delivering the unparalleled service that customers have come to expect.

As the largest independent maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider in the world, StandardAero’s helicopter program — headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba — delivers a full suite of rotor-wing services through its global helicopter division. StandardAero prides itself on customer-centric service that is the hallmark of everything its 7,000 employees do in more than 50 major facilities worldwide.

Recently, StandardAero promoted longtime employee Neena Gill to the role of vice president and general manager of helicopter programs. Gill most recently served as the division’s controller. She takes the position as the company continues to grow and refine its rotor-wing services.

In summer 2021, StandardAero acquired Signature Aviation’s engine repair and overhaul (ERO) business, including four entities: Dallas Airmotive, H+S Aviation, International Governor Services, and International Turbine Service. The transaction added 1,100 employees in 14 locations to the StandardAero family.

“The integration is going well,” Gill reported. “We’ve established centers of excellence [COEs] in key locations, where higher volumes allow us to achieve better efficiencies.”

In 2022, StandardAero transitioned its Rolls-Royce M250 engine business from Dallas Airmotive to Winnipeg, with expanded capability in Concord, North Carolina, and Richmond, B.C. This freed necessary resources and floor space for other growing business lines in Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as at the company’s plant in Portsmouth, U.K. Gill said no jobs were lost during the transition — in fact, the move added 20 new jobs to the company’s existing COEs.

Along similar lines, StandardAero also moved its Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T engine line from H&S Aviation, and in 2023 its PW200 business from Dallas into the Winnipeg shop. Finally, the Rolls-Royce RR300 engine line was shifted from Dallas into Winnipeg, with expanded capability for that engine in Concord and Richmond. 

“At one point, there were eight shops doing the M250,” Gill continued. “We consolidated that into five shops. We still have a shop in Europe, one in Asia, and three in North America: Winnipeg, Richmond and Concord.”

In keeping with its consolidation plan, StandardAero merged two businesses into one in 2021, when its Singapore M250 line integrated with Vector Aerospace’s turboprop business. This development happened after StandardAero’s acquisition of Vector in late 2017. While the process was delayed by Covid, the newly consolidated facility is currently at full capacity.

Meanwhile, its COEs for accessory repair and overhaul in Hialeah and Fort Myers, Florida, are also running at peak efficiency three years after all related work was centralized there.  

“Those locations have had two years of stability and growth,” Gill said. “When we moved everything there three years ago from Winnipeg, we felt the pain. Covid affected the process since we couldn’t send techs and engineers down to do as much training as we’d hoped. It slowed our progress, but I’m happy to say that’s behind us now. Accessories customers can now expect the full StandardAero experience, focusing on service, turn time and quality.”

She said StandardAero’s COE structure has allowed the company to manage through the supply chain issues that are still affecting the industry.

“We have volume and purchasing power. We get the lion’s share — we have large fleets of safety stock and large numbers of rental assets to keep people flying.”

Gill said StandardAero is in tune with its customers and realizes they are dealing with hyper-inflated costs of doing business. Meanwhile, their own rates and revenues are not rising at the same pace.

“Customers are leaning on us to deliver cost effective solutions,” she said. “So, in an effort to stem inflation, we try to source used and overhauled material, rather than brand-new equipment. There are instances when it does make more sense to utilize a new part so that the engine can run more hours.

“We understand costs have increased substantially, and we are concentrating on trying to manage them for our customers. We’ve always focused not on the cost of each overhaul, but on the cost-per-hour over time.”

StandardAero will be exhibiting at several upcoming shows, including the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, European Rotors and the Helicopter Association of Canada (HAC) annual conference and tradeshow.

Customers will find a full contingent of staff on hand to showcase all the company’s capabilities — not just gas turbine engine repairs, but also airframe structures, modifications, supplemental type certificates, and dynamic component overhaul.

Close relationships with OEMs — including manufacturer approvals from Airbus, GE, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Safran, Sikorsky and Triumph — continue to be a critical component of StandardAero’s success.

The company’s office in Winnipeg also enjoys a close collaboration with non-profit Manitoba Aerospace, which promotes aerospace and defense in the province. In 2022, the two organizations partnered to develop a gas turbine engine repair and overhaul training program that was designed to speed the training process for new employees and to encourage more women to choose aviation MRO careers.

Thanks to Manitoba government funding, the 18-week program — which is open to both men and women — recently graduated 10 women technicians who are now employed full time at StandardAero.

The successful program is testament to the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, a philosophy Gill said is baked into StandardAero’s global operations.

“We try hard to create a workplace where everyone is welcome. Our view is that the company benefits from a variety of diverse perspectives that combine into one strong team. This commitment is essential to our success, both now and in the future.”

The post Standard Aero: Delivering unparalleled service appeared first on Vertical Mag.

AeroBrigham is known as the helicopter service provider that can get the job done — no matter what that job happens to entail.

From the smallest custom modification to large-scale maintenance, completions, refurbishment, paint, and interior work, the Decatur, Texas-based company has it all covered. As a testament to the company’s good work, business has been booming — even throughout the pandemic.

“We’ve grown 30% in the last 1.5 years. We had to add more people to keep up with the workload,” said David Brigham, president and co-owner. “This year, we moved our helicopter operations into a new 45,000-square-foot [4,200-square-meter] facility, with a state-of-the-art downdraft paint facility equipped with air makeup units and pressurized hospital quality breathing air supply. We maintained our 15,000-sq.-ft. [1,400-sq.-m] facility for our fixed-wing work.”

Although AeroBrigham has always taken pride in being the company that tackles even the smallest custom jobs, Brigham said the company loves its the large first responder jobs.

“Everything that has come to us has been huge completions in law enforcement and search-and-rescue [SAR],” he said. “We still have some small projects, but our concentration has shifted this year. Corporate and emergency medical services [EMS] work has been slower.”

For instance, the AeroBrigham team recently reconfigured a previously-owned Bell 429 for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana. The accelerated five-month project saw all the original mission equipment and avionics removed and replaced with new radios, a tactical avionics package, and AeroBrigham’s tactical flight officer (TFO) station. The system, which is easily installed on existing cabin seat rails, was developed in conjunction with CNC Technologies as part of AeroBrigham’s previous work on a fleet of eight Bell 429s for the Jamaica Defence Force — the final aircraft was delivered last September.

The staff was also busy working on a brand-new Bell 429 completion for Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Also in conjunction with CNC Technologies, which provided a military-grade encrypted microwave downlink, AeroBrigham installed a hoist camera, Trakka searchlight, MX-15 thermal imager, and digital audio system, among other state-of-the-art equipment. The company also created the only crossover cable that allows the MX-15 equipped aircraft to accept the MX-10 as a backup without changing anything on the aircraft. This aircraft will be displayed at Bell’s booth at the upcoming APSCON event, where showgoers are invited to examine it in person.

“The Collier County aircraft was scheduled to be here for six months and we delivered it in four,” Brigham said. “It was a very tough schedule.”

On the fixed-wing side, AeroBrigham delivered one Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Boss aircraft in March, with another new completion and two upgrades coming soon. The company also installed mission equipment and a microwave downlink on a Cirrus SR22 aircraft destined for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas, and completed two Kodiak 100 aircraft for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Those aircraft include the company’s proprietary TFO station equipped with two 17-inch Macro-Blue monitors, LinkBox downlink system, Shotover ARS-750, Applied Video Imaging 16×16 video switch with a Vivisun programmable selector switch, laser arming panel for the FLIR 380Xhdc turret and Sierra Wireless router. The FLIR 380Xhdc was installed in the Fargo Jet pod in its retractable camera mount. This is the first installation of the FLIR 380Xhdc on this platform.

Brigham said law enforcement and SAR customers are generally looking for the same equipment: several cameras, night vision goggle compatibility, moving map systems, a microwave downlink system, touchscreen monitors, searchlights, and sometimes computer-aided dispatch and 5G Wi-Fi service. AeroBrigham is also working with Smith Myers on its Artemis cell phone identification, geolocation and communication sensor — a game-changing system for SAR and disaster relief.

Physical and operational expansion

AeroBrigham’s hot operational pace continued throughout 2022 and into 2023, a year that saw the team expand to 37 staff members while delivering a total of 16 airframe completions and reconfigurations.

Ultimately, though, Brigham said the goal is to bring everyone back under the same roof in a brand-new 60,000-sq.-ft. (5,600-sq.-m) facility.

While most of AeroBrigham’s expansion has been calculated, some is attributed to being in the right place at the right time. That was the case when the company was offered first chance to purchase SkyDisplay, the advanced display systems division of MyGoFlight.

Re-branded as AeroDisplay, “we make head-up displays [HUDs] for SR22s, Cessna 421s, Pilatus PC-12s, Air Tractors, and various other aircraft,” Brigham explained. “We’ll be moving forward with R&D [research and development] so we can have that equipment put into helicopters soon.

“This expands our product offering tremendously,” he continued. “The potential is amazing and we expect significant growth. It’s really good for firefighting — for example, along with displaying the primary flight information it it gives them the ability to see hot spots through light rain, fog or smoke.

In addition to AeroDisplay HUDs, AeroBrigham’s product line also includes a previously developed Bell 505 helicopter accessory fitting, approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in September. The new supplemental type certificate covers the installation of a secure attachment point for personal restraint harnesses during doors-off operations.

To elevate its profile, AeroBrigham also sponsors the “Straight and Level” TV show on Amazon Prime.

“We never really thought it would be a big marketing tool, but it has brought us a fair amount of business,” he said of the show. “One thing it’s emphasized is how important branding is to your business.”

Despite its growth, AeroBrigham still puts quality first.

“A lot of our expansion is due to the good relationships we have, including our relationship with the FAA,” Brigham reflected. “We have a reputation for providing good service at a competitive cost. We can take on projects that a lot of companies can’t take on. We’re always striving to increase our capabilities and maintain quality, even though we’ve grown.”

The post AeroBrigham: A focus on expansion appeared first on Vertical Mag.

After a busy period of growth and transition, StandardAero is running at peak efficiency, delivering the unparalleled service that customers have come to expect.

As the largest independent maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider in the world, StandardAero delivers a full suite of rotary-wing services through its global helicopter division. StandardAero prides itself on customer-centric service that is the hallmark of everything its 7,000 employees do in more than 50 major facilities worldwide.

In the summer of 2021, the company acquired Signature Aviation’s engine repair and overhaul (ERO) business, including four entities: Dallas Airmotive, H+S Aviation, International Governor Services, and International Turbine Service. The transaction added 1,100 employees in 14 locations to the StandardAero family.

“The integration is going well,” reported Brian Hughes, vice president of sales and marketing for helicopter programs. “We’ve established centers of excellence [COEs] in key locations, where higher volumes allow us to achieve better efficiencies.”

In 2022, StandardAero transitioned its Rolls-Royce M250 engine business from Dallas Airmotive to Winnipeg, with expanded capability in Concord, North Carolina, and Richmond, British Columbia. This freed necessary resources and floor space for other growing business lines in Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as at the company’s plant in Portsmouth, U.K. Hughes said no jobs were lost during the transition — in fact, the move added 20 new jobs to the company’s existing COEs.

Along similar lines, StandardAero also moved its Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T engine line from H&S Aviation into the Winnipeg shop. Finally, the Rolls-Royce RR300 engine line was shifted from Dallas into Winnipeg, with expanded capability for that engine in Concord and Richmond. 

“At one point, there were eight shops doing the M250,” Hughes said. “We consolidated that into five shops. We still have a shop in Europe, one in Asia, and three in North America: Winnipeg, Richmond and Concord.”

In keeping with its consolidation plan, StandardAero merged two businesses into one in 2021, when its Singapore M250 line integrated with Vector Aerospace’s turboprop business. This development happened after StandardAero’s acquisition of Vector in late 2017. While the process was delayed by the pandemic, the newly consolidated facility is currently at full capacity.

Meanwhile, its COEs for accessory repair and overhaul in Hialeah and Fort Myers, Florida, are also running at peak efficiency two years after all related work was centralized there.  

“Those locations have had a year of stability and growth,” Hughes said. “When we moved everything there two years ago from Winnipeg, we felt the pain. COVID affected the process since we couldn’t send techs and engineers down to do as much training as we’d hoped. It slowed our progress, but I’m happy to say that’s behind us now. Accessories customers can now expect the full StandardAero experience, focusing on service, turn time and quality.”

He said StandardAero’s COE structure has allowed the company to manage through the supply chain issues that are still affecting the industry.

“We have volume and purchasing power,” he said. “We get the lion’s share — we have large fleets of safety stock and large numbers of rental assets to keep people flying.”

Hughes said StandardAero is in tune with its customers and realizes they are dealing with hyper-inflated costs of doing business. Meanwhile, their own rates and revenues are not rising at the same pace.

“Customers are leaning on us to deliver cost-effective solutions,” he said. “So, in an effort to stem inflation, we try to source used and overhauled material, rather than brand-new equipment. There are instances when it does make more sense to utilize a new part so that the engine can run more hours. We understand costs have increased substantially, and we are concentrating on trying to manage them for our customers. We’ve always focused not on the cost of each overhaul, but on the cost-per-hour over time.”

Visitors to the StandardAero booth (B4420) at Heli-Expo 2023 in Atlanta will find a full contingent of staff on hand to showcase all the company’s capabilities — not just gas turbine engine repairs, but also airframe structures, modifications, supplemental type certificates, and dynamic component overhaul.

Close relationships with original equipment manufacturers — including manufacturer approvals from Airbus, GE, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Safran, and Triumph — continue to be a critical component of StandardAero’s success.

The company’s office in Winnipeg also enjoys a close collaboration with non-profit Manitoba Aerospace, which promotes aerospace and defense in the province. In 2022, the two organizations partnered to develop a gas turbine engine repair and overhaul training program that was designed to encourage more women to choose aviation MRO careers.

Thanks to Manitoba government funding, the 18-week program — which is open to both men and women — recently graduated 10 women technicians who are now employed full time at StandardAero.

The successful program is testament to the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, a philosophy Hughes said is baked into StandardAero’s global operations.

“We try hard to create a workplace where everyone is welcome,” he said. “Our view is that the company benefits from a variety of diverse perspectives that combine into one strong team. This commitment is essential to our success, both now and in the future.”

The post StandardAero: Delivering Unparalleled Service appeared first on Vertical Mag.

One year ago, Reiser Simulation and Training introduced Heli-Expo attendees to its new Avionic Cloud Trainer (ACT), an interactive training tool to help pilots learn an aircraft’s complex systems from the comfort of their own home.

Martin Keil, Reiser’s chief technology officer, said the German company’s software-based solution has been well received by industry. Over the past year, its capabilities have been developed even further.

“[The ACT] is now part of a larger organizational tool focusing on pilot training management,” he explained. “Aviation training regulations are strict. In order to fly certain aircraft, you must have a type rating that has to be renewed. For that, you need training media and an instructor.”

The ACT has been folded into Reiser’s new simplAIR training management system, designed to complement the company’s full line of training devices — including Level D simulators, flight and navigation procedures trainers, maintenance training rigs, and full-scale replica cockpits.

Pilots access simplAIR on their phone or tablet. Working alone or in groups, they follow an integrated syllabus with instructor guidance and support. Learning is reinforced by artificial intelligence (AI) evaluation and feedback.

It’s not just a tool for pilots either — simplAIR also manages information and training requirements for helicopter emergency medical crews, simulator technicians, training organizations and regulatory bodies.

“People can conduct training at home using the ACT,” Keil noted. “There are complex systems in the aircraft today, and it is boring to learn them by manual. Now, there is an interactive tool, allowing you to train at home while sitting on your couch. All you need is internet access.”

He said Reiser plans to take ACT even further, through amendments that include enhanced interactive training courses and a credit system for programs successfully completed.

“We are aiming for an AI instructor-type solution,” Keil said.

Reiser’s newest offerings are part of the company’s strategy, but also a byproduct of a busy pandemic period. In fact, company CEO Dr. Roman Sperl said Reiser is posting its best performance ever, and “numbers are very good.”

He, too, pointed out that pilots are not the only ones well served by Reiser’s software-based training solutions.

“These are tools for an organization to make training more effective for the individual — whether pilot, maintainer, or hoist operator,” Sperl said.

The latter group is enjoying the benefits of another new Reiser training system, hoistAR. Targeted at rescue hoist operators, it employs augmented reality (AR) to deliver realistic training for operational hoist procedures. In addition to seeing and feeling as if they are really flying on the helicopter, students can be linked with the rest of the helicopter crew through full-flight simulator (FFS) connectivity.

As operators look to create efficiencies in their training programs, Reiser is seeing increased interest in its products and services.

“Customers are looking for classroom training, where instructors use ACT to train a large group of people,” Sperl said. “Once they have basic instruction, they can continue with their training at home. It’s very intuitive.”

A family of devices

Reiser delivers a full range of helicopter flight simulation devices, from top-of-the-line Level D full-flight simulators (with “roll-on/roll-off” cockpit interchangeability) to lower fidelity training equipment. They are all part of a common family.

“All our training devices have characteristics in common,” Keil said. “There is a common software core, so we are coming from the high-quality end to develop lower-fidelity applications. You can really feel the difference.”

Reiser partnered with RS Flight Systems in 2021 to produce cost-effective helicopter flight and navigation procedures trainers (FNPTs) and flight training devices (FTDs). The resulting F-light line family of trainers is modular, upgradeable, and powered by Reiser’s Level D FFS software.

“Of course, it cuts costs but it maintains the same training capability you’d expect from a higher-end trainer,” Sperl said. “You get the maximum output of training at a fraction of the cost of an FFS. It fits through a regular door, and opens up full training to smaller operators.”

Sperl said the F-light line family of devices was recently improved with the addition of extended reality (XR) goggles, which replace the system’s previous mini dome and projectors. The new goggles were debuted last November at the European Rotors tradeshow in Germany.

“We were approached by customers who were extremely happy to see there is a small footprint, still with that immersive feeling as if you are sitting inside a dome,” Sperl said.

Reiser also presented an early demonstration version of hoistAR along with a fully functional roll-on/roll-off cockpit module equipped with the XR goggles.

“The hoist and cockpit were connected, so people could fly interconnected as a crew,” Keil said.

At this year’s Heli-Expo show in Atlanta, Georgia, Reiser will be demonstrating the hoistAR and simplAIR systems.

Sperl noted that helicopter training, like commercial fixed-wing training, is moving toward a competency-based model that focuses on where pilots need additional training.

“The more we can train simplAIR to recognize these areas and highlight them, the better,” he said.

To help operators who want to purchase their own flight simulators, Sperl revealed that Reiser will also be supporting potential customers by connecting them to specialized financing services.

“Customers need to have funds, financing, a business plan,” he said. “They may be a flight school trying to decide if they can afford a sim. We are aiming to open acquisition to a much wider audience. A lot of them are new to the idea. We want to make their business case fly.”

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AeroBrigham is known as the helicopter service provider that can get the job done — no matter what that job happens to entail.

From the smallest custom modification to large-scale maintenance, completions, refurbishment, paint and interior work, the Decatur, Texas-based company has it covered. As a testament to the company’s good work, business has been booming — even throughout the pandemic.

“We’ve grown 30 percent in the last 1.5 years,” said David Brigham, president and co-owner with his brother Danny. “We had to add more people to keep up with the workload.”

Although AeroBrigham has always taken pride in being the company that tackles even the smallest custom jobs, Brigham said that lately, more big helicopter completion contracts have been rolling through the door.

“Everything that has come to us has been huge completions in law enforcement and search-and-rescue [SAR]. We still have some small projects, but our concentration has shifted this year. Corporate and emergency medical services [EMS] work has been slower.”

For instance, the AeroBrigham team recently reconfigured a previously-owned Bell 429 for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana. The accelerated five-month project saw all the original mission equipment and avionics removed and replaced with new radios, a tactical avionics package, and AeroBrigham’s tactical flight officer (TFO) station.

The system, which is easily installed on existing cabin seat rails, was developed in conjunction with CNC Technologies as part of AeroBrigham’s previous work on a fleet of eight Bell 429s for the Jamaica Defence Force. The final aircraft was delivered in September 2022.

The staff was also busy working on a brand-new Bell 429 completion for Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Also in conjunction with CNC Technologies, which provided a military-grade encrypted microwave downlink, AeroBrigham installed a hoist camera, Trakka searchlight, MX-15 thermal imager, and digital audio system, among other state-of-the-art equipment. The company also created a custom crossover cable that allows the MX-15 equipped aircraft to accept the MX-10 as a backup, without changing anything on the helicopter.

“The Collier County aircraft was scheduled to be here for six months and we delivered it in four,” Brigham said. “It was a very tough schedule.”

He also revealed that this aircraft will be displayed at Bell’s Heli-Expo booth, allowing showgoers to examine it in person.

On the fixed-wing side, AeroBrigham delivered one Air Tractor AT-802A FireBoss aircraft in March 2022, with another new completion and two upgrades coming soon. The company also installed mission equipment and a microwave downlink on a Cirrus SR22 aircraft destined for the Harris County Sheriff in Texas.

Brigham said law enforcement and SAR customers are generally looking for the same equipment: several cameras, night vision goggle compatibility, moving map systems, a microwave downlink system, touchscreen monitors, searchlights and sometimes computer-aided dispatch and 5G Wi-Fi service. AeroBrigham is also working with Smith Myers on its Artemis cell phone identification, geolocation and communication sensor — a game-changing system for SAR and disaster relief.

Physical and operational expansion

AeroBrigham’s hot operational pace continued throughout 2022, a year that saw the team expand to 26 staff members while delivering a total of 16 airframe completions and reconfigurations.

With business booming, AeroBrigham expanded into a neighboring 42,000-square-foot (3,900-square-meter) hangar at Decatur Municipal Airport in February 2023. All helicopter operations were relocated to the new hangar, which includes an in-house paint facility, while fixed-wing work remained in the company’s original hangar.

Ultimately, though, Brigham said the goal is to bring everyone back under the same roof in a brand-new, 60,000-sq.-ft. (5,570-sq. m) facility. He expects to break ground for that project in 2023.

While most of AeroBrigham’s expansion has been calculated, some is attributed to being in the right place at the right time. That was the case when the company was offered first chance to purchase SkyDisplay, the advanced display systems division of MyGoFlight. He hopes to break ground for that project in 2023.

“It makes head-up displays [HUDs] for SR22s and Air Tractors,” Brigham explained. “We’ll be moving forward with R&D [research and development] so we can have that equipment put into helicopters, too. This expands our product offering tremendously. The potential is amazing and we expect significant growth. It’s really good for firefighting, for example — it gives them the ability to see hot spots, see through light rain and fog, or smoke when integrated with a thermal camera or EVS [enhanced vision system].”

In addition to SkyDisplay HUDs, AeroBrigham’s product line also includes a previously developed Bell 505 helicopter accessory fitting, approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in September 2022. The new supplemental type certificate (STC) covers the installation of a secure attachment point for personal restraint harnesses during doors-off operations.

To elevate its profile, AeroBrigham also sponsors the “Straight and Level” TV show on Amazon Prime. Season 3 will be released soon, Brigham said.

“We never really thought it would be a big marketing tool, but it has brought us a fair amount of business,” he said of the show. “One thing it’s emphasized is how important branding is to your business.”

Despite its growth, AeroBrigham still puts quality first.

“A lot of our expansion is due to the good relationships we have, including our relationship with the FAA,” Brigham reflected. “We have a reputation for providing good service at a competitive cost. We can take on projects that a lot of companies can’t take on. We’re always striving to increase our capabilities and maintain quality, even though we’ve grown.”

The post AeroBrigham: Expanded Focus appeared first on Vertical Mag.

STEPHAN/H is a division of Groupe Huot, which includes a number of aviation-related companies: Capitale Hélicoptère Flight School; GoHelico aerial work, charter and tour company; and Quebec airborne medical services provider Airmedic. 

Since it was founded in 2012 by Quebec real estate mogul and helicopter pilot Stephan Huot, the pilot apparel company that bears his name has largely flown under the radar. But over the last two years, that’s been changing — and fast. 

“At the beginning, Stephan Huot had all these pilots and staff who needed to be suited and he looked at the different options,” said Stephanie Huot, general director of STEPHAN/H and Stephan’s daughter. “My father didn’t find anything that was up to his own standards and the market’s standards, so he started STEPHAN/H to produce comfortable, high-performing flight suits for aviation professionals. It’s a revolution in protective industry apparel.”

STEPHAN/H wants its clients to feel like their flight suit is an integral part of their operation, ensuring optimal function, comfort, and ergonomics on a daily basis. That’s why it was very important for the company to make its clients a part of its research and development process. 

“We’ve been equipping more and more pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and a lot of different ‘action’ professionals who need not only functional suits, but a second skin that is also comfy and good-looking,” Huot said.

Originally designed for helicopter pilots, STEPHAN/H flight suits are now conquering a new frontier: space. 

NASA has bought hundreds of its blue Rotor flight suits for its development program. And most of the private space programs, such as Blue Origin, have also turned to STEPHAN/H for their flight suits. 

“It seems our design is a cross between a suit that is specifically designed for pilots but also fits well in the space environment,” Huot said. “It’s an area where we had a big breakthrough. Alyssa Carson, who is currently training to go to Mars one day, is the brand ambassador for STEPHAN/H and has done several Instagram stories with our suit — she wears it all the time.”

STEPHAN/H produces three collections. The bestseller is the Signature Collection that was designed to exceed the highest standard for flame-resistant clothing. The main concept of the Signature is to minimize air infiltration while still offering the same seated ergonomics, flexibility, and performance as the original patented design.

The Rotor collection, which comes in one or two pieces with six color options, is made from water-repellent stretch fabric that moves with busy pilots. Its unique features include four-way stretch inserts and abrasion resistant fabric in high-wear areas. It is also lined with mesh, which creates an air layer between the shell and skin for better ventilation. 

The Ultimate collection has been designed and developed in conjunction with Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex in the U.K. to meet its demanding daily needs. The fabric, among other features, is flame resistant and protects against minor projection of liquid chemicals, bodily fluids and the hazards of an electric arc. The high-wear areas, such as the knees, elbows, and shoulders, are reinforced, while the numerous pockets can accommodate all the essentials of a first responder kit.

“We use only top-quality materials and handcrafted design,” Huot said. “We work closely with our own staff and ambassadors to develop these suits, and we work hard to ensure we use double stitching or special fabricating techniques where necessary. Our suits are meticulously crafted by a team of dedicated seamstresses in Quebec City, so they are much more durable and will last longer. Over 200 components go into our flight suits — it’s an investment in comfort, durability, and functionality.”

The company sells its products worldwide from its Quebec City headquarters, and STEPHAN/H’s production team constantly challenges itself to take the company’s suits to the next level. For instance, it has developed a line of women’s flight suits that are specially designed to fit the female body, thereby improving functionality, ergonomic performance, and appearance. As well, staff look for even better-performing materials and take care to promptly implement client feedback.

“For us, it’s not only the material but also the small things,” Huot explained. “No matter the size of the client organization, we can tailor suits for each of their staff. When you see someone wearing a STEPHAN/H suit tailor-made for them, it makes a huge difference and makes them look unique.”

Looking down the road, STEPHAN/H will focus on sharing its passion with clients and partners for high-performing aviation wear. In addition to space, the company is providing suits to other industries that need highly technical clothing for demanding environments, such as helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and search-and-rescue. 

“We are also working on a street wear collection that reflects the quality and look of our products, for anyone who wants to look ‘professional grade,’” Huot said. “The future is now for a new generation of flight suit. We bring to market a product line that’s in a class by itself. Once you try it, you won’t want to go back. You’ll know you have something that is highly functional that you are proud to wear without compromising comfort and style.” 

Tradeshow attendees will be able to see and feel STEPHAN/H’s revolutionary flight suits at the company’s tradeshow booth. The team of experts was at Helitech to help attendees choose the best uniform for their operations.   

The post STEPHAN/H: Suiting up for the future of flight appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Helicopters are hard-working machines by their very nature. They’re expected to perform in all sorts of adverse conditions, despite environmental contaminants like salt, sand and dust. 

While engine air filters are common on everything from lawnmowers to passenger vehicles, helicopters traditionally haven’t used them.

However, during the 2003 Iraq War, the U.S. military noticed engines were eroding much faster than normal due to repeated exposure to desert sand. Likewise, those operating on saltwater coasts noticed shorter times between engine overhauls. 

“That brought the concept of an inlet barrier filter to the forefront,” explained Lorie Symon, CEO of Aerometals, an aerospace company founded in 1984 in El Dorado Hills, California. 

Aerometals has been producing inlet barrier filters (IBFs) for helicopters for nearly 20 years.

Today, that product line is part of a larger entity that includes 150,000 square feet (14,000 square meters) of manufacturing, design and testing facilities. With 162 employees — including more than 30 engineers and 100 production personnel — Aerometals is known for specializing in every aspect of its tagline: “Design, fly, certify, manufacture.”

Its other product lines include Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved PMA (parts manufacturer approval) spare parts and the recovery of obsolete electric components, along with being a Department of Defense contractor. 

In 2016, Aerometals worked with the FAA to certify an inlet barrier filter (IBF) for the Sikorsky S-92 twin-engine helicopter. It took a little over six years to get that supplementary type certificate (STC).

“We are one of the world’s leading experts on this technology,” Symon said.  

Currently, Aerometals holds 19 IBF STCs across a range of helicopter types, including Sikorsky, Airbus, Bell and MD. 

“The last STC we received was for the S-70/H-60 model, commonly known as the Black Hawk,” Symon continued. “Prior to that, all of our IBF STCs had been for commercial aircraft.” 

Aerometals’ success with the Black Hawk STC led to a contract with the U.S. Special Operations Command, announced in March 2022. It will see the company’s IBFs installed on U.S. Army special operations MH-60M helicopters over the next five years. 

Going global 

With its Black Hawk STC in hand, Aerometals has identified foreign militaries operating in places like Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, where sand and pollutants are more common. 

The company has begun educating helicopter manufacturers, operators and pilots about IBFs and how they function. 

“It’s a natural follow-on to reach out to foreign militaries,” Symon said. “The response right now is honestly a bit tentative, because IBFs are not commonly flown outside North America. We’re doing a lot of education, answering a lot of questions — dispelling myths.”

She said a common concern is that installing an IBF will negatively affect airflow to the helicopter engine, thereby reducing power. 

“The concept I’m really trying to get across to people, especially pilots, is that any time you put something in front of an engine, yes, you can affect the performance. Restricting airflow can slightly reduce the power reserve,” Symon said. “However, what they’ll find is that by trapping the particles that cause erosion, we end up preserving the remaining aircraft power. If that engine is allowed to erode over time, it has to work faster and hotter as it continues to degrade. By filtering the air, you can preserve that existing power reserve.”

Symon said the most powerful reason to install IBFs is found in the operational bottom line.

“Most of the time, an IBF will double the time between overhauls. If you can skip just one engine overhaul, you have more than covered the cost of an IBF. The return on investment is big.”

Erik Blanck, director of sales and marketing at Aerometals, is in charge of promoting the IBF business case to manufacturers and operators. 

“With engine OEMs, they are coming to the idea that IBFs are beneficial,” he said. “They were against them early on, but now they have customers running power-by-the-hour programs, and they are finding there is a need for an IBF.”

Blanck said the Aerometals booth at the 2022 European Rotors show will include an “intuitive interface” detailing what IBFs are, how they are installed, and how they perform. Filters will be onsite for visitor inspection. 

“There are a lot of preconceived myths out there about IBFs,” Symon said. “Some of the older filters prompted these, but technology has changed over the last 20 years. We’ve been able to correct power hits and limitations in our new STCs.”

Symon said two new IBF programs are underway and one, perhaps two, will be announced at European Rotors. 

The company is spooling up production to fulfil its Special Operations contract, with an emphasis on vertically integrated manufacturing. It is currently hiring and aims to grow its staff to 200 employees. 

Symon concluded with a message for new customers: “Aerometals has a solid, stable presence in the industry and we will be here for years to support you.” 

The post Aerometals: Filtered focus appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Elizabeth Hoadley sleeps with her phone beside her. As the director of sales and marketing for Med-Pac, Inc., she’s made it a priority to be available for her customers around the world, no matter what time they call. 

It’s this willingness to jump into action that prompted the initial meeting between Hoadley and Med-Pac president and founder Ralph Braaten. 

Nine years ago, Hoadley — a critical care nurse and flight medic — was filling in as a bartender at a local bar. Suddenly, one of the guests went into cardiac arrest. Hoadley vaulted over the bar, performed CPR, and saved the man’s life. 

Braaten was among the onlookers that night. Impressed, he later invited Hoadley to bring her expertise to Med-Pac. It was the start of a powerful partnership that has innovated countless solutions for fixed- and rotary-wing air medical service providers worldwide.

Based in Lake Park, Minnesota, Med-Pac has been designing, manufacturing and delivering air medical equipment for more than two decades. Braaten — an aircraft maintenance engineer and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designated airworthiness representative (DAR) — originally launched with the Med-Pac 400 system, an air ambulance kit that includes a lightweight aluminum stretcher with oxygen supply, air compressor, vacuum pumps and inverters. Several custom accessories are available. 

“That was Ralph’s original bed when he started the company,” Hoadley said. “Word of mouth has been key — we feel it’s almost become a legend on fixed-wing platforms. It’s an iconic, tried-and-true airplane system. Everyone knows about it. Now, we’re evolving our product line into rotary-wing, adding more helicopters all the time.”

Stocking solutions

Instead of hunkering down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Med-Pac took a vastly different path. 

“We started broadening our product portfolio, including designing isolation stretchers compatible for our Med-Pac 400,” Hoadley said. “We continue to be driven to provide quality products, and we rebuilt for our customers during the pandemic so that when there is an emergency, we have parts available. We make sure we keep different items in stock, so we do not create any delays for our customers. I’m proud to say that most things can be delivered within five business days — including an entire stretcher system.”

During the pandemic, Med-Pac made a habit of saying “yes” when others said “no.” The company completed several custom interiors with medical cabinetry, specializing in one-off designs and special projects.

Braaten and Hoadley love the challenge that comes with innovating solutions for their customers’ lifesaving work.

“It’s been very rewarding for me because I get to design interiors and solutions that I wish I would have had when I was flying,” said Hoadley, who has been a nurse for 27 years and served as a flight medic for 20 years. 

“I get really excited about listening to customers’ needs and delivering more than they ever imagined. For example, a German customer was doing humanitarian outreach in Brazil, and we outfitted two Kodiak floatplanes with the capability to do minor surgery right on the Amazon River. I was able to meet the neurosurgeon and his assistant for that project,” she explained. “In Brazil, they usually have very archaic equipment. When they saw our new ultrasound, one that plugs into an iPad with a wand that fits in a pocket, the man cried.”

Another customer flying out of Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan needed a customized trauma IV pole. Hoadley sketched out a design that spanned the entire length of the stretcher, came apart in three pieces, and fit under the bed. Braaten took that sketch, and Med-Pac made and delivered the unit within 21 days. 

He and Hoadley even designed a patient loading ramp that can be used on a beach or a floating dock. 

With a fully computerized machine shop onsite, Med-Pac builds virtually all of its parts and can even apply powder coating. This allows the company to control its production. 

“It’s never longer than two weeks to deliver a full Med-Pac 400 life support system,” Hoadley said. “Again, we’re looking at it differently. We have a lot of inventory on the shelves, so that costs us more. But having to wait 10 weeks for something like an oxygen tank is ridiculous, so when we get to minimums, we re-order.”

Rotary expansion

Already on solid footing in the fixed-wing world, Med-Pac is focused on expanding its rotary-wing product line.

In particular, the company aims to design equipment for platforms that aren’t traditionally used for air medical missions.

“We’ve been evolving into different aircraft that people wish could be medevac in developing countries, like New Guinea,” Hoadley said. “That’s a challenging market for medevac. They have smaller helicopters there. They fly a lot of Robinsons. That’s never been looked at for medevac and now we are designing something to make that a possibility. It will be revolutionary. We have a different way of looking at medevac — we find ways to put a bed in there.”

Both Braaten and Hoadley have been re-energized by the possibilities presented by the helicopter medevac market.

“We love innovating solutions for these other helicopters, and we’re so excited to tackle the aircraft that haven’t been addressed yet … I have a list of helicopters I want to do going forward,” she said. “We have so much fun talking about things we want to do. We’re really trying to do things differently, to be visionaries who give our customers limitless possibilities. We get in there, roll up our sleeves and go to work for them. We’re not just about off-the-shelf — we’re sure going to try to make it happen.” 

The post Med-Pac: Visionary support appeared first on Vertical Mag.

When the Astronautics team landed in Dallas, Texas, for Heli-Expo 2022 this spring, they had a lot to celebrate.

As the company unveiled its next generation aviation connectivity solution on the HAI show floor, Astronautics’ manufacturing operations transitioned to a new cutting-edge facility in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The move consolidated its production, engineering, program management, and support services into one completely renovated corporate headquarters for the first time in the company’s history.

But as welcome as the efficiencies and synergies that will emerge from this consolidation will be, Astronautics was even more excited about the products it showcased to the helicopter industry in Dallas in March.

Known worldwide as a producer of proven aviation connectivity solutions and reliable cockpit displays, Astronautics has built a reputation for providing avionics solutions that make flying safer and more secure. Its equipment can be found on more than 150,000 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, both civilian and military.

Recently, its award-winning air-ground communications system (AGCS) was developed as a standard-fit solution for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Airbus and launched on their new production H145 helicopters as wireless airborne communication system (wACS), enabling their connected services.

A lot of power in a compact package

At Heli-Expo 2022, Astronautics unveiled a new derivative of the AGCS/wACS — a lighter, more condensed connectivity option with technical standard order approval, AEC115.

Targeted as an OEM and aftermarket solution, AEC115 packs a lot of power into one box.

“We took our three LRU [line-replaceable unit] solution, which satisfied OEMs, maintainers and mission profiles, and condensed it into one box for aircraft like light helicopters,” explained Josh Berrian, Astronautics’ senior manager of connected products. “We condensed wireless radio technology, Ethernet, ARINC 429, serial interfaces, web server and HMI [human machine interface] into an 800-gram package … This is for any helicopter or aftermarket platform that needs Wi-Fi or wired internet and streaming connectivity to route mission data like video and location, or stream critical medical information, during the whole mission profile. It preserves those aspects in a compact package.”

AEC115 is a complete air-to-ground data transmission system for light aircraft, offering segregated Ethernet ports for mission use, ARINC 429 receive and transmit capability, RS-232 and RS-485 serial interfaces, and high-speed cellular (3G/4G LTE) and broadband Wi-Fi data transmission.
Like Astronautics’ AGCS, AEC115 allows customers to stay connected, wherever they may be.

“We developed our connectivity solutions for standard fit OEM part 29 and 27 installation, which means we incorporated world-class reliability, quality, and industrialization,” Berrian said. “That’s a big differentiator — I don’t know of another secure connectivity product that is rotorcraft standard fit like we are and built to thrive in that environment. We also have a global radio certification program and provide global cellular service for all our customers worldwide. Finally, we use multiple antenna input and output technology, so we achieve state-of-the-art performance.”

An aftermarket solution

The aftermarket use cases for the product are numerous. The AEC115 system is capable of streaming patient data in real time on helicopter emergency medical flights, or live streaming video from an airborne law enforcement mission. For corporate VIP applications, AEC115 allows passengers to enjoy high-speed connectivity throughout the duration of their flight.

Not only does Astronautics’ AEC115 provide quick and reliable data transmission, but the company’s experience designing the system for OEM and military applications means data — as well as sensitive avionics equipment — are securely protected.

“We have the history and capability to securely bridge domains between open wireless communication and secured avionics under a single supplier,” Berrian said. “Security is half the battle when you interface with primary flight displays, and that’s what we do all day with our displays and connectivity lines. We have the EASA [European Union Aviation Safety Agency] and OEM security control development approvals, both rotary- and fixed-wing, to back that up.”

In development since May 2020, AEC115 made its official debut at Heli-Expo 2022, both as an OEM connectivity solution and as an aftermarket data gateway with cellular connectivity for EMS, law enforcement, search and rescue, and executive transport operators. Mary Loomis, director of communications, said the company hopes to announce its OEM customer, as well as its aftermarket launch customer — an EMS operator — at the event. In addition, Astronautics plans to unveil branding for AEC115 as part of its family of connectivity products.

As Astronautics concentrates on interfacing its connectivity solutions with its primary flight displays, the company is innovating new ways to load flight plans and other data, as well as obtain maintenance information. All of this capability is offered as a packaged solution through a single provider.

Astronautics’ Badger Pro+ integrated flight display system is the forward-fit solution on new Bell 412s and 429s, known for its crisp displays and high reliability. Also, the company’s RoadRunner electronic flight instrument is an affordable, incremental path to upgrading electromechanical primary flight displays to glass — gaining enhanced capabilities with minimal downtime.

Astronautics has more than 60 years of avionics experience designing and manufacturing innovative and reliable display systems, and now connectivity solutions. Both OEMs and operators depend on Astronautics products to improve the efficiencies of their aircraft, along with providing capabilities that enhance safe and secure mission readiness.

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For 33 years, Reiser Simulation and Training has been honing its passion for flight simulation and training, striving to become the best in the field while enhancing safety through innovation.

Located south of Munich, Germany, Reiser delivers a range of helicopter flight training solutions, including Level D full-flight simulators (FFS), flight and navigation procedures trainers (FNPTs), avionic desktop trainers (ADTs), maintenance training rigs and full-scale replica cockpits.

The company creates training devices for newer Airbus Helicopters machines with glass cockpits. In fact, Reiser replicated Airbus’s Helionix avionics suite, which is used on H135, H145, H160, and H175, and leverages it to train pilots.
This year at Heli-Expo, Reiser introduced an exciting new product to the helicopter industry. Its Avionic Cloud Trainer (ACT) is a derivative of its Level D simulator development process, explained Dr. Roman Sperl, CEO.

“It’s a side effect of the approach our company has taken in the past,” he said. “We were OEM [original equipment manufacturer] independent while building our FFS and we have always replicated avionics systems. We have engineered all of that functionality for an FFS. Now, we can put that software capability in the cloud.”

The ACT is a software-centered solution that allows helicopter crews to acquaint themselves with the capabilities of a cockpit long before they ever sit in the pilot’s seat. Further, they can complete their initial training at home using their own computer or tablet.

Since all Reiser training devices are interoperable and share the same avionics system software, mastering the ACT allows student pilots to proceed to the next level, Reiser’s Avionic Desktop Trainer (ADT), before graduating to more complicated devices. In this way, Reiser offers training aids to facilitate any stage of pilot development.

“Pilot training is getting complex,” said Martin Keil, Reiser’s chief technology officer. “We now have glass cockpits with multi-layered menu systems, and pilots need to understand which button to push on the interface. With the ACT, crews can acquaint themselves with the capabilities of a cockpit before moving on to higher fidelity members of our training device family.”

While the ACT was a natural spinoff of Reiser’s FFS and desktop trainer, it offers additional benefits during a global pandemic.

“We have learned through COVID that we need to adapt to new challenges, including training at home,” Sperl said. “You can use the ACT safely at home to familiarize yourself with complex avionics systems. Pilots used to travel across borders to train. Now, operators are looking to bring simpler training systems into their home base. This way, we free up cost-intensive training devices like full-flight simulators and reduce overall training costs.”

Integrated in the operator’s qualified training system, the ACT can cover up to 80 percent of the training tasks related to systems operation. Reiser’s ACT is available to its customers with no associated ownership costs or specific hardware requirements.

“All you need to do is subscribe to the cloud service and off you go,” Keil said.
The company plans to enable free temporary downloads for Heli-Expo attendees. Although the cloud-based trainer is new, Sperl reported that Reiser is seeing great interest from EMS and law enforcement operations.
“There are several advantages for civil or military operators,” he said. “Our training devices feature a scenario generator, and you can put together any scene on the ground. It’s highly adaptable, almost limitless, with an intensive debrief capability.”

Something for smaller operators

When it began building Level D FFS devices, Reiser entered the top end of the flight simulation training device market. However, last year, the company acknowledged that smaller helicopter operations, including flight schools, don’t necessarily need an FFS.

“We see great potential for the targeted fidelity training devices,” Sperl said.
In late September 2021, Reiser announced a partnership with fellow German company RS Flight Systems to develop a line of innovative yet cost-effective helicopter FNPTs and flight training devices (FTDs).

The result is F-light Line — or “flight simulator light.” It combines Reiser’s capable Level D flight model and replica Helionix avionics software with a more affordable hardware package tailored to operators with smaller budgets.
Sperl said RS Flight Systems will provide installation and hardware services for the F-light Line devices.

“It’s a partnership to gain access to a market that our product line of Level D would not have reached,” he explained. “The benefit for customers is they will be flying the existing Level D Helionix software on a lower-end, off-the-shelf device, while still benefitting from the full capability of training.”
“If training becomes more available and affordable, operators will spend more hours on training than before — not just the minimum,” Keil added.

Reiser’s helicopter training products, which also include augmented reality and extended reality instructional devices, are certifiable to both the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards.

In addition, its FFS devices incorporate the company’s innovative “mothership” configuration with Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) capability, whereby different cockpits from different OEMs can be interchangeably installed in the same simulator shell, or mothership.

In tune with its interoperable suite of products, Sperl said Reiser will look to the future by leveraging big data to enhance its networking and connectivity capabilities.

“We intend to provide pilot training program improvements by monitoring individual pilot performance and comparing it to a standard reference, using a simple, integrated interface,” Sperl said. “We have all of this big data available and are looking to harness it.”

“We’ve built synthetic training devices which fully replicate the original helicopter,” Keil added. “When you have that data, you can do anything with it according to customer need.”

The post Reiser Simulation and Training: Software-Centered Solution appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Intermountain Turbine Services (ITS) believes the potential is bright for Honeywell’s HTS900 turboshaft engine, and it is positioning to support operators with the recent opening of a new multi-million-dollar test cell.

Based in Lindon, Utah, ITS has cultivated a well-deserved reputation as an expert in Honeywell’s popular LTS101 turboshaft engine, the predecessor of the HTS900. 

Founded in 1993 by president and CEO Darryl K. Christensen, ITS has the distinction of being one of only two original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-approved LTS101 authorized service centers in the world and the only HTS900 authorized service center, providing both engine heavy maintenance and hardware. It is also the world’s premier authorized maintenance center for LTS101 and HTS900 main fuel pumps and high-pressure fuel filters, manufactured by Triumph Group. 

The 1,000-shaft horsepower (shp) class HTS900 engine currently powers the Eagle 407HP, a re-engined version of the Bell 407, and Leonardo’s AW09. 

Although the global HTS900 fleet is currently small, ITS anticipates significant growth. For two years, the company has been planning the addition of its new test cell, bringing it online in September 2021. Aside from the OEM itself, the HTS900 test cell at ITS is the only one in the world. 

“We’re putting this in place to make sure we can support the HTS900 fleet,” Darryl said. “The fact that we now have a correlated, operational test cell here allows faster maintenance turnaround times, as well as quicker diagnostic capabilities. It’s been in process for two years since the contract was signed, but we’ve been preparing for it longer than that.”

The new test cell is housed in a separate 1,000-square-foot, structurally-reinforced building adjacent to the ITS facilities in Lindon. Although ITS still operates its original LTS101 test cell, the new facility offers what Darryl called a “step change” in technology.

The equipment boasts advanced testing features, including an automated dyno controller and complete compatibility with full authority digital engine control (FADEC)-equipped engines. Rated to handle up to 2,500 shp, the new test cell is outfitted with 360-degree cameras so technicians can monitor all aspects of the engine remotely.

“Once the engine is up to horsepower, the technicians are not in the room,” explained Brad Christensen, ITS general manager. “It enhances safety.”

Designed by CEL Aerospace Group in Montreal, Quebec, the test cell also features an automated safety shutdown protocol to protect employees and equipment, a full fly-by-wire system for actuating engines that incorporate hydromechanical controls, and a high-end Mattei rotary screw compressor. Although built specifically for the HTS900, the new test cell can also be used for the LTS101, which increases ITS’s capability to support the older engine.

“We believe that this test cell puts us in a great position for the imminent certification of the Kopter AW09 and any other potential future platforms,” Darryl said.

Full-service support

The new HTS900 engine test cell is only the latest in a long line of ITS supports designed to keep operators flying. In addition to the service and sale of parts and engines, ITS also exchanges complete engines and offers full aircraft on ground (AOG) priority service around the clock.

Darryl said the company sends maintenance technicians into the field to assist customers with procedures, such as borescope inspections. Additionally, it provides onsite training, approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Canada, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, at its Utah headquarters, where technicians can earn certificates for servicing both engine types. 

“Lately, since COVID-19, we will go onsite to offer courses at their facilities,” he said. “It has been an option, and we are fortunate to have technicians Chad Hawke and Luke Olsen, who have vast experience in both onsite maintenance and training for the HTS900.”

When the 24/7 support line rings, ITS determines the type of action that is required, based on client issue and location. That response may come from the Lindon headquarters in the form of a late-night parts shipment, or from Roger Gibbs, the company’s New Zealand-based field service director.

“We have couriers showing up in the middle of the night to put parts on planes,” Darryl said. “Or, they will drive them there — whatever is fastest for the customer.”

“The fact that we now have a correlated, operational test cell here allows faster maintenance turnaround times, as well as quicker diagnostic capabilities.”

Darryl K. Christensen, president and CEO, ITS.

In response to a growing fleet, ITS has been increasing its inventory levels. The company offers the largest stock of LTS101 inventory outside of Honeywell, with 97% of the items customers need in stock, including a fleet of rental engines it manages for both the LTS101 and HTS900.

Darryl is proud of the family atmosphere at ITS. Not only are his customers treated like family, but his team includes his sister and several second-generation members of the Christensen clan, including his two sons and two daughters. 

“Our goal is to keep our customers supported, and we strive to instill that goal into every member of the ITS family,” he said.

According to company sales director, Mike Matthews, ITS plans to send its sales and service team to Heli-Expo 2022 in Dallas, Texas, where visitors to its booth can learn more about the company’s newly expanded test cell capabilities. For those operating LTS101 or HTS900 engines, it will be the place to be.

The post Intermountain Turbine Services: The HTS900 Experts appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Since it was founded in 2012 by Quebec real estate mogul and helicopter pilot Stephan Huot, the pilot apparel company that bears his name has largely flown under the radar. But over the last two years, that’s been changing — and fast. 

Flight suits designed by Quebec City’s STEPHAN/H have been featured in international movies, including “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “The Matrix Resurrections,” Netflix’s “Away,” and Chinese film, “The Rescue.” They’re also on the airshow circuit, modelled by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic team.

“We’ve been equipping more and more pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and a lot of different ‘action’ professionals who need not only functional suits, but a second skin that is also comfy and good-looking,” said Jean-Philippe Villemaire, communications director at STEPHAN/H.

Originally designed for helicopter pilots, STEPHAN/H flight suits are now conquering a new frontier: space.

“We’ve been chosen by NASA and most of the private space programs, such as Blue Origin. It seems our design is a cross between a suit that is specifically designed for pilots but also fits well in the space environment,” Villemaire explained. “It’s an area where we had a big breakthrough. NASA has bought hundreds of our blue Rotor flight suits for their development program. And Alyssa Carson, who hopes to go to Mars one day, has done several Instagram stories with our suit — she wears it all the time.”

STEPHAN/H is a division of Groupe Huot, which includes a number of aviation-related companies: Capitale Hélicoptère flight school; GoHelico aerial work, charter and tour company; and Quebec airborne medical services provider Airmedic. 

“Stephan Huot had all these pilots and staff that needed to be suited and he looked at the different options,” Villemaire said. “He didn’t find anything that was up to his own standards, so he started STEPHAN/H to produce comfortable, high-performing flight suits for aviation professionals. It’s a revolution in protective industry apparel.”

Currently, STEPHAN/H offers three professional flight suits: Classic, Rotor, and Signature. 

As the entry-point product, the one-piece Classic suit (CDN$395 or US$315) comes in two colors and features a center zipper with front and side pockets.

The best seller is the Rotor suit (from CDN$895 or US$715), which comes in one or two pieces with six color options. It is made from stretchy, water-repellent fabric that moves right along with busy pilots. Its unique features include four-way stretch inserts, abrasion resistant fabric in high-wear areas, and mesh-lined material that creates an air layer between the shell and skin for better ventilation. 

“The Signature [from CDN$1,295 or US$1,030] is our top-of-the-line suit,” Villemaire continued. “It is fire-resistant and made from 4.5 or six-ounce Nomex, depending on the durability needs of the client.”

In addition, STEPHAN/H has developed a fourth suit in conjunction with Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex in the U.K., called the Ultimate. This suit has even more features and is available for corporate purchase. It is made with a specialty fabric that protects against bodily fluids and the hazards of an electric arc.

“We use only top-quality materials and hand-crafted design,” Villemaire said. “We work closely with our own staff and ambassadors to develop these suits. We work hard to ensure we use double stitching or special fabricating techniques where necessary. Our suits are meticulously crafted by a team of dedicated seamstresses here in Quebec City, so they are much more durable and will last longer. Over 200 components go into our flight suits. It’s an investment in comfort, durability, and functionality.”

The company sells its products worldwide from its Quebec City headquarters. Villemaire said the STEPHAN/H production team constantly challenges itself to take the company’s suits to the next level. For example, women’s flight suits are specially designed to fit the female body, thereby improving functionality, ergonomic performance, and appearance. As well, staff look for even better-performing materials and take care to promptly implement client feedback.

“For us, it’s not only the material but also the small things,” he explained. “No matter the size of the client organization, we can tailor suits for each of their staff. When you see someone wearing a STEPHAN/H suit tailor-made for them, it makes a huge difference and makes them look unique.”

He said Heli-Expo attendees were able to see and feel STEPHAN/H’s revolutionary flight suits at the company’s tradeshow booth in March. Many sizes and styles were made available to attendees to try because “once you put it on, your perspective changes.”

Looking down the road, STEPHAN/H will focus on sharing its passion for high-performing aviation wear. Villemaire said that in addition to space, the company is providing suits to other industries that need highly technical clothing for demanding environments, such as ground EMS and search-and-rescue. 

“We are also working on a street wear collection that reflects the quality and look of our products, for anyone who wants to look ‘professional grade,’” he said. “The future is now for a new generation of flight suit. We bring to market a product line that’s in a class by itself. Once you try it, you won’t want to go back. You’ll know you have something that is highly functional that you are proud to wear without compromising comfort and style.”   

The post Suiting up for the future of flight appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Those who recognize a market need will always have a business opportunity. 

Take VRM Switzerland, for example — an innovative flight simulation specialist that is harnessing the power of virtual reality (VR) to reduce helicopter accidents and improve flight safety.

In April, VRM Switzerland received European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval for its Robinson R22 Virtual Reality Training Device — the first such approval by an aviation authority and the culmination of seven years spent exploring and refining VR technology. 

In addition to EASA, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is examining the safety benefits of applying VR technology to pilot training. The FAA is collaborating with VRM and the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) as part of the latter’s Helicopter Safety Enhancement #91 on Improving the Fidelity of Simulation Devices. VRM Switzerland is now pursuing FAA certification of its VR technology for rotorcraft pilot training.

The Dübendorf, Switzerland-based company has been working with simulation since 1998, progressing to the introduction of a VR prototype in 2014. “We immediately realized VR would be a game changer in simulator technology,” said Fabi Riesen, CEO of VRM Switzerland and one of the company founders. “All of a sudden, we have a three-dimensional view. If you move the head, everything is represented as seen in real life.”

VRM Switzerland collaborated with Professor Guido Schuster and his team at the Interdisciplinary Center for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI), based at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences. Together, they launched a research project in 2015. The goal was to improve the existing VR technology in combination with a motion platform.   

“Existing VR glasses were horrible,” said Riesen. “Everyone said the idea was great, but it would take ages until it could be used.” 

In 2016, VRM Switzerland partnered with IPACS, a German company developing simulators for remote-controlled helicopters. The Swiss organization bought full exclusive commercial rights to the technology, which centered on graphics and high-speed simulation. By 2017, VRM Switzerland had released its first VR simulator prototype depicting a fixed-wing fighter jet flying in the Swiss Alps. But by the following year, the company decided to focus exclusively on helicopters.

“We were working on a Robinson R22 simulator,” said Riesen. “EASA had released its Rotorcraft Safety Roadmap defining measures to reduce helicopter accidents. One proposal is to introduce more realistic and affordable light helicopter simulators to allow every pilot to train skills.”

As the saying goes, VRM Switzerland was in the right place at the right time. “We were there with an almost finished product and a market need,” recalled Riesen.

In 2019, VRM Switzerland signed an innovation partnership contract with EASA, to define and certify the use of VR technology in the aviation training market. During the pandemic in 2020, the Swiss company hunkered down to refine its R22 VR training device to meet EASA requirements. Finally, on April 26, 2021, certification was received.

“The key was to use VR to create a complete system that allows you to operate the helicopter in a realistic, fully immersed way,” explained Riesen. Now, the company is working to certify a VR device for the Airbus Helicopters H125. Said Riesen: “We’ve qualified an entire system with virtual reality technology. We can now scale up to any type of helicopter.”

Smaller footprint, bigger capability

Compared to existing mixed reality or dome projection devices, VRM Switzerland’s VR simulator is smaller and more capable than large full flight simulators. As an example, Riesen pointed to helicopter vertical reference training for transporting sling loads.

“With VR, you see the smallest movements of the helicopter because of the 3D view. This matters for the helicopter pilot. If they are doing work close to the ground, visual cues are not always sufficient with dome projection.”

With normal VR glasses, the pilot is unable to see themselves interacting with the helicopter. But VRM’s system scans the pilot’s movements in real time. An avatar represents the pilot’s body, allowing them to operate switches and knobs just as they would in the cockpit.  

“We are synchronizing the whole system with the VR glasses so buttons are perfectly aligned,” said Riesen. “The reason why mixed reality doesn’t work so well is that you don’t have all of these effects. Due to their position away from the eyes, mixed reality cameras create a geometric distortion, resulting in negative training.”

VRM’s simulator can be housed in the corner of a hangar or even in a trailer, saving the cost of sending crews away for training. The company offers a full range of remote support.

Existing customers include Air Zermatt, Heli Austria, Helitrans Norway, Mountainflyers, Heli Academy and Kopter. VRM Switzerland closely co-operates with well-known helicopter experts, including Claude Vuichard.

Currently, an EASA private helicopter licence requires 45 hours of flight time, with most students averaging 60 hours. Those additional 15 hours can be done in a VRM Switzerland VR simulator, saving students money and operators the wear and tear on their machines. Of the time required in the aircraft for a private licence, EASA allows five hours to be completed in a VR simulator.

“It’s much more efficient in terms of training. You don’t have to fly back up into the sky to do autorotations,” said Riesen. “In the simulator, this time is saved by repositioning the helicopter in seconds.”

VRM Switzerland’s VR helicopter simulator can be ordered with different window configurations and special ops simulation packages, such as external cargo flying. Expanding those options is a priority, as is the addition of new helicopter models.

“It’s not any more a dream or a wish or an idea,” concluded Riesen. “We now have customers using qualified devices. It’s kind of like a full flight simulator in a Swiss Army knife format, right at your home base. Our vision is to have this tool available and stop seeing helicopter accidents that could have been prevented.” 

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About five years ago, Alpine Aerotech realized an opportunity was hiding in plain sight.

As a Bell and Leonardo authorized service center, the British Columbia-based company had developed a strong reputation for helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services since it was founded in 1991. Over the years, it had operated a parts department, stocking common inventory that its maintainers and local operators needed to do their jobs. 

“Alpine Aerotech is one of the world’s leading suppliers of new and overhauled helicopter parts and offers an extensive line of Bell components available for rental and exchange.”

The company realized it needed to focus on parts and inventory management in order to support its growing customer base. Today, Alpine Aerotech is one of the world’s leading suppliers of new and overhauled helicopter parts and offers an extensive line of Bell components available for rental and exchange.

Its success in a relatively short period of time is thanks to three decades of experience, accumulated customer data and ongoing customer relationships. Staff collected and analyzed this information to identify trends and predict which parts operators will need — and when. Then, they made a significant investment in the corresponding inventory.

“We used inventory analytics and leveraged our maintenance experience to jump into the data and figure out what operators are likely to need,” explained Alfonso Garcia, purchasing and sales manager at Alpine Aerotech. “Then, we invested a lot of resources in parts sales and inventory management. We scaled our rotable pool for exchanges and rentals, expanded our parts department, and hired a team of logistics and planning specialists. Today, we can support customers worldwide and ship most orders same day.”

With two facilities in Kelowna, B.C., and one in Abbotsford, Alpine Aerotech employs about 150 people. The company also offers heavy maintenance, specialized repairs, paint services, structures, avionics, aircraft sales/leasing and product development.

“We have running spares and critical components on hand, ready to support your aircraft,” said Garcia. “If a customer has a tail rotor strike and they need rental blades and drive train components to get operational, we have that for them. We haven’t advertised that side of the business much, but the message we want to get out now is that we’re not just an MRO.”

Manufacturing solutions

If there’s one thing Alpine Aerotech’s tight-knit team knows, it’s helicopters. 

“We’re not a massive company where you speak to someone different every time,” said Taylor Wilson, manufacturing and product development manager. “We cultivate long-term relationships, work closely with customers to deliver exactly what they expect, and continue to provide support years after the product is in service.”

If there’s no existing fix for a client’s needs, Alpine Aerotech is ready to create one.  

“We have over 30 years of design and manufacturing experience that helps us understand what operators require,” continued Wilson. “We can quickly develop and certify products that ease operations, reduce maintenance costs and increase safety.”

Typically, the design team at Alpine Aerotech will engineer a solution and send a prototype to the requesting operator for fit and function testing. Once accepted, the company will obtain a supplemental type certificate (STC) and begin manufacturing. The company holds over 75 STCs and 300 approved repairs, most developed over the years in close cooperation with operators.

“If there’s no existing fix for a client’s needs, Alpine Aerotech is ready to create one.” 

Its first STC project was the Bell 212/412 Exhaust Ejector. Alpine Aerotech improved the design to increase performance and ease inspections. The design was so successful that it was adopted by Bell itself as an improvement over the original equipment. Since then, the B.C. company has manufactured, repaired and overhauled more than 4,000 units.

“That idea came from our maintenance experience,” said Wilson. “We’ve had the same design team for 20 years. They know the aircraft inside and out, and they know how to collaborate with our maintenance staff to take a project from an idea to approval and certification.”

Alpine Aerotech is now producing products for major OEMs around the world.

In May, the company obtained an STC for a crew barrier system it designed for Bell helicopters. Created to keep crews and passengers safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, the barrier is a non-permeable surface that protects against the transmission of airborne droplets. It can be used in the Bell 205, 212, 412, 407 and 429. 

“Again, we recognized a problem and solved it by developing a solution. From the first idea, we had this in the aircraft within a couple of weeks,” said Wilson.

With over 500 customers in 50 countries around the world, Alpine Aerotech is successful because its staff goes the extra mile. 

“Our people are our advantage,” noted Wilson. “We have built such close relationships with our customers that we really know what they want. That’s what separates us from the rest.”

Garcia agreed: “We are flexible. If a customer needs something out of the norm, we’re willing to look at that. We’ve gone so far as to take their fleet analytics and help them forecast maintenance and parts for the upcoming season.” 

For local operators, he said staff members have even delivered parts to a grounded helicopter.

“We’ve all been in this industry a long time, and we have experienced the pain of having contract obligations when the aircraft is AOG [aircraft on ground],” concluded Garcia. “We understand exactly how to help.” 

Learn more at alpineaerotech.com

The post Alpine Aerotech: More than an MRO appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Despite a turbulent year, AeroBrigham has continued to see great success as it builds upon an established reputation as a helicopter industry solutions provider.

Located in Decatur, Texas, AeroBrigham was founded in 2015. From its current 15,000-square-foot facility at Decatur Municipal Airport, the company performs new aircraft completions, all sorts of reconfiguration and refurbishment projects, and avionics systems integration. No matter the sector — utility, law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS) or corporate — AeroBrigham’s 21 staff members pride themselves on being nimble and responsive to customer needs.

“We don’t turn little jobs away,” said David Brigham, president and co-owner. “We thrive on taking jobs outside our comfort zone, including the one-off work that others aren’t interested in doing.”

2020 was a difficult year for aviation, but AeroBrigham actually saw some growth, adding three employees and realizing higher year-over-year profits.

Brigham attributes that success to the company’s strong relationships and solid foundation within the helicopter industry. 

“We are trustworthy and do best quality work at great value. I get feedback out of the blue; people call and say we were recommended by someone else.”

The past year has been busy at AeroBrigham, with a few notable projects taking center stage. 

In November, the company (working with Kilroy Aviation) received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supplementary type certificate (STC) approval for a new Bell 505 accessory fitting designed to improve operational safety. AeroBrigham developed a secure attachment point for rear seat passengers, who can affix their personal restraint systems to ensure safety during doors-off utility operations.  

“That was one of our big wins,” noted Brigham. “The request originally came from Richardson Aviation in Fort Worth. We got the STC and now have several police departments looking at it.”

He added that the new Bell 505 accessory fitting has also been used in at least one doors-off photo shoot. 

Last June, AeroBrigham was awarded an extensive systems integration contract for nine Bell 429 helicopters belonging to the Jamaica Defence Force. The work included integrating a CNC Technologies mission suite that included a moving map system, advanced camera and microwave downlink technology. An Eagle digital audio system and night vision compatible cockpit and cabin lighting were also installed. So far, AeroBrigham has delivered four upgraded aircraft.

“We thrive on taking jobs outside our comfort zone, including the one-off work that others aren’t interested in doing.”

Stepping outside its rotorcraft repertoire in April, the Texas maintenance, repair and overhaul provider turned its attention to the Air Tractor Fire Boss AT802A/B/F amphibious scooper air tanker. Through its integration of the Garmin GI 275 electronic instrumentation package, AeroBrigham enabled improved safety and reliability of these firefighting aircraft while reducing pilot workload. The company also installed a heads-up display (HUD) integrated to the Astronics Max-Viz camera for the Fire Boss series, giving pilots access to critical flight information while keeping their gaze focused outside the aircraft. The ongoing program will see AeroBrigham upgrade 18 Fire Boss aircraft. 

Brigham said these successful initiatives stem from the company’s collaborative relationship with the local FAA division. 

“We have a great relationship with our FSDO [Flight Standards District Office] and Rotorcraft Certification Group. It has been built on years of working with them and demonstrating we know what we’re doing, and will always do things right.”

“We have plans to build a new hangar; it will be 70,000 square feet and we hope to break ground this year.”

Planning for Growth

As 2021 unfolds, Brigham believes the company will continue its successful trajectory. New customers have come on board, and more business is in the pipeline. 

To accommodate the burgeoning Fire Boss program, AeroBrigham recently expanded into an adjacent 7,000-square-foot facility. But even that isn’t enough space for current operations. 

“We have plans to build a new hangar; it will be 70,000 square feet and we hope to break ground this year,” said Brigham. 

Looking ahead, AeroBrigham is excited to team up with Assent Aeronautics in Fort Worth, which recently launched quarterly online aircraft auctions. As the “helicopter connection” for the initiative, AeroBrigham provides rotary-wing expertise and will be involved in production of Assent’s “Straight and Level” private aviation television show, which debuted on the U.S. cable network AWE on Jan. 28.  

As it continues to develop its expertise and cement its reputation as a trusted helicopter industry solutions provider, AeroBrigham has its sights set on tackling more challenging projects in the year to come. 

Learn more at aerobrigham.com.

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