For over a decade, Gravenhurst, Ontario-based Icarus Aero has been listening to aviation operators and responding to their needs with innovative new products.

“We’ve done new cargo cabin modifications, police force surveillance programs, and military programs, with more ongoing and in the works with several international users and operators,” said Ryan Hader, Icarus Aero president and founder.

Icarus provides a wide range of products and services supporting several missions: Integrated surveillance and reconnaissance, firefighting, air ambulance, search-and-rescue, exploration and survey, law enforcement, military, and passenger transportation.

The company provides turnkey solutions, specializing in design, manufacture, testing, and certification of quality parts for rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. Icarus is recognized and approved by Transport Canada for design and certification approvals for all types of repairs, modifications and part replacements across several platforms.

Where it also excels is in creating modifications that improve flight safety and efficiency — and taking those modifications through design, development, certification, and production.

Icarus recently completed the Airborne Retractable Mounting System (ARMS). “It’s a family of payload mounting systems for deploying and retracting a payload into an aircraft or helicopter,” Hader explained. There are two basic variants, vertical elevator types and cantilevered style swing mounts. 

Another is the cabin storage bin kit, which can provide approximately 17 cubic feet (0.5 cubic meters) of additional storage for use on the Leonardo AW139.

On the medevac scene, “we have an STC that allows installation of the latest Sapphire IV infusion pumps,” Hader said.

As part of the complete medical interiors and stretcher installations on offer by Icarus, “we have a cabin mod for multiple Sapphires with no tools needed for changeover.” It’s certified by Transport Canada for most airborne or land ambulance platforms.

“We’re also specializing in new surveillance kits for police and military special missions, like ARMS,” Hader said. “We are also seeing an increase in the need for cockpit voice recording [CVR/CFDR with RIPS] to align with recent regulatory changes.”

The Icarus STC-certified DHC-8 cabin type III observer window installation kit allows safe, secure and quick installation of a much larger window with no modifications required. The STC-certified window plugs can replace existing cabin windows.

Going forward, Icarus’s innovative product offerings will continue, and the company will be available to meet with interested customers at HAI Heli-Expo 2024 to share more about those offerings.

“We are also seeing opportunities that leverage our certification expertise that provide third-party integrators a path toward design optimizations for fast STC certification turnaround,” Hader said.

The post Icarus Aero: Steady growth and creative product lines appeared first on Vertical Mag.

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

StandardAero has a lot to offer. As one of the largest independent maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers in the world, it delivers a full suite of rotary-wing services through its global helicopter division. The company prides itself on providing a customer-centric service, which has long been the hallmark of everything its nearly 7,000 employees do in more than 50 major facilities worldwide.

Now, there’s even more to be proud of: The addition of a long-awaited world’s first — a full four-axis digital autopilot for light helicopters that StandardAero developed in partnership with Thales Group.

StableLight is a robust and feature-packed autopilot in a compact, lightweight package that’s perfectly suited to light rotorcraft.

“A solution for four-axis autopilot for light helicopters — the first of its kind,” described Neena Gill, vice president and general manager of helicopter programs at StandardAero. ​

The system recently received a supplemental type certificate (STC)  from the Federal Aviation Administration for Airbus AS350 helicopters. StableLight transforms the pilot’s flight control experience with transparent stability augmentation that works precisely and without feedback to the control sticks.​ Features include stabilized climb, flight attitude recovery, auto hover, and more, in a system that drastically decreases pilot workload.

“It brings transport category capabilities to an autopilot system for light helicopters,” Gill explained. And most importantly, it improves flight safety. “That’s really the target of what we wanted to do. A lot of our customers are air medical and law enforcement users and it will help them complete their missions.” The built-in safety features will go a long way to help reduce instances of spatial disorientation and controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). StandardAero has partnered with Thales Group for the past two years, working together to develop the product and come up with the best solution.

“It’s a really cool product that will be revolutionary,” Gill said. “It essentially takes out much of the manual control, allowing concentration on the mission — and greatly reducing pilot workload and fatigue. We think it will really shape the light helicopter market going forward.”

But revolutionary products like StableLight won’t detract from StandardAero’s vast group of world-class helicopter services. Partnerships with approved original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide allow it to cover a helicopter’s full life cycle, including airframe assembly, engine MRO upgrades, and custom solutions. The company is committed to providing the highest standards of quality, reliability, and service to more than 3,000 military, commercial and private operators in over 85 nations. For over a century, customers have relied on StandardAero as the industry experts.

“We offer complete engine accessory overhaul among four shops located around the U.S. and U.K. for nearly all engines,” Gill said. “And in our helicopter portfolio, we have a shop in Langley, B.C., that also does airframe work. We have full capability on various Airbus and Bell models that includes not just airframe inspections but also avionics and structural repairs, and various dynamic components. When
we say ‘tip-to-tail,’ it means that we do everything from aircraft modifications and STCs, to maintenance and overhaul on a lot of airframes and almost every engine type.”

Specifically, StandardAero is the largest provider of Rolls-Royce M250 MRO services, with shops located around the world, including Winnipeg, Manitoba; Concord, North Carolina; Vancouver, British Columbia; Singapore, and the U.K.

“We have been servicing the M250 engine since 1964,” Gill said. “Our team has over 600 years of combined experience on that engine line with an average of over 18 years’ experience per technician.” 

StandardAero is also authorized to service the Pratt & Whitney PW200 engine, now bringing it from the Dallas shop into the Winnipeg Center of Excellence — a move scheduled to be completed this year. The company also received Transport Canada approval
in December 2023 to get the PW200 on its ticket.

“We are also setting up a new test cell in Winnipeg. We are really going all in to support the PW200 product here in Winnipeg,” Gill said. “It is an engine line that continues to grow so we are ramping up to support that market [with] new tooling and more.”

With over 100 engines in its fleet deployed either as rentals or offered to customers as exchanges, the company is helping the market with its heavy investment in these engine pools.

“One of the things we are really proud of is the unparalleled level of service we provide,” Gill said. “Our team works hard for our customers. We listen to them. We work to increase the reliability of their engines. We ensure the quality is always above par, and that is something we stress. Through our engineering-heavy focus, we work on customizing solutions for our customers’ specific needs — not just providing cookie-cutter answers. Given current supply conditions in the world, we are focusing more on making sure we have alternative solutions.”

And that new autopilot? “We are really excited to bring the StableLight to market this year and show the world what it can do,” Gill enthused.

The post StandardAero: Over a century of world-class service appeared first on Vertical Mag.

This sponsored article was created by Insight magazine, the sponsored content division of MHM Publishing, on behalf of Bluedrop Training & Simulation.

“It’s one thing to tell them, but once they go in the simulator and grab the cable with the helicopter moving with the wind, they get completely immersed and forget they’re in a simulator,” said Jean-Claude Siew, executive vice president of technology and simulation at Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc. “They come out sweating from the near-real experience.”

In a real-life hoist rescue, helicopter pilots generally can’t see the situation below them. The rescue involves critical, complex procedures and equipment amidst wind, rain, sea spray, and aircraft rotorwash in high-risk locations, such as a sinking vessel with many snag points for the hoist cable. Pilots rely largely on guidance from the hoist operator.

“You can imagine the close communication that’s needed,” Siew said.
“The person at the back is actually telling the pilot where to go because he can see the situation — [it’s] real teamwork.”

Yet, the first time a rescue operator hoists in these dangerous environments is often during live operations, as there has never been a training device that can provide the multi-variable complexity representative of search-and-rescue (SAR) hoisting.

With its new Hoist Mission Training System (HMTS), Bluedrop has changed that. The system brings to helicopter rear crews the reality simulation scenarios that pilots have benefited from for decades.

“Pilots have had high-fidelity simulators but that has not been the case for rear crews and more specifically, for hoist operators,” Siew said.

“When you think about it, their work can be as dangerous as the pilot’s. When they’re saving people off a sinking ship or a mountain cliff, it’s not always blue skies and nice weather. Now we have the technology — a very high-fidelity hoisting system — and on top of that we can connect to a flight simulator so that the two teams can work collectively. That makes our system quite unique.”

He said other systems don’t offer such high degrees of fidelity.

“For example, the cable can be just an elastic band so you don’t have any feel, or the cable just goes up and down,” Siew said. “In our case, the cable also varies its tension depending on what is hanging out — say a basket with an injured person, or two people — or if you’re bringing up some equipment, the tension will be different.”

The cable also moves in 3D — in and out of rotor wash, with winds, sideways, or front to back.

“You need to be able to properly simulate that,” he said. “The person can act on the cable — they’re not just a spectator.”

Siew said most people are skeptical at first about how realistic the HMTS is, but “you need to try it — that’s one thing we found is that you can’t just tell people.”

And clearly the demand is there. Bluedrop recently sold two to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) — the first to a U.S. state government agency.

“And in Canada, we have two with the RCAF [Royal Canadian Air Force] — one on the East Coast in Shearwater, Nova Scotia, for the Cyclone, and one on the West Coast in Comox, B.C., for the Cormorant.”

Another is in St. John’s, Newfoundland, for Cougar helicopters — this one is fully integrated with the pilot simulator.

Bluedrop is also currently looking at the European market for offshore energy applications and SAR, and has formed a partnership with a U.K. company for the purpose.

And similar to how pilots have training packages, Bluedrop is selling training packages with the HMTS. Each is adaptable to the mission.

“We have them for mountain area missions, or for Cougar in St. John’s where they operate mainly over water,” Siew said. “For oil-and-gas operations, we reproduce that kind of environment with oil rigs, ships, and so on.”

Training packages are also available for SAR or combat rescue — the latter adds a new dimension to the simulation.

“We did a combat version for the USAF [U.S. Air Force],” Siew said. That involved integration of a gunnery system to protect the rescue operation. “What we are perfecting now is the capability to connect three pieces: the flight deck trainer for the pilot, the hoist trainer, and the gunnery trainer, so they can all work together.”

Siew said Bluedrop’s HMTS is the first in the world, now used by operators of multiple helicopter types, including the new Sikorsky HH-60W combat rescue helicopter, the Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey, the Sikorsky S-92, the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, and others.

A portable version of the HMTS that can be moved from one training center to another is also available. That’s important for organizations like Cal Fire that are committed to training and safety, allowing them to maximize employment of assets for training.

Bluedrop’s suite of simulation products help teach mission-critical skills in a completely safe, yet true-to-life environment that responds to land, air or sea dynamics and operator inputs — providing substantial cost-savings over live training.

The post Bluedrop: Transformation in hoist operator training appeared first on Vertical Mag.

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

The importance of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications cannot be overstated — prior to Iridium Certus, rotorcraft operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the world struggled with reliable broadband connectivity.

Today, thanks in part to SKYTRAC’s leadership in midband and broadband connectivity solutions, not to mention its unwavering and constantly improving narrowband airtime and mission services, SKYTRAC is offering rotorcraft operators, OEMs, and integrators with reliable new capabilities.

SKYTRAC, an aerospace leader in satellite communications and intelligent connectivity, has dreamed of broadband connectivity since 1986 when a visionary group of aviators had the forethought of equipping aircraft with satellite tracking technology. Since the birth of the company, SKYTRAC has steadily grown its innovative technology solutions in multiple markets.

SKYTRAC’s work now helps aerial firefighters save forests, and search-and-rescue (SAR) teams navigate dangerous environments. It also provides coast guards and militaries with mission-critical capabilities, and helps empower humanitarian missions around the world.

With the development of SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus midband and broadband terminals, which feature low SWaP antennas and terminals, rotorcraft and eVTOL operators can enable powerful services, such as real-time video downlinking, higher throughput data for more intensive cockpit applications, sensor fusion and artificial intelligence, and future capabilities that are limited only by imagination.

SKYTRAC’s narrowband foundation

A key foundation of SKYTRAC is its narrowband offering enabled by the powerful ISAT-200A satellite communications system. The ISAT-200A provides thousands of aircraft with automated flight following and mission monitoring, flight data monitoring (FDM), real-time exceedance alerting, automated post-flight data offloading — both for HUMS and FDM, voice and text messaging, flight data acquisition and storage, and satellite push-to-talk (PTT) communications.

True to its spirit of innovation, SKYTRAC has recently introduced a new capability through the narrowband spectrum: medical data transfer. Operators leveraging ZOLL or corpuls patient monitoring systems can stream 12-lead patient reports directly to hospitals or receiving centers, providing valuable information to physicians ahead of the patient’s arrival. This information allows for fast, decisive responses for medical teams with patients in critical care.

“Air medical operators are no strangers to flying in remote and rural regions that require satellite connectivity when cellular infrastructure isn’t present,” said Jan van der Heul, vice president of sales and marketing at SKYTRAC. “With dynamic medical data transfer, first responders can ensure reliable connectivity, which can often be the difference between a positive outcome and a very negative one.”

SKYTRAC’s evolution into Certus

SKYTRAC’s midband and broadband Iridium Certus bandwidth, made possible by the versatile SkyLink 7100, which features up to 22/88 Kbps of satellite bandwidth alongside built-in 4G/LTE cellular connectivity, and its flagship SDL-350 satellite communications system, which features up to 352/704 Kbps of satellite bandwidth alongside a powerful built-in CPU, GPU, and an expansive array of input/output interfaces, has positioned the company for significant growth in both existing and new markets.

In existing markets like aerial firefighting and SAR, SKYTRAC meets the demand for operators and OEMs seeking capabilities such as video downlinking and sensor fusion and artificial intelligence, which were previously limited due to technical limitations with geosynchronous satellite networks.

In emerging markets like urban air mobility (UAM) and the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) segment, SKYTRAC provides global connectivity for applications such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) communications and command and control (C2), ensuring operators have total visibility of their assets.

For operators seeking to increase situational awareness, the SkyLink 7100 is making itself known as the ideal solution for advanced cockpit connectivity. Its 4G/LTE cellular connectivity and midband Iridium Certus provides pilots with global electronic flight bag (EFB) connectivity that integrates easily with cockpit applications such as ForeFlight. With bandwidth ranging from 22 Kbps to 704 Kbps, Iridium Certus offers weather-resilient L-band connectivity as the only truly global mobile satellite service available, Van der Heul said.

“Iridium Certus is a flexible, evolving platform with a variety of service classes that match specific customer requirements,” he said. “This increased bandwidth represents a significant improvement over narrowband and much faster, more resilient communications from anywhere on the planet.” 

Looking ahead, it appears advances at SKYTRAC won’t be slowing any time soon.

“As SKYTRAC continues to develop new capabilities and products that leverage the Iridium Certus network, customers can expect new mission services that increase safety and efficiency for operators, passengers, and onboard crew in nearly all segments of aviation,” Van der Heul said.

The post SKYTRAC global connectivity appeared first on Vertical Mag.

“Engineer, build, fly.” That’s the slogan for Icarus Aero — and it couldn’t be more fitting.

Based in Gravenhurst, Ontario, the company is celebrating its 10th anniversary and recently tripled the size of its facility to 13,000 square feet (1,200 square meters).

Icarus has extensive experience working with a range of helicopter models from Leonardo, Sikorsky, Bell, Airbus, and more, as well as a multitude of fixed-wing platforms, including DC-3s, King Air 200, 300, 350, 360, DHC-8-100 / 200 / 300 / 400, DHC-6-100 / 200 / 300 / 400, Beech 1900, and PC12, among others.

The company provides a wide range of products and services supporting several missions, such as integrated surveillance and reconnaissance, firefighting, evacuation and medical transport, search-and-rescue, exploration and survey, law enforcement, military, and passenger transportation.

Icarus provides custom solutions for unique installation requirements, specializing in the design, manufacturing, testing, and certification of quality parts for rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft as a full turnkey service. The company is recognized and approved by Transport Canada for the design and certification approvals for all types of repairs, modifications and part replacements across several platforms.

Principal services range from full modification and repair designs to modification kits or installations, computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D solid modeling, structural analysis and certification, and installation and integration of kits onto the aircraft.

“We recently completed several medical helicopter cabin conversions,” said Ryan Hader, president of Icarus. “Our most recent includes iPad installations within heavy helicopters, infusion pumps mounted within helicopters for medevac assistance, and a complete medical operator cabinet/console for assisting medics during rescue flights. Additionally, we have recently designed and completed several infant isolette installations allowing for neonatal care, which was not previously supported in Ontario.”

To continue such notable projects, the facility expansion allows Icarus to bring all its services under one roof. As well, it facilitates additional computer numerical control (CNC) machines to enable more cutting-edge technologies such as 3D printing.
“This year, we will gain our AMO [approved maintenance organization] approval under CAR [Canadian Aviation Regulation] 573 to augment our design and manufacturing approvals,” Hader said. “This means we will then be able to undertake modifications to aircraft in our own hangar.”

It’s a significant advantage for Icarus, which is one of only 25 small- to medium-sized privately-owned companies in Canada authorized by Transport Canada as a design authority. And growth won’t be stopping with the AMO approval.

“Future growth sees us becoming a systems integrator for special mission equipment, being able to offer full design, manufacturing, modification and certification services all under one roof,” Hader said.

The post Icarus: Engineer, build, fly appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Technisonic airborne communications systems are the products of choice for the demanding tactical applications of air ambulance, disaster response, fire suppression, and law enforcement. The evolving individual needs of operators in these fields demand that suppliers keep a finger on the pulse to maintain an edge.

Jim Huddock, director of federal/military/OEM sales and programs at Technisonic, calls it a “continuous improvement mindset.”

“The direction the company had adopted is one of continuous improvement, focusing on new capabilities and product updates, while also working toward making existing installations more capable,” Huddock said. “We believe this approach benefits new customers, but also provides the ability to help customers who have existing products add a needed feature or capability that might have been missing when they bought their radio.

“An example is the introduction of the T6 All-Band analog module,” Huddock said. “We took three module selections and combined them into one so that the
customer doesn’t have to balance their need for a 30-50Mhz module or a UHF 225-400MHz. It all comes together as one package. It’s a win all around.”

Knowing the customer and learning about their mission has always been the secret of Technisonic’s success. A brand-new product isn’t always needed. For example, “this year we also introduced the TDAP 650 audio panel,” Huddock said. “After we introduced the 611 a year earlier, we heard customers say, ‘We’d really like to have Bluetooth in the cockpit.’ Now they can connect via Bluetooth to the audio panel.

“We took a product and through feedback, found a way to evolve it versus coming out with a brand-new product,” Huddock explained. “A brand-new product is always nice but it’s a long process. Between engineering, testing, certification and bureaucracy, it often can take much longer. We can give our customers faster service by expanding the capability of an existing system.”

Whether it’s a brand-new product or expanding and adapting an existing one, the technicians’ needs can’t be ignored. For example, when Technisonic did the upgrade for the TDAP 650 and the TDFM, the company looked at the installer’s point of view and asked how it can make the product easier for them.

“To do this, we were able to take a digital line out of the TDFM radio set and connect it to the audio panel,” Huddock said. “So instead of running 25 wires to an audio panel, they can now run just two.” This saves the installer a lot of time and moreover, saves a lot of weight.

“For the operator, it wasn’t something he/she would ever notice,” Huddock said, “but from the installer’s standpoint, it simplified things greatly.”

Serving the aviation industry for well over three decades, the Mississauga-based company has grown to over 60 employees with minimal turnover.

“I’ve been here for 12 years now and I’m still one of the new hires,” Huddock said. “It’s nice we have a lot of longevity across the organization. There’s memory of what we’ve done before, how we did things, what works and what didn’t work. We are used to working as a team.”  That team works a wide geographic area: North America, South America, and Latin America. 

“We are always looking forward — to see what’s next and try to keep ahead of the industry and what’s going to be changing,” Huddock said. “Because of how long it takes to engineer a product and get it to market, it means you have to be ahead. You have to be looking down the road because it might take three years to get a brand-new product out the door.”

So, with an eye on the horizon, what might be coming for Technisonic?

“We are going to continue to expand and provide new capabilities, both within our products and the organization behind them. Support and repair, sales and administration have all adopted the ‘continuous improvement’ mindset,” Huddock said.  

When it comes to adapting technologies new to aviation communications, “there are a lot more people looking toward product integrations and the use of newer digital technologies in the cockpit. We are keeping an eye on those trends and where they may lead to, where the opportunities might be to better both our products and our company,” Huddock said. 

The post Technisonic Industries: Communicating with the market appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The importance of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications cannot be overstated — prior to Iridium Certus, rotorcraft operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) around the world struggled with reliable broadband connectivity.

Today, thanks in part to SKYTRAC’s leadership in midband and broadband connectivity solutions, not to mention its unwavering and constantly improving narrowband airtime and mission services, SKYTRAC is offering rotorcraft operators, OEMs, and integrators with reliable new capabilities.

SKYTRAC, an aerospace leader in satellite communications and intelligent connectivity, has dreamed of broadband connectivity since 1986 when a visionary group of aviators had the forethought of equipping aircraft with satellite tracking technology. Since the birth of the company, SKYTRAC has steadily grown its innovative technology solutions in multiple markets.

SKYTRAC’s work now helps aerial firefighters save forests, and search-and-rescue (SAR) teams navigate dangerous environments. It also provides coast guards and militaries with mission-critical capabilities, and helps empower humanitarian missions around the world.

With the development of SKYTRAC’s Iridium Certus midband and broadband terminals, which feature low SWaP antennas and terminals, rotorcraft and eVTOL operators can enable powerful services, such as real-time video downlinking, higher throughput data for more intensive cockpit applications, sensor fusion and artificial intelligence, and future capabilities that are limited only
by imagination.

SKYTRAC’s narrowband foundation

A key foundation of SKYTRAC
is its narrowband offering enabled by the powerful ISAT-200A satellite communications system. The ISAT-200A provides thousands of aircraft with automated flight following and mission monitoring, flight data monitoring (FDM), real-time exceedance alerting, automated post-flight data offloading — both for HUMS and FDM, voice and text messaging, flight data acquisition and storage, and satellite push-to-talk (PTT) communications.

True to its spirit of innovation, SKYTRAC has recently introduced a new capability through the narrowband spectrum: medical data transfer. Operators leveraging ZOLL or corpuls patient monitoring systems can stream 12-lead patient reports directly to hospitals or receiving centers, providing valuable information to physicians ahead of the patient’s arrival. This information allows for fast, decisive responses for medical teams with patients in critical care.

“Air medical operators are no strangers to flying in remote and rural regions that require satellite connectivity when cellular infrastructure isn’t present,” said Jan van der Heul, vice president of sales and marketing at SKYTRAC. “With dynamic medical data transfer, first responders can ensure reliable connectivity, which can often be the difference between a positive outcome and a very negative one.”

SKYTRAC’s evolution into Certus

SKYTRAC’s midband and broadband Iridium Certus bandwidth, made possible by the versatile SkyLink 7100, which features up to 22/88 Kbps of satellite bandwidth alongside built-in 4G/LTE cellular connectivity, and its flagship SDL-350 satellite communications system, which features up to 352/704 Kbps of satellite bandwidth alongside a powerful built-in CPU, GPU, and an expansive array of input/output interfaces, has positioned the company for significant growth in both existing and new markets.

In existing markets like aerial firefighting and SAR, SKYTRAC meets the demand for operators and OEMs seeking capabilities such as video downlinking and sensor fusion and artificial intelligence, which were previously limited due to technical limitations with geosynchronous satellite networks.

In emerging markets like urban air mobility (UAM) and the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) segment, SKYTRAC provides global connectivity for applications such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) communications and command and control (C2), ensuring operators have total visibility of their assets.

For operators seeking to increase situational awareness, the SkyLink 7100 is making itself known as the ideal solution for advanced cockpit connectivity. Its 4G/LTE cellular connectivity and midband Iridium Certus provides pilots with global electronic flight bag (EFB) connectivity that integrates easily with cockpit applications such as ForeFlight. With bandwidth ranging from 22 Kbps to 704 Kbps, Iridium Certus offers weather-resilient L-band connectivity as the only truly global mobile satellite service available, Van der Heul said.

“Iridium Certus is a flexible, evolving platform with a variety of service classes that match specific customer requirements,” he said. “This increased bandwidth represents a significant improvement over narrowband and much faster, more resilient communications from anywhere on the planet.” 

Looking ahead, it appears advances at SKYTRAC won’t be slowing any time soon.

“As SKYTRAC continues to develop new capabilities and products that leverage the Iridium Certus network, customers can expect new mission services that increase safety and efficiency for operators, passengers, and onboard crew in nearly all segments of aviation,” Van der Heul said.

The post SKYTRAC global connectivity appeared first on Vertical Mag.

It all started in 1992 when two tuna boat pilots began selling helicopter parts. In 1996, Oceania Aviation New Zealand was minted, establishing the business as a key player in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). 

Expansion continued through several strategic acquisitions, adding new engineering facilities in several cities across New Zealand. Multiple service center and distributorships were added to a growing suite of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partnerships. 

The business also continued to add further specialized services, including Rolls-Royce turbine overhaul, helicopter dynamic component overhaul, role equipment manufacturing, blade and composite repairs, and piston engine services. 

In 2017, the business became a subsidiary of the Salus Aviation group, which focused on global aircraft sales, leasing and a comprehensive suite of MRO services. In 2019, Salus acquired Heli-Parts Nevada (HPN), an aftermarket parts distributor and repair station based in Nevada — the group’s first expansion into the North American region. 

In 2020, Salus Aviation and Air Methods Corporation (AMC) formed a strategic fleet management partnership, with the group’s businesses working closely with the global emergency medical services (EMS) operator to optimize its aircraft divestments and acquisitions. 

Salus was in a strong position for global growth going into 2020, and despite being a challenging time in aviation, Greg Edmonds, CEO of Salus, has since established some lofty growth goals for the group, with particular focus on the opportunity to expand its North American presence. 

“We have been updating our U.S. businesses,” Edmonds explained. “HPN was originally a helicopter parts distributor, with a complementary repair station — Heli-Services Nevada (HSN) — later added to the facility. Our global growth plans have required aligning the branding of our subsidiaries throughout the world.” 

HSN has since transitioned to Oceania Aviation U.S. and remains focused on helicopter services. HPN has been rebranded Heli-Parts Network and will continue to trade in aftermarket parts, with the goal to expand its international footprint. 

“We have two primary brands operating globally — Oceania Aviation providing heavy MRO services, OEM parts sales and aircraft sales, and Heli-Parts Network providing aftermarket parts and components,” Edmonds said.

Looking ahead, expanding its fleet management business is a key growth area for the company.  

“As part of our growth strategy in the U.S., we have secured a business development manager,” Edmonds said. “Katrina Miller has joined us from MD Helicopters and will bring a strong focus on researching and securing new business opportunities, as well as securing and growing further fleet management contracts around the world and particularly in the U.S.”

The company has significant helicopter repair capabilities and aircraft sales teams both in New Zealand and America. 

“We typically buy aircraft and upgrade them, stripping them down and reconfiguring where required to optimize them before on-selling,” Edmonds explained. “The latest addition to our projects hangar in New Zealand is an ex Air Methods Corporation (AMC) EMS 206 Long Ranger, and the team here is well underway with converting this aircraft back to utility.” 

This includes a full strip and paint inside and out, along with new full interior plastics kit, fresh leather seating and carpet. The company’s partnership with AMC is fundamental in providing regular quality aircraft stock, as well as important support to the AMC fleet. Edmonds said it has been a very successful relationship to date.

Role equipment design and manufacturing has been a unique strength of Oceania Aviation since 1996 and is a significant opportunity for U.S. growth.

“Especially popular is our helicopter spray equipment, featuring carbon fiber tanks and booms,” Edmonds said. “In March, we were proud to showcase our unique AS350 spray system for the first time at the HAI Heli-Expo, which we are currently gaining U.S. FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] approval for, alongside several other role equipment products.” 

Having now attended HAI, Edmonds said he understands what this means to the industry and what opportunities it can bring for the organization. 

“We have been inundated by people wanting our system, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” he said. 

Oceania Aviation will also have a presence at this year’s National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) Expo in December in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

“This expo is for ag operators only and will be a great opportunity to get our spray system in front of operators once more,” he said. “We look forward to being able to come and engage with the industry and customers over the four days.”

The company’s cargo pod is already certified and popular amongst U.S. operators, and bolstering this is the group’s composites manufacturing capabilities, which will allow it to bring further manufacturing in-house, as well as offer additional composite products to market. 

“Our composite products and capabilities form a significant part of our future U.S. growth,” Edmonds said.

What else is on the horizon? 

“We’ve just completed our five-year strategic business plan,” Edmonds said. “We believe much of our U.S. growth will come from adding high-demand repair and manufacturing capabilities that we already have in New Zealand to America via Oceania Aviation U.S. We will look to broaden our footprint of repair stations across the U.S. to be able to partner with more operators across the country.” 

Edmonds also expects to establish further repair stations in the Asia-Pacific region. 

In terms of ongoing innovation and technology advancements, Salus is keeping its finger on the pulse, ready to adapt and grow as opportunities arise. 

“We’ve been watching the commercial drone market for some time, along with VTOL and eVTOL advancements,” he said. “I see some convergence between the light fixed-wing and light helicopter market, which, alongside drones, could create opportunities for further MRO capabilities for Oceania Aviation.”

He added that there’s a strong move toward composite structures in aviation, which the business is already capitalizing on with its in-house capabilities. 

“We essentially provide a turnkey suite of services to aircraft owners and purchasers,” Edmonds said. “Our vision is to continue to provide ‘excellence at altitude’ as the market evolves, which requires us to be progressive and expand alongside these changes.” 

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It all started in 1986 when SKYTRAC was launched as one of the first companies to provide aircraft tracking technology to aerial firefighting, air medical response, and law enforcement operations. Since then, it has pioneered the development, evolution and commercialization of flight following, flight data and communications technology.

Today, the company has evolved into an end-to-end connectivity partner that delivers mission critical capabilities to operators in all segments of aviation, including first responders, militaries, coast guards, aerial firefighting operators, business aviation, commercial airlines, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

A positive leap forward came in 2019 when SKYTRAC became a value-added manufacturer and service provider for the new Iridium Certus brand of high-speed satellite data capabilities. The company is developing best-in-class Iridium Certus satcom terminals that provide any type of aircraft with broadband connectivity while flying anywhere on the planet — including the poles. 

“We aren’t simply an Iridium service provider or flight following solution — we leverage globally available connectivity to provide value to customers in key areas of safety and efficiency,” explained Jan Van der Heul, vice president of sales and marketing at SKYTRAC. 

Just this year, that connectivity has generated three powerful opportunities. 

Airbus selects SKYTRAC

Airbus Helicopters selected SKYTRAC’s SDL-700 satcom system to provide mission critical capabilities for the H160M Joint Light Helicopter French Armed Forces Program. 

This state-of-the-art latest generation military helicopter is capable of missions ranging from commando infiltration to air intercept, fire support, and anti-ship warfare, supporting the requirements of all three branches of the French Armed Forces.

“It will be used for army, navy, and air force divisions, and the primary use is communication between themselves and ground-based elements,” Van der Heul said. “Iridium push-to-talk capabilities, aircraft tracking, aircraft data acquisition and forwarding, as well as advanced mission critical capabilities, will be enabled. The satcom system provides a high-speed data link, which is essentially a first for this aircraft. It will enable more data to be sent from the aircraft to the ground and vice versa. There are still some use cases we are unaware of as this is a first-of-its-kind capability for rotorcraft airframes.”

Van der Heul reckoned Airbus chose SKYTRAC due to its past and current work with the manufacturer. 

“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Airbus across its fleet,” he said. “And across the helicopter field, SKYTRAC has the lion’s share when it comes to satellite communications.”

SKYTRAC acquires TrooTrax Mission

SKYTRAC also acquired Troo Corporation’s aviation division, including the TrooTrax flight following and Mission platform. The TrooTrax platform provides real-time map-based predictive flight following, mission monitoring, and location intelligence to operational control centers (OCCs) and flight departments around the world. 

“TrooTrax was an important acquisition for us,” Van der Heul said. “It enhances our offerings of mission management software. What it does in addition to flight following is offer several overlays like weather and many others simultaneously. For example, operators can upload their flight plan, and even though the weather might be good initially, it offers predictive flight plan adjustments to ensure safe travel.” 

Part of TrooTrax’s attractiveness is its seamless integration with SKYTRAC’s satcom systems, and its ability to integrate with third-party satellite communications hardware.

Medical data transmission and telemedicine arrives

As well, Alidaunia S.R.L., a leading Italian air ambulance, charter, and passenger services provider, has enabled SKYTRAC’s medical data transfer and telemedicine capability on board its fleet of Leonardo AW139 and AW169 helicopters. 

SKYTRAC has been tracking this market for many years, explained Van der Heul. Patients’ vital signs are typically monitored during air medical flights. 

“We are sending that data to the hospital they are flying to, so when they arrive, the physicians already have a complete image of a patient’s status,” Van der Heul said. “This ultimately reduces handover time from air medical crews to receiving centers, saving priceless seconds for what is likely a critical scenario.” 

Additionally, Alidaunia has completed another helicopter first — Google Glass imagery so remote physicians can see what is happening in the cabin in real time. Aliduania is an official distributor and installer of SKYTRAC satcom hardware.

SKYTRAC looks ahead

SKYTRAC’s future looks bright as it continues to market in sync with the changing times — the foundation of its success for more than three decades. 

“Developments have been accelerating over the past five years and they continue to accelerate,” Van der Heul said. “One of the most exciting is the capabilities provided by the Iridium Certus service — not just for military aircraft, other helicopters, and fixed-wing, but also for UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles].” 

He said the company has already had successes in the UAV market with its DLS-100 and IMS-350 solutions.   

“The market for that is relatively new, and we are one of the few that have provided the correct product/market customers are seeking,” Van der Heul continued. “Moreover, we’re expanding our capabilities with OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], and there are new opportunities with supersonic aircraft. More and more, a lot of new technology is becoming reality. We’re at a very exciting intersection of all these industries where we can offer what the customer wants, and importantly, continue to work with customers like Airbus and Alidaunia.”  

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It all started in 1992 when two tuna boat pilots began selling helicopter parts. In 1996, Oceania Aviation New Zealand was minted, establishing the business as a key player in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).

Expansion continued through several strategic acquisitions, adding new engineering facilities in several cities across New Zealand. Multiple service center and distributorships were added to a growing suite of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partnerships.

The business also continued to add further specialized services, including Rolls-Royce turbine overhaul, helicopter dynamic component overhaul, role equipment manufacturing, blade and composite repairs, and piston engine services.

In 2017, the business became a subsidiary of the Salus Aviation group, which focused on global aircraft sales, leasing, and a comprehensive suite of MRO services. And in 2019, Salus acquired Heli-Parts Nevada (HPN), an aftermarket parts distributor and repair station based in Nevada — the group’s first expansion into the North American region.

In 2020, Salus Aviation and Air Methods Corporation (AMC) formed a strategic fleet management partnership, with the group’s businesses working closely with the global emergency medical services operator to optimize its aircraft divestments and acquisitions.

Salus was in a strong position for global growth going into 2020, and had plans to expand the group’s foothold into Australia and increase its presence across the U.S. and beyond.

“All was going to plan until the pandemic arrived in early 2020,” said CEO Greg Edmonds.

The previous incumbent was based in Australia, and with global lockdowns restricting travel, he departed the business in July 2020. Edmonds, who already had a wealth of aviation experience, “was delighted to join Salus and pick up the reins.”

Despite being a challenging time in aviation — with ongoing border restrictions, supply chain challenges, and reduced flying activity — Edmonds has established some lofty growth goals for the group, with a particular focus on the opportunity to expand its North American presence.

“We are currently updating our U.S. businesses,” Edmonds explained. “HPN was originally a helicopter parts distributor, with a complementary repair station — Heli-Services Nevada (HSN) — later added to the facility. Our global growth plans have required aligning the branding of our subsidiaries throughout the world. HSN will transition to Oceania Aviation U.S. shortly and continue to focus on helicopter services. HPN has been rebranded Heli-Parts Network and will continue to trade in aftermarket parts, but we will expand its international footprint. So, we will have two primary brands operating globally — Oceania Aviation providing heavy MRO services, OEM parts sales, and aircraft sales, and Heli-Parts Network providing aftermarket parts and components.”

Expanding its fleet management business is also a key growth area.

“We have significant helicopter repair capabilities and aircraft sales teams both in New Zealand and America,” Edmonds said. “We typically buy aircraft and upgrade them, stripping them down and reconfiguring where required to optimize them before on-selling. Our partnership with AMC is fundamental in providing us with regular, quality aircraft stock, as well as important support for its fleet. It has been a very successful relationship to date, and our long-term strategy includes securing further fleet management contracts around the world, particularly in the U.S. market.”

Role equipment design and manufacturing has been a unique strength of Oceania Aviation since 1996 and is a significant opportunity for U.S. growth.
“Especially popular is our helicopter spray equipment, featuring carbon fiber tanks and booms,” Edmonds said. “We’ve had significant U.S. interest for our AS350 spray system, and we’re currently gaining U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approval for this, alongside several other role equipment products.”

Its cargo pod is already certified and popular among U.S. operators. Bolstering this is the group’s recently acquired composites manufacturing capabilities, which will allow it to bring further manufacturing in-house, as well as offer additional composite products to market.

“Our composite products and capabilities form a significant part of our future U.S. growth,” Edmonds said.

What else is on the horizon?

“We’ve just completed our five-year strategic business plan,” Edmonds said. “We believe much of our U.S. growth will come from adding high-demand repair and manufacturing capabilities that we already have in New Zealand to America via Oceania Aviation U.S. We will look to broaden our footprint of repair stations across the U.S. to be able to partner with more operators across the country.”

Edmonds also expects to establish further repair stations in the Asia-Pacific region.

In terms of ongoing innovation and technology advancements, Salus is keeping its finger on the pulse, ready to adapt and grow as opportunities arise.

“We’ve been watching the commercial drone market for some time, along with VTOL and eVTOL advancements. I see some convergence coming between the light fixed-wing and light helicopter market, which, alongside drones, could create opportunities for further MRO capabilities for Oceania Aviation.”

He added that there’s a strong move toward composite structures in aviation, which the business is already capitalizing on with its in-house capabilities.

“We essentially provide a turnkey suite of services to aircraft owners and purchasers,” Edmonds said. “Our vision is to continue to provide ‘excellence at altitude’ as the market evolves, which requires us to be progressive and expand alongside these changes.

salusaviation.com

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The Whelen Engineering name has been synonymous with aviation lighting for 70 years. It started when George W. Whelen III invented the industry’s first rotating aircraft anti-collision beacon in his garage in Deep River, Connecticut, and founded Whelen Engineering in 1952.

Thirty-nine years later, Roy LoPresti, an aeronautical engineer and ex-U.S. Air Force pilot, founded LoPresti Aviation in Sebastian, Florida.
In February 2019, Whelen Engineering acquired LoPresti Aviation, and Whelen Aerospace Technologies (WAT) was born. The acquisition strengthened an already solid platform to continue developing innovative aviation lighting on a global scale.

WAT combined the strengths of both companies to design, engineer, and manufacture a diversified and innovative product line for customers in both fixed-wing and rotorcraft markets. The two made a near-perfect blend.
“Both companies are leaders in their respective markets,” said Jeff Argersinger, director of sales who has been with Whelen for 39 years. “The LoPresti HID [high intensity discharge] product line allowed for a high-end, high-performance product offering to the existing Whelen product line.”

The additional market for part 25 aircraft offerings allowed for not only anti-collision/position light upgrades, but landing and taxi light upgrades, he added. Whelen had spotted the opportunity for such a marriage.
“Over the years, aviation lighting has been very utilitarian,” Argersinger explained. “The main goal, first and foremost, is to meet the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] requirements for the intended function. Aesthetics becomes a secondary goal provided it does not interfere with the performance of the product.”

But Whelen reckons aesthetics shouldn’t be ignored in the aircraft lighting market. For example, Cirrus Aircraft has been setting new standards in general aviation with its progressive thinking and approach compared to historical aviation platforms that have remained unchanged for many years.
“WAT and Cirrus collaborated on an integrated design where all of the position and anti-collision lights were integrated within the wingtip in a very thin, sleek profile,” Argersinger said.

The result was the Spectra. Another added feature within the Spectra wingtip was the halo light.

“Very similar to the automotive headlight halo, it brought a new signature automotive feature that was never before seen in aviation,” Argersinger said. “The Spectra took utilitarian ‘must have’ lighting to a new level and made it a signature feature of the aircraft.”

But it’s not all about aesthetics. Utilizing LED (light emitting diode) technology, WAT’s wide range of product offerings for the rotorcraft market allow for significant improvements in performance and reliability never before attainable with legacy products using aging traditional technology.
Rotorcraft are primarily working platforms that benefit from increased dispatch reliability. WAT’s extensive line of FAA-approved LED anti-collision, position and landing/taxi lights are proven performers.

During design, WAT takes care to employ products that are backward-compatible to legacy products, allowing for simple installation with minimal disruption, such as using existing mounting and wiring, and offering weight reduction through elimination of the need for strobe power supplies.
Moreover, the robust WAT designs provide improved dispatch reliability and safety of flight. Recognized by the world’s leading helicopter manufacturers, WAT products are currently original equipment on the majority of new rotorcraft platforms. WAT’s global reseller network provides product in stock ready to ship, and the WAT factory sales and customer service team offers direct customer support.

As an FAA-approved production holder, WAT owns hundreds of supplemental type certificates (STCs) for aircraft landing, taxi, anti-collision, and position lights. Its design engineers work closely with original equipment manufacturers and service provider networks to design high-performance products. As well, its in-house composite shop produces a wide variety of STC- and PMA-approved speed modifications for a number of general aviation aircraft.

Continued innovation constantly improves performance. An example to illustrate: WAT/Whelen has been providing LED landing and taxi lights in the Parmetheus family for more than 12 years with well over 100,000 sold and in operation globally. But they are always making a good thing even better.

“Our team of engineers has taken a proven winner in the Parmetheus Plus product and made it 2.5 times brighter with the new Parmetheus G3 Series,” Argersinger said. “It is quite simply the best performing product — not only in its price range, but it outperforms competing products costing two or three times as much.”

It is available in both landing and taxi PAR-36 versions, with a PAR-46 version expected this year.

Never a company to rest with the status quo, WAT keeps a close eye on industry trends and spotting opportunities to lead development of potential new aviation lighting products.

“There are several captivating innovative projects currently in work that will take lighting to the next level,” Argersinger said. “As LED technology advances, we see designs being smaller with added performance, or the addition of added features within current product geometry. One thing for sure, the future looks bright for WAT lighting products.”

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Open CanWest Aerospace’s home page, and the first thing you’ll see is a button labeled “AOG.” As every helicopter operator knows, when you have an “aircraft-on-ground,” that means it’s of the utmost urgency.

“We are a very reactive company,” said Tom Jackson, president and owner of the Langley, British Columbia, based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company. “What makes us unique is we can dispatch crews literally anywhere around the world on very short notice. We are at 45 countries and counting.”

For over 15 years now, the company’s priority has been reacting to clients’ needs. First, it built a complete and balanced MRO operation. Out of an earlier partnership, the company started CanWest Components and soon diversified into a more extensive component line. Next came the acquisition of an avionics company. It then purchased Precision Air Instruments, which gave it instrument overhaul and additional accessory component overhaul capabilities. The company followed that by adding airframe capabilities for maintenance and structures.

“We started small and worked our way up,” said Jackson.

Now well-diversified, CanWest offers extensive MRO services for several of the most commonly operated light, medium and heavy helicopter models. These services include: component and dynamic component repair and overhaul; structures and composites repairs; full-service avionics (including glass cockpits); aircraft rewires (partial and complete); scheduled and non-scheduled helicopter inspections; deep-level maintenance support; parts sales and exchanges; and much more.

Underlying all of this is a unique specialty.

“We are legacy experts,” said Jackson. “We specialize in working on older, obsolete helicopters; aircraft not supported by the OEM [original equipment manufacturer] or where the OEM doesn’t have the experience to support it because they are focused on newer product lines. With these older aircraft, that’s where our mobile repair teams are so successful because we have the experience. We can do the repairs on-site or bring the aircraft here. Or in a lot of cases, we modernize. And we specialize in installing special-mission systems like SAR [search and rescue], mission control gear, and tactical warning and defense systems.”

CanWest can perform these services all over the world. In the Middle East, Africa and Asia, the company does the work in the customers’ facilities or at military bases. Wherever the work has to be done, CanWest will accommodate the customer. This is especially true with military aircraft, said Jackson, since it’s not always feasible to do those in North America.

He cites an example of an overseas legacy military helicopter project the company recently finished. “We completed two Bell 212s for the Bangladesh Air Force. We completely refurbished and performed 3,000-hour, five-year inspections–completely rewired them, and fully modernized and equipped them with new mission equipment.”

The mission suite was unique. It included an integrated TrakkaBeam A800 searchlight and Trakka TC300 EO/IO sensor with mapping software.

“The equipment we bought off the shelf, but we designed and built the operational console,” said Jackson. And it did all the work efficiently. “We finished the two aircraft–20,000 to 24,000 man-hours of work–in seven months; a tremendous amount of work in a very short period of time.”

The CanWest team also provided full training, including in-country training with pilots and flight crews, for 30 days after delivery. “We flew actual training missions with them on how to use all the mission operational equipment so they can safely operate in different environments.”

And the Bangladesh Air Force was pleased with the savings. “Typically, customers–especially military and government–get an aircraft completely refurbished and modernized for one-fifth the cost of buying brand new,” said Jackson. “Plus, we offer the same warranties to the end customer as if they were buying a brand new helicopter.”

Meanwhile, CanWest’s synergistic growth continues–with an ongoing emphasis on legacy aircraft. In December 2019, the company added another 12,000-square-foot facility. Based in Fillmore, California, the new operation is named CanWest Aerospace USA Inc.

“It really focuses on growing the business of building and modifying mission systems for aircraft integration,” explained Jackson. “It fits in well with our other business units. It specializes in manufacturing aircraft structural parts and build-to-print services for military platforms such as UH-60s, CH-47 Chinooks, C-130s and AH-1 Cobras. These are still in use in many countries. And this company makes everything from cowlings to lines to structural parts. What makes it unique is with build-to-print we can deliver a part between 30 and 90 days or less. Typically with an OEM, if you ordered an obsolete part, it would take a one- to two-year lead time.”

How does CanWest overcome obsolescence so efficiently?

“The key to working on legacy platforms is having these different business units,” said Jackson. “It not only allows us to service and provide legacy parts to our customers but to do it in a timely manner. The aircraft then essentially can’t become obsolete because there are companies like ourselves that are willing to step up and manufacture the parts necessary to overcome the challenges legacy aircraft present.”

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From simple analog to today’s most-complex P25 (Project 25) radio systems, the complete line of airborne radios and audio panels from Technisonic Industries Ltd. (TIL) offers the only fully scalable solutions to meet your airborne, civil-support communication needs.

Take Technisonic’s TDFM-9000 series as an example. Each version is tailored to meet an operator’s individual mission requirements. As a result, the TDFM series radios can be found in just about every sector of public safety, from search and rescue to firefighting, emergency medical service and law enforcement.

With such a broad scope of missions and user requirements, Technisonic is constantly evaluating and implementing technological advances to ensure its users don’t get left behind. For example, the TFM-138B was one of the company’s first mission radios. Built specifically to meet United States Forest Service requirements in 1997, Technisonic has been building new versions of this “forest service” radio ever since. The original TFM-138B led to the next-generation, P25-capable TDFM-136, the -136A and now the current TDFM-136B. Throughout the years and changes, though, TIL has maintained the same user interface, “allowing users to jump into an aircraft that has a 136 series radio and understand exactly how it works,” explained Jim Huddock, business development manager.

In all of its radios, Technisonic recognizes the fast-changing tech environment. “We’ve gone from a relatively simple analog radio to P25 waveforms that are very complex,” said Huddock. “They’re turning into a computing platform as much as a radio platform.”

An important element of the company’s business is bringing customers the latest technologies. This requires keeping abreast of the next technology coming down the road. “Customer feedback is our very best source of information for that,” said Huddock. “It can be the installer, the procurement people, the pilot or the maintenance person. We always welcome their input and try to decide [if that] idea is good for all our customers. If so, we look at how we can implement it into our product.”

When asked about new technologies, Huddock said TIL is very excited about what it sees on the horizon.
“Right now, we are most excited about the new digital technology included on the Multi-Purpose Communications Port, or MCP, on all of our TDFM-9000 series radios. We took the time to develop and embed a new digital tie line capability on the MCP board. This new technology provides the next significant advancement in our communication equipment. Allowing a simplified two-wire digital connection from our radios to our upcoming TDAP-650 audio panels eliminates the traditional mass, weight and complexity of wires typically required to connect radios and audio systems. At the same time, this vastly simplifies the audio panel set up. This advancement will not affect the pilot/operator. However, on the installation side of the house, it is a major step forward in technology, wiring complexity and serviceability.”

Technisonic designs and builds its radios at the company’s facility in Mississauga, Ontario, while relying on its dealer and distributor networks for installations.

Training both on radio operation and installation is of critical importance. That is why Technisonic supports its dealers–and has a strong focus on the customer beyond the initial purchase.

“We’re not out to make just a sale; we build customer relations,” said Huddock. “We know these radios are not inexpensive items. That radio is going to be with the customer for five, seven or even 10 years, and we want them to know we’re going to be there in five, seven or 10 years. This is why we offer ongoing training and support and assure the reliability of the radio. This is a priority for the entire team at Technisonic.

“Support is one of the things we always try to do well. We are a mission communications company, which means when a mission arises, you have to fly. You can’t afford downtime because the radio doesn’t work. We recognize that each flight might be to save someone’s life or home, stop a crime, rescue someone off a mountain–it’s that type of urgency we feel.”

Huddock concluded that after selling thousands of radios over the decades, Technisonic had learned key things about its customer relationships. No matter what you build into your product, no matter how good it is, if your customers don’t understand its value to their operation, don’t get proper training on it or the support they need, the product is not going to be successful.

Technisonic will be showcasing its TDFM-9000 series radios and TDAP-650 audio panel with Digital Tie Line Technology at Heli-Expo 2020. The company encourages and wants to hear from its operators at the show.

“That’s the truest and largest value, as well as the best part of any show, getting to talk with the folks operating our equipment every day,” said Huddock. “That’s what gives us the insight and the inspiration for the next update or product. We can take valuable field experience and that insight and act on it.”

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Innovation is the hallmark of Latitude Technologies.

This premier avionics design and manufacturing firm was founded in 2001 in Victoria, British Columbia, with a clear mission to offer the most cost-effective and feature-rich delivery solutions for air-to-ground voice communications, real-time flight data and mission-critical situational awareness.

One of Latitude’s early landmark achievements was its Air Tanker Information System™ (ATIS). By allowing operators and agencies to visualize aerial fire attack data in real time, ATIS pioneered the tracking of water-bombers and set the path for new standards in Automated Flight Following.

“We have always wanted to offer our customers information that allowed them to perform as safely and efficiently as possible,” said Latitude president and founder Mark Insley. “We led the development back then and continue to do so today.”

Today, Latitude supports more than 500 fleet operators in the aerial firefighting, search-and-rescue, medical transport, airborne law enforcement, and military defense sectors. The company also has a growing portfolio of products and services for fixed-wing business aviation and air transport clients. Collectively, this means Latitude has a customer base that covers more than 30 territories and all seven continents.

Insley attributes the company’s growth to a commitment to superior customer service: “We have a drive to understand our clients’ needs and to innovate solutions that perform to the highest standards.”

For example, Latitude’s Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) offering is purpose-built to provide a robust yet lightweight solution that monitors operational safety, engine trend data and fuel consumption. Following the company’s modular design principles, Latitude’s IONode FDM hardware can be paired easily with other Latitude systems, such as ATIS or the SkyNode transceiver hardware. Latitude’s unique FDM solution received a United States patent in October 2018 for innovations related to a wireless data transfer process that streamlines FDM data extraction and ultimately simplifies analysis for operators.

Adding a further layer of value to clients’ air-to-ground communications is Latitude’s newest coordinated communications solution powered by Iridium Push-to-Talk (PTT).

For coordinated operations such as disaster response, the system connects crews in the air with teams on the ground, dispatch management and agency headquarters over wide geographic regions. Backed by Iridium’s global satellite network, it is fully independent of ground-based communication networks, which means issues such as environmental conditions or downed towers do not disrupt the system.

“It is ‘one-key’ dialing that allows for encrypted conversations between an unlimited number of talk groups under all conditions,” said Insley. “In critical situations, you don’t need to know the phone numbers of the party you’re trying to call or to be called anymore. Programming tactical radio frequencies to work out of province/state or even dialing international is no longer an issue. In the heat of the moment, when it really matters most, it makes coordinating communication for disaster relief an entirely new paradigm–talk groups can be set up easily from anywhere and in just a matter of minutes.”

He added that Latitude’s implementation is unique as it also provides Iridium PTT capabilities to Technisonic TDFM radios by exploiting their pilot radio interface. “For operators that have this common equipment onboard, it makes upgrading communications systems easy and negates the need for additional panel space to install a new dialer.”

These types of innovations and design solutions, backed by the highest levels of customer service, are what makes Latitude stand out. Said Insley, “People come to Latitude because of our knowledge and experience. We’re here to deliver that same level of service for many years to come.”

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“Experience has no substitute.”

This is Alpine Aerotech’s new vision statement. It appears on branding boards displayed throughout the company’s workplace.

“After 29 years, our team felt it was time for a new look,” says president Jeff Denomme. “I really like to involve the employees in collective decision-making, so it all came about from an internal survey. These boards are a reminder for our employees to know who we are and what we value. We want to make sure we instill that in everything we do every day. We are really still the same, but with a new look.”

Clearly, the results of the survey focused on the company’s experience. “Our experience is something that I think is second to none,” says Denomme. “We have employees and managers who have been here since day one, and we pretty much have zero turnover. It’s a real strength.”

Day one started in 1990 in Kelowna, British Columbia, when Alpine was primarily a structures shop. Over the years, the company expanded steadily into an all-around, one-stop shop, with full capabilities of paint, structures, component overhaul, avionics and manufacturing for helicopters. It also grew into a Platinum-rated, Bell Helicopter Textron approved Customer Service Facility–and a leading-edge provider of comprehensive, worldwide helicopter support and aircraft maintenance services from locations in Kelowna and Abbotsford, B.C.

Today, Alpine Aerotech provides full-service maintenance and repair for all leading OEM helicopter types. Its capabilities include avionics, component overhaul, composite repair, maintenance engineering, quality assurance, structural repair and tooling. Add to that, product and parts sales, and manufacturing and product development, and you have a true one-stop shop that meets the needs of every helicopter operator.

The company focuses on all aspects of best-in-class customer service. Its credentials and global approvals assist in providing solutions for a large variety of helicopter types for customers around the world.

“It’s all about steady and astute organic growth,” says Denomme. “Over the past few years, we have focused on diversity and eliminating some of the seasonality in our business. International approvals and capabilities with all the leading OEM types have allowed us to expand our business and provide support and cost-saving solutions globally.

“The seasonality is tough in our business. Realistically, we were trying to drive 12 months of support into eight months. That is the downtime for all the Canadian and U.S. operators because they need their aircraft from May to September.”

New capabilities have helped eliminate most of the seasonality, which helps alleviate some of the ups and downs for the employees and provides a stable work environment. What has also helped is Alpine has grown its lease fleet and its hull and component exchange programs.

Its team strives to provide solutions, big or small, for every owner and operator. “When we understand their challenges, it enhances our relationship.”

The new capabilities and diversity create a vital synergy between new business and new opportunities for employees. “Employees have opportunities from the diversity that we’ve put forth, so it’s not always just from somebody retiring–there are a lot of new capabilities and a lot of new opportunities we are trying to drive.”

Another recent development is a renewed emphasis on the use of tracked data to provide transparency and accurate and competitive quoting. “We try and provide a transparent quote, so customers understand the number of hours that go into these projects because we have the data from doing this for 30 years,” explains Denomme. “We’re giving the customer realistic expectations instead of quotes that get them in the door and then have them be disappointed when they get the invoice.” Alpine has now fully integrated that transparency into its accounting and quoting system, thus providing better communication and updates through its planning department.

That openness and accountability boosts confidence on all sides. “It’s about our employees and our customers,” says Denomme. “We have so many return customers, and I think that’s all because our customers can pick up the phone and talk to any one of us and get the personable and reliable support they expect.

“Realistically, we just want to make sure we are personable, experienced and reliable–and that we don’t grow outside our comfort zone. We are not growing by leaps and bounds, but we are growing to what our capability is so we can continue to provide a quality product. That’s really our goal–to keep doing what we’re doing. And that takes experience and communicating with our customers.”

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Imagine if pilots could complete a day’s flying without having to manually fill out a journey log or update flight and duty forms–as well as having a draft invoice ready for approval upon their return. Well, now they can.

By combining Aeronet’s new .APP with one of a range of satellite tracking systems, you can automate most of the reports and forms that pilots must enter at the end of every flight.

Aeronet spotted the need for this while working with many of its customers. “We could see the biggest problem is that the pilots are writing down the same information multiple times,” said Aaron Shipman, Aeronet’s founder and chief executive officer. “They are writing it out in their own notebooks; they are writing it out in the journey log; they’re writing it out on a draft invoice; writing it out on the flight ticket and so on.

“We solve that problem. We end up with the journey log, draft invoices, etc. without anyone writing anything down or typing it out on an iPad.”

Aeronet is a small team of dedicated professionals headquartered in Cambridge, New Zealand. For 15 years, the company has worked alongside aviation experts, developing extremely flexible software solutions for the aviation industry. Aeronet has partnered with a wide range of aviation companies, navigating a very complex regulatory environment. Those partnerships have allowed it to create a collection of best practices that not only make for a great software system but also connect people to refined processes.

Cloud-based Aeronet is already popular with the aviation industry through its three successful products. Operators use Aeronet.OPS, maintenance controllers enjoy Aeronet.MT and service providers employ Aeronet.MRO.

With that suite of three proven products working together in a web-enabled environment, Aeronet provides a system that helps aviation companies manage their business processes, resulting in increased efficiency and reduced costs. It’s also adaptable–customized, scalable solutions are available for any size of organization.

The new Aeronet.APP builds on the expertise and experience gained with these leading products.

When the need for automated pilot data entry became clear, Aeronet and a group of entrepreneurial New Zealand based companies combined resources to come up with the solution. When you put Aeronet.APP together with a satellite tracking unit from Spidertracks, V2track, TracPlus or Airbly, pilots no longer have to enter data manually at the end of a flight. They can use any of these units to flow data to Aeronet.APP.

“We work with our clients to utilize existing hardware and make recommendations whenever we can,” said Shipman. “Most operators have satellite tracking, so we are leveraging off their current hardware. A new piece of hardware is not often required, we are just doing more things with it.” If customers don’t have any of that hardware, Shipman said, “Talk to us about what you have, and we will work with you on a solution.”

Aeronet.APP automatically creates several documents in real time. These include journey logs, flight and duty forms, draft invoices, flight logbooks, maintenance alerts, landing fee reports, usage reports, safety alarms, and incident reports.

In perfecting the groundbreaking new product, Aeronet and its partners had several challenges to overcome, said Shipman. “It’s pretty easy to put dots on a map, relatively easy to count hours, but harder to count landings, torque events and some of the other things needed for the journey log.” Identifying the pilot on the job and identifying the job you’re on to get an invoice was also difficult. “And identifying things like cycles can be relatively tricky, too.”

Generally, the adoption of tablets and related gear in the cockpit and flight deck is credited with improving pilot data entry. Shipman agrees with this, but only up to a point: “Some of the operators focus on the electronic flight bag and ask pilots to enter it on a tablet. But depending on their age, it can actually be easier to write it out than type it. And basically, they are tired at the end of the day. So, many of those applications based around iPads, etc. aren’t really solving the problem of pilot data entry accuracy.”

With Aeronet.APP, though, “All you have to do is fly. All your paperwork is being done in real time. I call it auto-magical.”

The post Goodbye to pilot paperwork appeared first on Vertical Mag.

When RHOTHETA International, a radio direction finding (RDF) and location systems developer, started operations in 1989, its specialty was air traffic control (ATC) products. Its initial development was the RT-1000 direction finder system for ATC and vessel traffic services applications, which proved a winner with over 100 systems deployed worldwide.

That success led to frequent requests for direction-finder systems for search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft applications.

At the time, direction-finding technology was evolving to new-generation, lighter and more compact components. The company spotted a market niche: RDF solutions for aircraft, drone and ground SAR, and public-safety applications. These products are based on the Doppler method and are capable of receiving, calculating bearing, and decoding analog and digital radio transmissions in VHF and UHF bands.

Ventura Rigol, RHOTHETA’s president and general manager, said the new technology is a significant breakthrough.

“It is still called RDF, but that’s associated with old technology,” he said. “You no longer have an antenna and an ordinary receiver with RF cables everywhere. We have gone beyond that. The lightweight (4.4-pound/2-kilogram) white antenna-receiver unit you see mounted underneath the helicopters–and also now on drones (2.85 pounds)–is the complete RDF system.”

The white housing itself is the physical antenna element. It’s scanned in four different points, not mechanically but electrically. With a three-kilohertz period, it scans the four directions, simulating four physical antennas.

Also inside the antenna-receiver unit is the broadband receiver, covering 118 to 470 megahertz (MHz). A central processing unit does all the processing: all algorithms that calculate the Doppler, all the averaging and the electrical rotations of the antenna.

“These features make it fitting for a number of applications where dimensions and weight are of the essence,” said Rigol. “Aircraft, drones, manpacks, vessels, towers . . . we fit quite well in all these applications.”

In 2009, RHOTHETA launched the airborne RT-600 series with multifunction and wideband capabilities in a single system: 118 to 470 MHz operational frequency range; Cospas-Sarsat channels, including beacon IDs and latitude-longitude location data, LoJack and ETS; and other public-safety-type signals.

Designed for all aircraft, the RT-600 is available in two versions: “A” for SAR applications and “L” for combined SAR/law enforcement and public-safety applications. The L-version has LoJack, ETS and medical beacon capabilities. “It builds on the functionality of the A-system,” said Rigol. “If you are just in the SAR business, the A-version is all you need. For law enforcement and public safety, the L-version is the one for you.”

Both versions are lightweight and easily installed. Acquisition and installation costs are reasonable and designed for any budget.

The RT-600 is used by the United States Air Force Auxiliary – Civil Air Patrol, as well as law enforcement airborne units such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety. It has been proven to enhance the SAR mission, where saving even minutes can be critical when locating and rescuing injured persons within the “golden hour.”

It has also proven instrumental in locating downed aircraft; disabled, sinking or capsized vessels; lost or injured hikers; and in LoJack stolen car recovery. The RT-600 is a “mission must” that will save not only lives but also time and money by reducing overall search time when compared to conventional SAR methods.

RHOTHETA’s newest variation is the RT-600 Light, a lighter-weight version of the antenna unit that can be mounted on drones–which provides rescuers with a height and range advantage.

“It’s like putting the antenna on a high tower,” said Alex Collantes, head of product support and sales engineering. “You have a much better range, increasing by several miles as the drone ascends.”

The result is less time spent searching and faster rescue or recovery. Links to devices on the ground can be via Wi-Fi or VHF/UHF data link.

The drone application has already proven popular. Rigol said dozens of drones with RDFs have been deployed in the last two years, including some with the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

“SAR operators carry the drones in a truck and deploy them vertically,” he said. “They go up to 200 feet, and it does miracles to overcome line-of-sight obstructions.”

RHOTHETA’s RT-400, meanwhile, is an advanced multi-band RDF and location system designed for portable SAR and surveillance applications in manpack and vehicle configurations. The antenna unit is connected over Wi-Fi with the SAR operator’s tablet. It has GPS and compass capabilities, and runs DF Scout, an Android moving map app, eliminating the need for a separate display control unit.

“An advantage common to all RHOTHETA solutions is the price-to-performance ratio,” said Rigol. “All are top-quality commercial-off-the-shelf products. And our ultimate edge is fitting in all SAR platforms: manned aircraft, drones, vessels, vehicles and manpacks.”

What’s next for RHOTHETA?

Rigol said the company will be building AIS (automatic identification system) functionality into its antenna units. Some models will also incorporate Wi-Fi, GPS and compass functionality.

Also coming is wideband DSSS (direct-sequence spread spectrum) capability in compliance with the satellite-based Cospas-Sarsat Phase 2 and second-generation beacons.

“All these technologies and more will be coming into our next-generation products,” said Rigol.

The post Essential for the mission appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Auckland, New Zealand-based Airwork Group is a global aviation provider with a unique ability to provide turnkey aviation services.

The various divisions that comprise the Airwork Group offer a full complement of aviation services, which includes helicopter and fixed-wing flight operations, aircraft engineering, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, sales, and aircraft leasing.

“We are focused in three distinct areas of industry,” said Claude Alviani, Group strategy and business development manager. “The first being fixed-wing airline operations and leasing with our Boeing 737 and Boeing 757 aircraft. The second is providing helicopter operations, leasing and sales, and the third involves the range of maintenance, repair and overhaul services, as well as modifications and upgrades predominantly for helicopters, but also for fixed-wing.”

Airwork was founded in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1936 and over the years since, it has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of its customers and to equip its staff to keep pace with technology.

“We believe that New Zealand has one of the oldest and most diverse aviation traditions,” said Alviani. “This tradition was borne out of dealing with the country’s varying topography, its isolation from the rest of the world, and its dependence on land-based economic activities.”

“Since our inception, we’ve developed industry-leading capabilities that we think sets us apart from other aviation operators. In addition to our helicopter and fixed-wing operations, we are proud of the broad range of aviation support services that our body of highly skilled aviation professionals provides. We are recognized for these world class services, holding Service Center approvals with Airbus, Honeywell, Kawasaki, Breeze Eastern, and we are a licensed distributor for a range of other aviation products from Honeywell, Genesys and Dart to mention a few.”

Another core strength at Airwork is the inventory management component of its robust supply chain and aviation supplier networks. This is a critical function of the business because its customer base spans the world: North and South America, Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

The company also maintains an extensive range of dynamic component overhaul capabilities for a wide range of helicopter types. Moreover, the turbine workshop can perform Hot Section Inspections (HSIs), providing repair and overhaul services for a number of engine types, and the Honeywell engine test cell enables engines to be tested, providing performance data on service repairs for customers.

The in-house avionics overhaul, instrument repair and inspection engineers and the design and manufacturing teams work closely with customers to develop specific modifications and supplemental type certificates (STCs) that provide increased performance and extended operational capabilities for the customers.

It is this range of in-house capabilities that led Airwork down the path of looking at upgrading the BK117 helicopter as a world-leading, specialty product. User organizations have an increasing desire for helicopter modifications that provide distinct safety advantages to the conduct of their flight operations.

Excellent examples of how technology has made aviation safer are visible in flight deck systems designed to help pilots avoid safety problems more common in the past, such as controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) and collisions with other aircraft in flight.

Terrain awareness and warning systems and synthetic vision systems that improve a pilot’s understanding of the flight environment, were made possible following the advent of digital instrument displays and GPS, which have helped to dramatically reduce CFIT accidents.

“Similarly, airborne collision avoidance systems (ACAS) have helped to reduce the incidence of mid-air collisions between aircraft by actively monitoring the airspace around an aircraft to improve a pilot’s awareness and avoidance of conflicting traffic in the vicinity,” said Alviani.

“The BK117 Evolution, as we call it, comes about from our desire to serve those end users. To begin with, we sought to increase the engine power to meet Category ‘A’ performance and the Honeywell LTS101-850 engine modification was born.”

Airwork is the holder of the STC for this significant aircraft performance and safety improvement for the BK117-B2, with more than 50 aircraft modified to date.

However, the upgraded engine was just the beginning.

“We also wanted to defend those engines against their operating environment,” said Alviani. “So we developed the BK117 particle separator.”

In addition to this, the lightweight, nine-seat configuration enables quick change in roles between internal cargo and passenger operations. The re-engined BK117 Evolution has been identified as a great light twin aircraft for human external cargo (HEC) operators looking to upgrade from a single to the twin engine PC1 safety it provides.

Airwork is currently developing a dual hook system that will be available to HEC operators in the near future that will dramatically improve the safety of external load operations involving high value loads or construction efforts requiring the support of people on the ground.

Airwork’s modification offerings incorporated in the BK117 Evolution make for a long list. The glass cockpit offers 3D Synthetic Vision EFIS to enhance safety, reduce pilot workload, increase flexibility and lower the cost of operation.

“We believe the BK117 Evolution provides equivalent safety to new aircraft systems and the airframe remanufacturing program and PC1 performance enables this aircraft and crews to maintain the rigorous standards of safety sought by user organizations involved in day/night offshore transfer and HEMS [helicopter emergency medical services] operations.”

“Our Airwork mods allow the operator to comply with VFR [visual flight rules] and IFR [instrument flight rules] performance-based navigation requirements, which are currently being implemented around the world,” added Alviani.

“Future modifications to provide vibration health monitoring (VHM) and flight data monitoring (FDM) are in the works,” he said.

The Airwork BK117 Evolution is a refurbished aircraft. With engines that now provide PC1 performance, and an avionics suite equivalent to new generation aircraft, it’s a global winner from a long-established aviation leader.

“Worldwide, I would say there isn’t another helicopter and modification organization that is able to support a helicopter modification program like the BK117 Evolution, the way we do,” said Alviani.

The post A new lease on life appeared first on Vertical Mag.

UTC Aerospace Systems, manufacturer of the internationally-known and trusted Goodrich helicopter hoist, has linked with industry training leader Air Rescue Systems Corp. (ARS) to provide cutting-edge, advanced helicopter hoist mission training.

It’s an ideal match. ARS has the expertise in mission- and skill-based training and mission-specific equipment. And for over four decades, Goodrich hoists have been trusted by crews around the globe responding to search-and-rescue, tactical insertion and extraction missions, offshore wind farm operations, harbor pilot transfer, power line maintenance, and other operations. The combination allows customers to tailor the training they need to fit their individual operational requirements.

The program integrates the two companies’ separate maintenance training and mission- and skill-based training into one convenient, single event. Customers can choose training at their own home base or one of seven global UTC Aerospace Systems or ARS full-service facilities.

Oregon-based ARS provides three tiers of advanced helicopter service: response, training, and equipment.

“In our response programs we have always used Goodrich hoists,” said ARS vice president Bob Cockell. “In our contract operations around the world–for example, our work with the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.K. Ministry of Defence providing medevac hoist rescue missions.”

And the response and training platforms at their home base also utilize the Goodrich hoist, he added.

“So we have really mastered operations with it,” Cockell said. “We love the hoist–the functionality, the high speed of the translating drum, and of course its robust build–all the stuff that makes it a really superior product.”

Nick Demogines, associate director of business development for the hoist and winch product line at UTC Aerospace Systems, elaborated on the hoist’s superiority.

“The Goodrich hoist designs have a translating drum that allows for a single payout point for the cable,” he explained. “This allows for smooth payout and reel-in of the cable, and also improves the capability to perform missions with larger fleet angles. Our hoists have continually improved motor performance over the years to allow for variable speed and smooth acceleration and deceleration. Additionally, our hoists are designed to keep working even in an over-temperature condition, just at a lower speed.”

Demogines added that Goodrich hoists are designed to work in low and high temperatures, through harsh environments and heavy use.

UTC Aerospace Systems offers O-level (organizational level) maintenance training on all Goodrich hoists through a combination of classroom theory and practical exercises on the customer’s own equipment at the customer’s preferred location.

The full-day training course can certify up to six participants at once, and is intended
to help operators understand and navigate the maintenance requirements specified in the maintenance manual.

Upon completion, participants are issued an O-level maintenance certificate and are able to understand hoist maintenance and functionality, identify hoist system components and functions, and perform basic maintenance tasks, adjustments, troubleshooting, and some component replacement.

Customizing according to client needs, ARS offers three types of risk-managed training: mission-based, skill-based, and mission-specific equipment. Mission-based covers specialties from search-and-rescue to law enforcement and power utility operations.

Skill-based training offers all hoist operations-related skills from flight skills to heli-rappel and night operations. Mission-specific training encompasses hoist operations equipment and systems designed by ARS working helicopter response specialists.

It’s a progressive form of training.

“ARS’ training concepts include teaching the physics behind the hoist operations combined with the techniques of flying with a hoist,” said Cockell. “There are physical laws that dictate rotor flow dynamics so you can anticipate what’s going to happen instead of being surprised. There is a science to it.”

Cockell explained how the new team training program works.

“Goodrich may receive a customer request for a hoist,” he said. “They provide the hoist and then the next part would be ‘OK, what do we do with our hoist?’ Goodrich would provide the maintenance training and they would present us as the solution to the operations training.”

He said information flow between the two companies is key. Course participants also learn the most up-to-date developments.

“We continue to refine and improve our hoist maintenance training,” said Demogines. “With this training, along with ARS’ operational training, the operators will have a full suite of training to ensure proper maintenance, care, and usage of their hoists. Consistent and timely training is extremely important for continued safe and reliable operations.”

He emphasized the importance of this two-pronged approach.

“It is important to note that maintenance training by itself is a good step for safe hoisting operations, but without a strong operational training curriculum, actual hoisting missions may not be performed correctly leading to potential safety implications and misuse of the hoist.”

Mere attendance doesn’t ensure a pass.

“In the joint program we end each course with an actual scenario-based rescue,” said Cockell. “They have to actually go out in a controlled environment and perform missions they just trained for–and they have to do it 100 percent to pass the course.”

The post Hoisting a total team solution appeared first on Vertical Mag.

VIH Aerospace, a Bell Helicopter-approved Customer Service Facility, provides top quality, value-enhanced helicopter maintenance, manufacturing, repair and overhaul (MMRO) services, including supplemental type certificate (STC) development and integrations that meet or exceed original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications.

Based in North Saanich, British Columbia, the company is strategically located next to Victoria International Airport with a staff complement averaging 45 employees.

The company has a storied history. Now in its sixth decade, VIH Aerospace remains at the forefront of the aviation repair and overhaul industry by continually assessing, anticipating, and responding to both operator requirements and the ever-changing nature of the aerospace industry. Numerous recent examples illustrate this capability.

STCs

VIH has long been an engineer, designer and manufacturer of STC products, primarily for Bell and Sikorsky helicopters.

“We have over 60 STCs; however, we focus on those most relevant to the market today,” said Dave McGrath, director of marketing, business development and sales. “In Western Canada, for example, with heli-skiing, our survival kits, cargo net assemblies, and footrest baskets are popular.”

Vertical reference windows for the H135, Bell 407, Sikorsky S-61 and S-92 are also in great demand, he added.

“Our advantage in developing and manufacturing our STC products is that we work directly with aircrews, maintainers and others to ensure our STC solutions work safely and effectively in ‘real-world’ operations. It’s not just theoretical.”

STC and manufacturing capabilities have been enhanced with the recent acquisition of a state-of-the-art five-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machine.

“So where we had a history of manufacture and production for STC products which were primarily our own, in the past 24 months we’ve expanded that to third parties,” said McGrath. For example, VIH is the manufacturer for the Boost Human External Cargo System–a critical component of longline air rescue operations–in addition to providing third-party manufacturing and fabrication services to fixed- and rotary-wing fleet operators.

Avionics

“We have a long history of engineering, developing and integrating avionics installations, retrofits and upgrades,” said McGrath. “Everything from complete aircraft re-wires to glass cockpits and night vision systems (NVIS).”

The company currently has contracts to outfit three Sikorsky S-76 air ambulances with NVIS, as well as a law enforcement Airbus H130 and a commercial Airbus H135.

And as the ADS-B requirement looms on the horizon, “we are positioned and ready to address customer installations on both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft,” said McGrath. “We are an authorized Garmin dealer.”

There’s bound to be a last-minute backlog for the Jan. 1, 2020 deadline, the Federal Aviation Administration has warned; however, VIH is poised to respond.

“We are prepared to meet customer demand,” said McGrath.

Increased model coverage

In the past few months, VIH Aerospace has received Bell Helicopter approval for Bell 412 and 429 field maintenance, in addition to airframe repairs, avionics, and electrical. These now complement the company’s existing approvals for eight other Bell models: 204/205/206/212/222/230/407/UH1.

And as a result of increased customer demand, VIH has acquired multiple Bell 407 airframes to support its component rental, exchange and overhaul program.

“A few years ago we detected a lack of aftermarket support for the Bell 407,” said McGrath. “It was an opportunity to build a niche for ourselves. Initially we acquired an entire set of 407 major components and started a component and overhaul, rental and exchange program, so if we are doing your overhauls we keep you flying.”

The resulting high demand necessitated the purchase of two additional 407s and use of those components as part of the asset pool.

Another recent addition to the VIH repertoire, driven by customer demand, is support for private Airbus H130 operators at the nearby VIH Aviation Group fixed-base operator (FBO).

“They wanted someone local to support them, so we took on two H130s in addition to our previous airframes/avionics capabilities on H125 models,” said McGrath. “We do their inspections and day-to-day maintenance.”

Also for Sikorsky, VIH Aerospace now offers component inspection and repair for the S-76 in addition to its wide range of capabilities on the S-61 and S-92.

“Again, it was customers who drove this initiative–they came to us–our reputation for quality and customer service pays dividends.”

International certifications and global expansion

“We received our ISO 9001:2015 certification just prior to Heli-Expo 2017,” said McGrath. “It adds an extra level of quality, so it pays dividends both to our customers and to ourselves, because it adds performance checks and builds efficiencies within our systems.”

The company is now taking it a step further: to obtain an AS9200 certification.

“Because we do a lot of work for OEMs as well as third-party manufacturing for larger fixed- and rotary-wing customers, we want to ensure we meet or exceed their requirements,” said McGrath. “Our goal is to deliver the highest standards of quality, expertise and professionalism in every interaction with our customers.”

These standards facilitate the company’s continuing strategic plan to grow its customer base across North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.

“Over the last two to three years we’ve taken on customers in Australia, New Caledonia, Indonesia, South America, and Europe,” said McGrath.

The success of these fresh marketing thrusts is distinguishing VIH from the competition.

“We come from an operational background so we understand operational requirements–always looking from the operators’ perspective,” explained McGrath. “That is a differentiator for us.”

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