EFIS May Be Installed On Bell 206, 407 Light Helicopters
Chelton Flight Systems, part of Cobham plc’s Avionics and
Surveillance Division, announced Monday the European Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA) has approved Chelton’s Electronic Flight
Instrument System (EFIS) for use on Bell 206A, B, L-series, and 407
light single helicopters. EASA.IM. R.S.01165 is the first European
certification for Synthetic Vision installation.
To achieve certification, Chelton worked closely with EASA and
the United Kingdom Civil Air Authority (UK CAA). The result is
that hundreds of Bell 206/407 helicopters flying under EASA
jurisdiction may now take advantage of the numerous
benefits Synthetic Vision has to offer.
Chelton's EFIS uses 3D graphic technology to translate the
terrain ahead of and around the helicopter into a simple, real-time
visual picture. This helps the pilot "see" aircraft position in
relation to its surroundings regardless of darkness or weather
conditions. The display reduces instrument scanning and pilot
fatigue by consolidating readings of several instruments into one
efficient tool, resulting in safer execution of flight plans and
procedures.
Further enhancing situational
awareness and flight safety, Chelton's EFIS offers
Highway-In-The-Sky (HITS), making it possible to fly with ILS
precision to any point in the world, and Helicopter TAWS (HTAWS),
which delivers visual and audio clues when terrain or obstacles
present a hazard.
Of the certification, Scott Fitzgerald, Bell's Vice President of
Sales, said "We see this milestone for Chelton as a success for
Bell Helicopter and for our customers. With our continued focus on
modernization and safety this system will enhance our product
offering and will provide another dimension to the demand for the
407 and the 206L4 in Europe."
A condition certification is that Chelton's newest software
package, version 6.0B, be installed on the EFIS. 6.0B features
DO-178B Level-A certification and significant benefits for
end-users, including:
- Support for WSI Weather. Supported products include NEXRAD
Weather Radar, Echo Tops, Graphical METARs, Textual METARs, Textual
TAFs, Lightning, SIGMETs/AIRMETs, TFRs, and Winds/Temps aloft
- Expanded Hover Vector. Displayed with large radar altitude
scale on MFD
The rotorcraft on which certification was achieved, Bell's 206
and 407, are known worldwide for their integration of speed,
performance, and maneuverability in corporate, utility, EMS, and
law enforcement applications. Over 7,000 of these two aircraft
in service and over 400 are on order, according to Bell.