Sentinel Now Available in the US for the First Time
Honeywell's Sentinel helicopter avionics system, used widely by
U.K. and European helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS)
operators, is now available to pilots in the United States. The
system offers critical flight safety information, including high
resolution terrain and weather data.
"Honeywell now offers helicopter operators, including HEMS
pilots, Sentinel - a single avionics package that provides a
multi-function display and navigation system with high resolution
mapping, traffic and XM weather, and vertical down track
profiling," said Chad Cundiff, Vice President, Crew Interface and
Program Management, Honeywell. "Sentinel enhances situational
awareness and flight safety."
The suite includes a radar altimeter, above ground level readout, a
night vision goggle option and obstacles database.
It provides HEMS operators with a single avionics package to
meet FAA guidance. Recent FAA guidance for HEMS operators in the
U.S. requires weather, terrain, obstacle and altitude above ground
obstacles awareness to be improved, and night vision goggles to be
used for night operations.
Paul Whitefield, Chief Pilot at LuviAir, said, "This highly
reliable system offers ease of readability of charts, flexibility
with data entry via a USB port, the ability to insert flashcards
for different map packages, and a very easy, intuitive operation.
It is a great system for HEMS operators and the medium and large
helicopter segment."
Sentinel entered service with European HEMS and executive
operators in 2008 and provides spatial awareness and navigational
assistance for urgent mission pilots.
Cundiff said, "With the introduction of XM Weather and Vertical
Profile, in addition to U.S. sectionals, terminals and helicopter
route charts, Sentinel meets the needs of operators in the U.S.
conducting medical rescue operations." The system offers up to 24GB
of on-board data storage, allowing Sentinel to provide navigational
mapping to high resolution over an entire country. Sentinel is
available in several configurations and can operate as a
stand-alone, panel mounted MFD/Navigator, remote processor, or as
an integrated element of the Honeywell Observer MKIII Mission
System.
Sentinel has been priced at $9,000 MSRP for the base unit - an
affordable system for U.S. operators. Other user installable
upgrades to the Sentinel system are planned for 2009 including
Plates and user configurable databases.