Vector Aerospace, a
global independent provider of aviation maintenance,
repair and overhaul (MRO) services, has received
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental
Type Certificate (STC) approval to extend its ADS-B
solutions to cover the Airbus Helicopters
H120/EC120, H125/AS350, H130/EC130 and H135/EC135
series, with operators able to choose from either
the L3 Lynx NGT-9000 or Garmin GTX-345 transponders.
The L-3 ADS-B In/Out
retrofit upgrade features an intuitive,
panel-mounted touch-screen transponder which
replaces the aircraft’s existing unit. Should
console or cockpit space be a challenge, Vector also
offers a remotely mounted transceiver with a compact
cockpit control head.
Both ADS-B
solutions offer ADS-B In/Out, internal GPS, 1090 MHz
extended squitter and UAT ADS-B In, along with Wi-Fi
enabling for use with portable electronic devices (PEDs).
Installation of this ADS-B retrofit can be
undertaken easily, with the associated aircraft
downtime ranging from one day for simple
configurations to a maximum of two days for more
complex work.
“We have had
tremendous traction with our ADS-B solution as of
late, and adding the light category Airbus
Helicopters series to our expanding list of ADS-B
helicopter platforms has better equipped us to meet
our customers’ needs,” commented
Elvis Moniz,
Vice President, Business Development - Airframe &
Avionics Solutions at Vector Aerospace. “As the
ADS-B regulatory compliance mandate date continues
to draw closer, our goal is to provide customers
with cost-effective solutions which are globally
accepted and which can be installed with minimal
downtime. Meeting the regulatory-driven safety
requirements with quality products supported by
exceptional customer service continues to be
paramount for us.”
Vector also plans
to have the two ADS-B solutions certified in South
America and Europe this year.
Vector Aerospace
offers over 35 modern STCs for the Airbus
Helicopters AS332 L/L1 and H125/AS350, Bell
Helicopter 206, 212, 412, UH-1H, 427 and 430,
Leonardo Helicopters AW139, and Sikorsky S-76 and
S-61 series helicopters. Vector is currently in the
process of finalizing FAA STC approval for a
retrofittable AS350/EC130 series crash resistant
fuel tank developed in cooperation with Robertson
Fuel Systems. |