Cool City Avionics, a manufacturer of low cost, professional-grade autopilots and stability augmentation systems, wishes to express its strong support for helicopter industry-proposed changes to FAA certification requirements for single-engine IFR.
In June 2015, an Association and Industry White Paper was prepared, in cooperation with the Helicopter Association International, American Helicopter Society International, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and the Aircraft Electronics Association, and submitted to the FAA for review. This White Paper points out a strategy to reduce fatal helicopter accidents by facilitating IFR operations, in lieu of VFR, when conditions do not support safe flight under VFR. The White Paper also details a proposal to facilitate an economically-viable IFR certification plan for single-engine helicopters.
Please download and read the full White Paper: http://www.rotor.org/rotornews/july15/se-ifr.pdf
Cool City Avionics autopilots meet, or exceed, the requirements described in the White Paper, including High Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) and Lightning.
When Cool City Avionics’ engineers began the development of their family of two- and three-axis autopilots and SAS/SCAS Stabilization Systems, they recognized the significant safety improvement that would result from providing IFR-capable autopilots for helicopters, particularly single-engine helicopters.
“From the beginning, we designed the family of two- and three-axis autopilots and stability augmentation systems for IFR operations,” said Jim Irwin, president/CEO. “Our products are the first, and only, helicopter products certified to the new Technical Standard Order (TSO) C198, and the FAA-approved documentation supporting the Cool City products makes them qualified for IFR approval under the appropriate supplemental type certification (STC),” he added. For aftermarket installations, helicopters must be IFR-approved using the STC process, but when so approved, the Cool City autopilot becomes part of that STC certification for IFR flight.
Cool City Avionics’ family of Autopilots and SAS/SCAS systems are designed not only for today’s helicopters, but for future aircraft as well. The family of autopilots is available from your nearest Cool City Avionics dealership. A list of dealers is available on the website at www.CoolCityAvionics.com/dealers.
