Ace Aeronautics, LLC (ACE) has announced the issuance of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supplemental type certificate (STC) # SR01944WI for the ACE DECK VL-60, the premier integrated flight deck for the Black Hawk. This issuance marks the beginning of a new era, as the first commercial off-the-shelf instrument flight rules (IFR) and area navigation certified flight deck upgrade for the UH-60/S-70 family of helicopters.
“Congratulations to Ace Aeronautics on the certification of the G5000H integrated flight deck in the UH-60/S-70 family of helicopters,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “The state-of-the-art G5000H offers superior situational awareness with modern features such as Synthetic Vision, HTAWS, ADS-B In/Out and more. These features combined with the flexible architecture of the G5000H, make it an ideal solution for these operators and their unique missions.”
The ACE DECK VL-60 STC provides operators of the world’s most versatile and capable utility helicopter with the first and only certified solution to overcome legacy cockpit obsolescence. With over 20,000 flight decks in service worldwide, ACE leverages the technology, service, and support of Garmin, a leader in avionics. The ACE DECK VL-60 reduces pilot workload, enhances safety through increased situational awareness, and features an intuitive and revolutionary pilot interface.
Black Hawk operators will find unparalleled features and key benefits exclusive to the night vision imaging system-compatible ACE DECK VL-60. The app-based interface features a shallow menu structure, allowing pilots to quickly and efficiently access critical flight data. Exclusive software enhancements, only found in the ACE DECK VL-60, feature engine indicating and crew alerting system (EICAS) presentation, including torque and rotor inset (TRI) on the primary flight display (PFD) as well as an industry-leading synoptic view of aircraft systems. Compared to all other integrated flight decks, the ACE DECK VL-60 delivers unmatched connectivity through the Iridium satellite network providing global phone, text and weather, the company said.
“The ACE DECK VL-60 is an ideal solution for commercial, public and military H-60/S-70 operators,” said Ace Aeronautics president and CEO Darrell Kindley. “Our STC establishes the certification foundation for future customers who wish to integrate specific mission equipment needs into their existing H-60/S-70 fleet. The ACE DECK VL-60 open architecture allows for seamless integration of customer-unique mission equipment packages without impacting the civil airworthiness pedigree.”
For tactical operators around the world, the ACE DECK VL-60 seamlessly integrates a mission equipment suite including up to five radios (LOS/BLOS), tactical maps with dynamic digital aircraft performance model, IFF transponder, helmet mounted display and cueing system, color weather radar, and EGI. ACE offers a total fielding package solution including supplemental technical publications (IETM) and training for air crews and maintainers.
