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| Skywork’s Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 has been outfitted with Astronics’ newly certified Max-Viz 1400 Enhanced Vision System. Photo: Skywork |
[Avionics Magazine 10-26-2016] An Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 with New Zealand’s Skywork Helicopters is flying the first high-resolution Astronics Max-Viz 1400 Enhanced Vision System (EVS), according to a company news release. The 1400 EVS was recently certified to DO-160G standards by the RTCA earlier this week.
The operator — with its parent company based in New York — works with its dealer, Oceania Aviation. One of New Zealand’s largest general aviation maintenance networks, Oceania Aviation installed the 1400 EVS on Skywork’s rotorcraft. Several aircraft in the fleet will receive the new technology.
The 1400 EVS is a lightweight, solid-state, low power, uncooled thermal camera. It allows visibility in a variety of conditions, including summer haze, smoke, light fog and darkness. Certified for both rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft, the 1400 EVS is compatible with some Garmin, Avidyne, Bendix King and AvMap displays, among others.
Skywork’s fleet, which includes one AS355N, two AS350 B3s, one AS350 BA and one AS350 B2, already operates with night-vision technology. But with the 1400 EVS, pilots have enhanced vision at any time. The capability aides pilots navigating New Zealand’s varied environmental conditions.