Airwork NZ, November 07, 2016 - Airwork NZ announced the award of a New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (NZCAA) supplemental type certificate (STC) for its BK117 Genesys electronic flight instrumentation system (EFIS).
The first helicopter ZK-IWG, operated by Helicopters Otago, has been operationally accepted and has flown a number of missions.
The Evolution’s standard IDU-450 package includes four high-resolution color displays, Genesys 3D synthetic vision with highway-in-the-sky (HITS) navigation, geo-referenced hover vector, helicopter terrain awareness (HTAWS), NVIS-A and NVIS-B night vision goggle compatibility, flight management system, GPS/NAV/COM and much more, providing customers with a multi-mission instrument flight rules helicopter capable of operating in today’s complex air traffic environment.
The upgrade was carried out at Helicopter Otago’s facility in Dunedin New Zealand by an integrated operational and engineering team,” said Graeme Gale, chief pilot and managing director, Heli Otago. “The team worked closely with the NZCAA aircraft certification unit and the team from Genesys throughout the project. Regular meetings and open dialogue ensured that the STC was completed in a timely manner and that all parties involved understood regulatory requirements associated with such a complex program.
“We have a long history with the BK117 and we were looking to retain the operational and engineering experience we have collectively built up. The Evolution cockpit is the final part of this jigsaw. The ability to upgrade one of our helicopters economically with this modern technology provides us with a significant increase in operational safety, reliability and the ability to fly routes other helicopters are unable to.”
In addition to the standard EFIS package, a significant re-wire coupled with the replacement of a number of legacy avionics systems provided weight reduction and reliability improvements.
“This was a significant undertaking and the final product has provided the customer with a very capable aircraft,” said Simon Williams, Airwork technical business development manager. “The technology is unprecedented and provides Heli Otago with a future proofed solution while still retaining base knowledge of the helicopter. This allows a very smooth transition from analogue to evolution and reduces costs associated with training and logistics.
“We are very pleased with the finished product and believe that this is the natural upgrade for an operator looking for a cost effective solution to improving safety, reliability and operational capability,” said Williams.
The first helicopter ZK-IWG, operated by Helicopters Otago, has been operationally accepted and has flown a number of missions.
The Evolution’s standard IDU-450 package includes four high-resolution color displays, Genesys 3D synthetic vision with highway-in-the-sky (HITS) navigation, geo-referenced hover vector, helicopter terrain awareness (HTAWS), NVIS-A and NVIS-B night vision goggle compatibility, flight management system, GPS/NAV/COM and much more, providing customers with a multi-mission instrument flight rules helicopter capable of operating in today’s complex air traffic environment.
The upgrade was carried out at Helicopter Otago’s facility in Dunedin New Zealand by an integrated operational and engineering team,” said Graeme Gale, chief pilot and managing director, Heli Otago. “The team worked closely with the NZCAA aircraft certification unit and the team from Genesys throughout the project. Regular meetings and open dialogue ensured that the STC was completed in a timely manner and that all parties involved understood regulatory requirements associated with such a complex program.
“We have a long history with the BK117 and we were looking to retain the operational and engineering experience we have collectively built up. The Evolution cockpit is the final part of this jigsaw. The ability to upgrade one of our helicopters economically with this modern technology provides us with a significant increase in operational safety, reliability and the ability to fly routes other helicopters are unable to.”
In addition to the standard EFIS package, a significant re-wire coupled with the replacement of a number of legacy avionics systems provided weight reduction and reliability improvements.
“This was a significant undertaking and the final product has provided the customer with a very capable aircraft,” said Simon Williams, Airwork technical business development manager. “The technology is unprecedented and provides Heli Otago with a future proofed solution while still retaining base knowledge of the helicopter. This allows a very smooth transition from analogue to evolution and reduces costs associated with training and logistics.
“We are very pleased with the finished product and believe that this is the natural upgrade for an operator looking for a cost effective solution to improving safety, reliability and operational capability,” said Williams.
BK117B-2 ZK-IWG ( Airwork NZ )
See also |
bk117 in
Helicopters Otago Airwork NZ MBB Bk117
Helicopters Avionics 
