Avidyne Announces Completion of First Helicopter EX600 MFD Installation

Lincoln, Mass. - June 28, 2010--– Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated flight decks, displays, and safety systems for general aviation aircraft, announced that Vista Aviation of Pacoima, California, has completed the first helicopter installation of the Avidyne EX600 Multi-Function Display (MFD). The installation was completed in a Eurocopter A-Star 350B and approved under a FAA Form 337.

“We have installed quite a few Avidyne MFDs, and we were excited about being the first dealer to install an EX600 into a helicopter,” said Bill DeBarmore, Vista Aviation’s avionics manager. “The customer wanted the EX600 specifically because of its easy user interface and one-touch panning capability which reduces pilot workload. The installation went very smoothly, and the customer was delighted with how it turned out.”

“Vista has done a terrific job on this first EX600 helicopter installation, the first of many for Avidyne MFDs in this market,” said Patrick Herguth, Avidyne’s Chief Operating Officer. “The EX600 provides significant advantages for the helicopter operator including its overall ease of use and a very versatile radar and safety-sensor interface compatibility.” This installation also included an Avidyne TAS610 Traffic Advisory System, a TWX670 Color Tactical Lightning, and an MLX770 Two-Way Datalink Transceiver.

The EX600 is a full-function MFD that is designed to enhance situational awareness and safety for pilots of general aviation airplanes and helicopters. Incorporating all-new 5.8-inch diagonal, 640x480 pixel (VGA) display and Avidyne’s renowned easy-to-use pilot interface—including innovative new Map Panning keys and their exclusive QuickPan™ function—the EX600 dramatically improves a pilot’s ability to access and display critical flight data. QuickPan™ allows the pilot to quickly toggle between the present position and a panned-to position–such as Destination airport–with a single button push. The EX600’s “map-centric” operation—especially helpful for helicopter operators—allows the pilot to view all the available safety information, including on-board radar, right on the map page without having to switch to dedicated or hidden pages as with many other MFDs.

All EX600s include the ability to display CMax™ approach charts & worldwide airport diagrams at no additional charge—as well as support for European VFR Charts—which provide an added measure of situational awareness during critical phases of flight and while taxiing, both domestically and internationally. CMax subscription services are available through Jeppesen. With interfaces to nineteen different radar models, the EX600 is the leader in radar-replacement MFDs, meaning it can act as a display replacement for many out-dated and un-repairable CRT radar displays, while adding significant situational awareness and utility enhancements.

In addition, the EX600 has standard interfaces (at no additional charge), providing the widest range of sensor interfaces available in a retrofit MFD including Traffic TAS600-Series Traffic Advisory capability and TWX670 Color Tactical Lightning Detection. With Avidyne’s unique MultiLink™ capability, the EX600 can display both broadcast datalink in the Continental U.S. (CONUS) through the MLB700 and international datalink through the MLX770 datalink transceiver. Optional TCAS I and TAWS/EGPWS interfaces are also available.