Astronautics Corporation of America is providing its AFI4700 RoadRunner Electronic Flight Instruments (EFIs) to Arista Aviation as cost-effective, easy-to-install replacements on a FIREHAWK helicopter to be operated by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department (SBCFD).
The RoadRunner EFIs—two per aircraft—are part of an upgraded avionics package and instrument panel on a UHH-60L Black Hawk helicopter that Arista Aviation is repurposing into the new FIREHAWK configuration for the SBCFD. The helicopter will serve the fire crews and residents of Santa Barbara County, California.
The RoadRunner EFI interfaces seamlessly with modern digital navigation, enabling the FIREHAWK to fly firefighting and other missions with enhanced safety and reliability.
“Providing an easy EFI upgrade with enhanced services to Arista for the SBCFD’s new FIREHAWK is our top priority,” said Astronautics Vice President of Sales and Business Development Greg Plantz. “We are committed to helping our customers achieve mission success.”
The RoadRunner EFI is an easy-to-install and cost-effective replacement for the existing attitude director and horizontal situation indicator functionality to a modern electronic flight instrument system, enabling enhanced safety features such as localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches.
The RoadRunner EFI also provides operators readability in all lighting conditions, familiar and easy-to-use controls, reduced operating and maintenance costs, and minimal downtime for installation. The unit is easily upgradeable with new software functionality tailorable to customer needs and mission requirements.
Astronautics manufactured over 10,000 primary flight instruments for the UH-60 Black Hawk from the mid-1970s through the 1990s, including attitude director, horizontal, vertical situation indicators, and command situation processors.
To learn more about the RoadRunner EFI and its capabilities at HAI Heli-Expo 2020, visit Astronautics on stand 1428. RoadRunner EFI demonstration units will also be featured on the following stands highlighting the system’s easy installation and superior viewability: StandardAero (stand 2824) as part of its SAFECRAFT system; Avidyne Corporation interfacing with its FMS/GPS Navigator (stand 7727); and Maxcraft Avionics Ltd. (stand 3905).
