Honeywell’s Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) has been selected for the Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters fleet, making the tour operator the first at the scenic park to use a TCAS safety system. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
“Honeywell’s TCAS gives the flight crew the broadest area of traffic awareness in order to give the crew the most time to avoid mid-air conflicts,” said Doug Kult, Sales Director for Honeywell Helicopter and Surface Systems.
Elling Halvorson, Chairman, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, said, “The initial systems will be installed on our EC130 fleet of 12 helicopters. Our remaining aircraft will be fitted shortly thereafter with Honeywell’s outstanding traffic system.”
Papillion’s certified installation for its fleet of Eurocoper EC130 aircraft uses two directional antennas, one mounted on the top and one on the bottom of the helicopter, giving the crew maximum surveillance capability.
Kult said, “TCAS shows pilots the location of other aircraft in real time and alerts them when there is a potential mid-air conflict with surrounding air traffic. TCAS-equipped helicopters operating in today’s air traffic environments are better equipped to avoid potential accidents than those aircraft that depend solely on traditional see-and-avoid protocols. With one helicopter crash for every 1,000 hours of flight, TCAS-equipped aircraft give passengers and crew a safety margin that non TCAS aircraft can’t match.”
Honeywell is a pioneer in advanced collision avoidance protection and aircraft situational awareness technology.
The TCAS system communicates with transponder equipped aircraft, providing the pilot with a graphical display of proximate and threatening traffic. Honeywell’s TCAS has been installed on thousands of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft.
Honeywell’s safety systems for helicopters address the challenges of traffic, terrain and weather, helping to ensure safe flight and guard against Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), weather related hazards, and collisions with obstacles and other aircraft. The systems are designed specifically for the unique requirements of helicopter operations.
