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Blue Hawaiian launch customer for Spider X
March 4, 2020 By Helicopters Staff
Dave Blackwell (left), CEO of Spidertracks, and Justin Brooke, director of operations for Hawaii Helicopters, celebrate their Spider X launch partnership at Heli-Expo 2020. (Photo: Spidertracks) Blue Hawaiian Helicopters will serve as the official launch customer for Spidertracks’ new Spider X, which was launched at Heli-Expo 2020 in Anaheim, California, in January.
Designed in-house from its predecessor technology, Spider X introduces an Altitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), providing data that is transmitted wirelessly to access information about an aircraft’s orientation and position. Spidertracks explains AHRS – expanding on the power of Virtual FDR – provides the most precise picture yet of an aircraft’s flight path and movements. The new hardware also features Wi-Fi, Cellular, Bluetooth, USB-C, and serial port interface capabilities.
“The seamless integration into our aircraft and invaluable insights provided by the Spider X makes this collaboration a natural fit,” said Justin Brooke, director of operations for Hawaii Helicopters. “It also reflects our continued commitment to quality and excellence and enables us to focus on our core business.”
Blue Hawaiian was founded in 1985 and is now one of the leading helicopter tour companies in Hawaii, serving the four major Hawaiian islands – Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island – and more than 65,000 customers. Spidertracks notes Blue Hawaiian is the only company in Hawaii to receive the Federal Aviation Administration’s Certificate of Excellence, Diamond Award, year after year since 1997.
With a fleet of Eco-Star helicopters (Eurocopter/Airbus EC130), the operation also has an approved and accepted voluntary Federal Aviation Administration Safety Management System. Blue Hawaiian is also a member of multiple safety programs, including Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS), The Platinum Program of Safety, as well as being Department of Defense and OAS certified.
“With their 35-plus years of experience in the industry, and recognition by safety authorities and customers alike, there was no question in selecting Blue Hawaiian Helicopters as our official launch partner for the Spider X,” said Dave Blackwell, CEO of Spidertracks.
