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Sikorsky S-76 Gets Max-Viz EVS STC

Oct. 29, 2008, Portland, OR – Max-Viz Inc. announced yestyerday the award of FAA STC # SR02322AK for installation of the firm’s newest Enhanced Vision System, the EVS 1500 on Sikorsky S-76 helicopters, A through C models.

The STC was designed and developed by Cary Foster and Sharmaine Vestal, Co-owners of One Sky Aviation, a full service aviation maintenance facility based in Anchorage, Alaska. The STC was issued through the Alaska ACO.

The Max-Viz EVS 1500 is the first Generation II EVS product and only dual field of view sensor available to the market which offers significantly enhanced design features and upgrades driven directly by operational experience of helicopter pilots and operators. 

The Max-Viz EVS-1500 incorporates the latest in sensor image processing and active dynamic range management in an external housing identical to the previous generation EVS-1000.  The addition of a second Field of View (FoV) provides for both a wide angle (53 degree) viewing aspect for enhanced maneuvering and en-route flight situational awareness while incorporating a narrow angle (30 degree) FoV through an integral optical zoom feature.  The narrow FoV provides a significantly enhanced resolution which equates to a much better obstacle and hazard detection capability for greater levels of aircraft operational safety and mission completion reliability.

“By maintaining the form factor of the original Max-Viz EVS-1000,” said Elliott Troutman, President of Max-Viz, “we have enabled current EVS 1000 equipped aircraft to upgrade to the improved 1500 without the costly and time consuming requirements of seeking a new STC.”

Cary Foster of One Sky Aviation  www.oneskyaviation.com   states  “The capabilities of this next generation dual FoV sensor are absolutely phenomenal in comparison to the previous generation EVS-1000 system from Max-Viz. The cooperative development of this STC, with direct support from Max-Viz, will have a dramatic impact on safety for EMS, Offshore, Corporate, and VVIP operations.”

Max-Viz www.max-viz.com  designs and markets the smallest, most reliable and affordable Enhanced Vision Systems for aircraft. The systems use real-time infrared sensors, signal processing, and a cockpit display to provide flight crews with actual images of terrain, runways, taxiways, aircraft and other potential obstacles much better than the naked eye during poor visibility conditions such as light fog, haze, smoke, brown / whiteout, light precipitation and darkness.