iPad App Simplifies Flight Planning, Enhances Safety Of Flight

Sikorsky has issued a beta version of its iFly Sikorsky performance calculator for the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter. Available from the Apple Store as an iPad tablet app, iFly Sikorsky gives S-70i administrators, pilots and mission planners a quick and easy method to configure aircraft cabin layout and installed mission equipment; calculate aircraft weight and balance; access weather data; review takeoff, landing, and cruise profiles; predict aircraft performance during each phase of flight; and determine range relative to aircraft position and intended destination.  

“What can take 15 minutes with the Rotorcraft Flight Manual can take seconds with the iFly Sikorsky app,” said Simon Gharibian, director, Global Sustainment Centers of Excellence, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Missions Systems. “Pilots can compile accurate information about optimum flight performance that greatly enhances aircraft safety. Following beta testing during early 2019, we will be offering this capability to militaries and government agencies around the world that are flying S-70i Black Hawk helicopters.”

Launched in 2013 for operators of Sikorsky S-92A and S-76D commercial helicopters, the iFly Sikorsky app has steadily grown in content from a simple performance calculator to a highly efficient and connected preflight planning application. The first release of the app for the S-70i model Black Hawk helicopter contains many of the features from the latest 2.2.1 commercial release.

With the iFly Sikorsky app, an S-70i pilot can ‘build’ the aircraft to be flown, and then navigate the toolbars to understand aircraft performance by phase of flight. A typical workflow with the app might play out as follows:

Configuration — Build internal and external aircraft configurations from an established list of equipment by adding seats, mission equipment, cargo and fuel. Or use available tools to build highly customized profiles. Define aircraft basic empty weight and center of gravity. Determine external drag from open sliding doors and other external options such as searchlights, rescue hoists, sensors, external stores systems, and the Firehawk belly water tank.

Weight and Balance — Calculate the aircraft’s center of gravity, takeoff and landing weights using an intuitive user interface or the Weight & Balance calculator. Input crew, passengers, fuel, cargo, external stores, and external loads.

Planning — Access METAR and TAF weather data for origin and destination airports and push environmental conditions (temperature, pressure altitude, winds, etc.) to the performance pages.

In-Flight Performance — View graphically the following Aircraft Profiles: Hover, Takeoff, Cruise and Landing. Manually update environmental conditions and fuel to quickly reevaluate aircraft performance in flight. Verify fuel to destination based on aircraft position, aircraft range, and relative position to the intended destination.

Summary — Summary provides an overview of the aircraft configuration, loading and configuration throughout the flight profile. The summary page can be texted, emailed or printed to document mission profiles as required.

Sikorsky invites interested Black Hawk operators to test the iFly Sikorsky app by emailing their interest to sikorsky360.gr-sik@lmco.com, or visiting the Sikorsky booth during HAI Heli-Expo. Following beta test, Sikorsky will release the final version by mid-year.

(Image provided with Lockheed Martin Corporation news release)

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com