Will Install Necessary Equipment To Bring Aircraft Into 2020 Mandate Compliance

VIH Aerospace is ready to provide ADS-B installation support to Canadian and US-based helicopter and fixed-wing operators.

As of January 1, 2020, all aircraft operating in the airspace designated in 14 CFR 91.225 must be equipped with ADS-B-Out avionics systems that meet the performance requirements identified in 14 CFR 91.227. "All registered helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, regardless of their country of origin or operations, need to be in compliance with this FAA directive in order to operate in US airspace," said Arne Arneson, VIH Aerospace’s General Manager. The mandate applies to all private operators, single aircraft operations, fleets and mixed fleets.

Further to the directive, Canadian, US and other operators have been instructed that the January 1, 2020 date will not be extended under any circumstances. Arneson said that his company agrees with the observations shared throughout the industry that because many operators are taking a ‘wait and see’ attitude toward compliance, a substantial bottle-neck will occur whereby as January 1, 2020 approaches and operators want to upgrade to ADS-B compliance, capacity of available installers will likely result in many aircraft becoming grounded as they await the required avionics upgrade. Therefore, Arneson cautions operators to plan and perform their upgrades soon to avoid costly downtime that may result.

VIH Aerospace is an authorized distributor and installer of Garmin products, and is prepared to provide fast and cost-effective installations to ensure aircraft comply with the ADS-B 2020 mandate; and help ensure uninterrupted operations for both commercial and recreational flyers – from single aircraft to standardized fleet installations.

VIHA offers a comprehensive suite of services that improve helicopter safety and reliability while increasing Return On Investment for operators including:

component overhaul; structural/airframe repair; ADS-B; avionics and electrical modifications, including NVG upgrades and installations; manufacturing, aircraft refurbishment and completions; scheduled inspections; paint; product engineering and Supplemental Type Certificate Development; and parts and special operations equipment sales.

Aircraft types supported by VIHA include:

• Sikorsky S-61/S-76/S-92
• Bell Helicopter 205/206/212/222/230/407/412/429/UH1
• Airbus AS350/AS355/H130/H135

(Source: VIH Aerospace news release)

FMI: www.vihaerospace.com