First Part 23 aircraft certified with aviation inflatable restraint

Aircraft Manufacturing & Development (AMD) of Eastman Georgia becomes the first certified General Aviation manufacturer to install the AMSAFE Aviation Inflatable Restraint (AAIRR) in a GA aircraft. AMSAFE received the STC on April 26 2004, STC #SA01629LA. The STC is for the installation of the AMSAFE inflatable restraint system in the AMD Alarus IFR type certified IFR trainer aircraft.

The Alarus is a two place side-by-side aircraft which was designed from the ground up to be FAA IFR certified. It is certified for VFR-Night-IFR, Utility-Normal, spin certified (optional) and now with seatbelt airbags. The aircraft has been certified since 1994 and has been put through the tough wear & tear of flying schools and low time pilots. The extra tough landing gear system and very low maintenance cost is wining over a lot of leaseback investors and schools.

How the airbag system works

The inflatable restraint system is a standard type 3 point seat belt with a small airbag pouch attached to the lap harness. A black box between the seats activates two cylinder behind the seats which inflates the airbags. This is only possible when a prolonged 9G forward load is put on the airframe. Very hard landings will not set-off the system. The airbag is inflated in front of the person for a few seconds only, where the person goes forward into the airbag. In a car, the airbag is inflated at the person.

The AAIR system is the world's first inflatable restraint product to be certified to meet FAA/JAA regulatory requirements. The current version of the AAIR is currently installed on numerous commercial airline fleets, under FAR 25.

AMSAFE's General Aviation/Business Jet Manager Zane Leake said, "AMD was one of the first to recognize the benefit of the AAIR. Now they can offer one of the industries latest safety enhancements to their customers. AMD is the first in the market with this product"

FMI: www.newplane.com