Bendix/King By Honeywell AV8OR Provides Portable Weather, Traffic and GPS

Honeywell announced Sunday at Heli-Expo 2010 that the AV8OR handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) is now available for helicopter operators.

"The AV8OR is a terrific addition to any helicopter, providing situational awareness of weather, terrain, traffic and airspace for very little cost," said Chad Cundiff, vice president, Crew Interface and Displays, Honeywell Aerospace. "For about $800, helicopter pilots get moving-map navigation with terrain awareness, which they can use on the ground or in the air, making every trip simple from door -- to air -- to door. The unit can also wirelessly interface to traffic and weather information."

The AV8OR is a portable touch-screen GPS for use in the car or in the air, with real-time weather capability, moving-map navigation and video-in capability. Its large 4.3-inch screen can display weather, from Honeywell's KDR 610 or the WxWorx portable receiver, and traffic from Zaon Flight Systems' XRX portable traffic receiver. The moving map display incorporates helicopter symbology, low altitude helicopter routes, helipads and controlled airspace.

The navigation database includes terrain shading and a SmartProfile view, enabling operators to see the terrain in the flight path of the helicopter.

With a $99 a year subscription, AV8OR offer daily updates on fuel pricing through Flight Guide, as well as on-field services, restaurants, taxi services and hotels. A dedicated online customer center provides operators with simple software updating capability.

The AV8OR is the first touch-screen handheld device developed for both aviation and automotive use, the first airway planner, the first to have multimedia capability and the first to have a Bluetooth phone interface -- all in one device.

FMI: www.honeywell.com