Astronics Corporation’s Max-Viz-1500 enhanced vision system has received approval by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for retrofit installation in Bell B206B/206L-4/407 helicopters.

Astronics Executive Vice President Elliott Troutman said, “Astronics concurs with Bell Helicopter’s assessment that China will be the world’s strongest helicopter growth market with a need for 2,000 aircraft during the next decade. We also expect that there will be a tremendous need for enhanced situational awareness and improved safety in the country. Having the approval of the CAAC for the Astronics Max-Viz-1500 enhanced vision system for these helicopters is an important step in serving that country’s expanding helicopter operations.”

“In some areas in China, atmospheric conditions due to weather and smog present an optimal imaging environment for enhanced vision technology that can help to reduce stress for pilots operating in such obscured environments,” Troutman said. There are far more Astronics Max-Viz enhanced vision systems in service around the world than any other EVS.

Troutman noted that Astronics is pleased that Bell is expanding maintenance capability in China. Bell Helicopter signed a memorandum of understanding to assist with the establishment of a maintenance training facility for Bell 206L and 407 helicopters in Guangdong Province. Bell also appointed Shanghai Kingwing General Aviation Co. Ltd. as a Bell Helicopter authorized Customer Service Facility.

According to Bell’s statistics, only 600 commercial helicopters support 1.3 billion people around China, while more than 8,000 helicopters support about 300 million people in the U.S.  Bell Helicopter, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is a leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft.

The Astronics Max-Viz-1500 is a dual optical field of view enhanced vision system with patented image software. Designed by pilots for improved situational awareness in all phases of rotary and fixed-wing flight, the Astronics Max-Viz-1500 sets the standard for EVS for aviation. It is the choice for turbine rotorcraft, fixed-wing turboprop and jet market segments. The pilot-selectable dual field of view allows pilots to select wide angle or telephoto views of the world.

The Astronics Max-Viz enhanced vision system will be on display at HELI-EXPO 2013, in Las Vegas, March 5-7.

Astronics designs and markets the smallest, most reliable and affordable Max-Viz EVS for aircraft. The systems use infrared sensors, signal processing and a cockpit display to show terrain, runways, taxiways, aircraft and other obstacles through poor visibility conditions, including light fog, haze, smoke, brownout/whiteout, light precipitation and darkness.

About the Astronics Max-Viz Enhanced Vision Systems
Astronics Max-Viz enhanced vision systems are designed for turbine and piston fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The systems use infrared sensors, signal processing and advanced cockpit display to show terrain, runways, taxiways, aircraft and obstacles in poor visibility conditions including light fog, haze, smoke, brown/whiteout, light precipitation and darkness.  Astronics Max-Viz enhanced vision systems are small, reliable and affordable.

About Astronics Corporation
Astronics Corporation (NASDAQ: ATRO) is a leader in advanced, high-performance lighting, electrical power, avionics databus products and automated test systems for the global aerospace and defense industries. Astronics’ strategy is to develop and maintain positions of technical leadership in its chosen aerospace and defense markets, to leverage those positions to grow the amount of content and volume of product it sells to those markets and to selectively acquire businesses with similar technical capabilities that could benefit from our leadership position and strategic direction.

Astronics Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems Corp., Ballard Technology, Inc., DME Corporation, Luminescent Systems Inc. and Max-Viz, Inc., have a reputation for high-quality designs, exceptional responsiveness, strong brand recognition and best-in-class manufacturing practices.