Appareo Systems and Eurocopter today announced that the FAA has recently granted a Supplemental Type Certificate for the ALERTS Vision 1000 Flight Data Management (FDM) system. The STC covers installation in Eurocopter AS350 B1, BA, B2, and B3 aircraft. Additional STCs for other aircraft models are planned.

The ALERTS Vision 1000, the most recent addition to Appareo’s award-winning ALERTS family of FDM products, was jointly developed by Appareo Systems, American Eurocopter and Eurocopter to provide helicopter operators of all types with a lightweight, low-cost solution for recording flight data, cockpit imagery and audio. By adding high-resolution image and ambient acoustic capture abilities to the successful ALERTS FOQA system, Appareo has made a significant contribution to increasing safe helicopter operation across the industry.

“Appareo Systems is pleased to have received this initial STC for the ALERTS Vision 1000,” said Barry Batcheller, President and CEO of Appareo Systems. “The Vision 1000 is a significant step forward in lightweight flight data monitoring technology and represents a great deal of hard work and innovation on the part of Appareo Systems, American Eurocopter and Eurocopter – receiving this STC is a solid validation of that effort.”

ALERTS – Aircraft Logging and Event Recording for Training and Safety – is a comprehensive Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) and FDM system designed for light and legacy aircraft where more traditional flight data recorders are too large and costly to be viable choices. As a comprehensive system, ALERTS makes effective FOQA/FDM programs available to operators of any size with any fleet.

In keeping with earlier ALERTS hardware, the ALERTS Vision 1000 is extremely small and lightweight, weighing less than nine ounces. Because the unit is so small and lightweight, and requires only aircraft power and ground to function, its use is possible in nearly any aircraft.

The ALERTS Vision 1000 will be included as standard equipment on all U.S.-produced AS350 aircraft starting in Q2 2010 and will be extended throughout the remainder of Eurocopter’s product line in the future.

If you are attending Heli-Expo, stop by the Appareo booth # or Eurocopter booth # 3128 for demonstrations.

About Appareo Systems, LLC

Appareo systems is a recognized leader in the custom development and manufacture of low-cost innovative avionic solutions for original equipment manufacturers. Through the creative application of cutting-edge technologies, the company creates complex end-to-end solutions that include both airborne and ground station components. Appareo offers turn-key services form product conceptualization through attainment of STC. In addition, the company is an accredited FAA Parts Manufacturing facility.

Appareo’s ALERTS system for flight data capture and analysis was named the 2007 Product Breakthrough of the Year by Aviation Week & Space Technology and recognized by the American Helicopter Association with the 2008 Harry T. Jensen award for outstanding contribution to helicopter safety and reliability.