Onboard Systems International, Inc., today announced that its Surefire™ hydraulic cargo hook swing system kits for the Airbus AS350 (H125) helicopter have been STC certified by the FAA and Transport Canada. Onboard has also submitted these systems to EASA for certification in Europe. These cargo hook kits are the first to offer Onboard’s new Surefire cargo hook release technology for the TALON® LC Keeperless hook class. The Surefire circuit requires a purposeful, half-second press against the hook release button, guarding against inadvertent releases caused by accidental contact with the release button during flight.

“We introduced the Surefire release technology on our non-rotating medium Bell cargo hook kits last year, and since then we’ve had a number of customer requests to add this option to our light-class cargo hook kits,” said Karsten Lemmon, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Onboard Systems. “We are only just beginning to roll out the Surefire release technology across our product lines, and will continue to make this option available to more and more cargo hook kits in the months and years ahead.”

In addition to offering the Surefire release technology option on new equipment, Onboard Systems can upgrade existing equipment for select models of certified cargo hooks at the factory during overhauls or upon request. Upgrade kits will also be available for operators with the capabilities to perform this work in house or through a local service facility