Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated avionics systems, displays, ADS-B and safety systems for general aviation aircraft, announced their new dzus-mounted Avidyne Helios multifunction flight management system (FMS) for helicopters.

The Avidyne Helios provides many of the same features as the previously-announced Avidyne Atlas FMS, including a Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS) GPS navigator, a full QWERTY style keyboard, with Avidyne’s unique ‘Page & Tab’ and hybrid touch-screen user interface, and a full color Moving Map with high-resolution, three arc-second terrain basemap, geo-referenced Jeppesen™ Electronic Approach Charts and Airport Diagrams—including Helicopter approaches and HeliPorts. Helios options include 16-watt VHF NAV/COM with ILS, HTAWS, Avidyne’s GLAS™ legacy avionics interface, Radar control/display capability, NVIS compatibility, and an RS-170 video input.

“Avidyne Helios is a natural extension of our highly-capable multifunction FMS line, providing the same great easy-to-use features of our IFD and ATLAS FMS products. Helios is built from the ground up to meet the rigorous demands of the rotorcraft environment,” said Avidyne CEO Dan Schwinn. “With built in moving map— featuring our new 3 arc-second terrain and power line data—plus charts, and VHF NAV/COM, video, NVIS and radar options, Avidyne Helios gives corporate, military, and special-mission helicopter operators a highly- integrated and much more capable FMS solution .”

“Avidyne Helios gives our Part 27 and Part 29 rotorcraft customers a powerful new option when upgrading their GPS navigation capabilities, ,” said John Talmadge, Avidyne’s Director of Worldwide Sales. “Its extensive I/O provides easy interface with a wide range of new and existing flight instrument systems, and its integrated design gives Avidyne Helios a big advantage–especially for fleet operators looking to reduce installation and operational costs, including updates of the FMS database and electronic approach plates, as well as extended warranty.”

About Avidyne Helios™

The Avidyne Helios flight management system is a dzus-mounted GPS/SBAS flight management system that meets TSO-C146c for full SBAS/LPV approach guidance, including easy-to-use flight planning, ‘one-touch’ departure, airway, and arrival Helios has a full QWERTY-style keyboard along with touch-screen ‘hybrid touch’ user interface that provides easy map panning and rubber-band flight plan editing. It’s designed to seamlessly integrate with existing equipment in the aircraft including a long list of CDIs, HSIs, remote sensors, and autopilots, and it is also an approved ADS-B GPS position source with numerous transponders.

Helios also offers an option for Avidyne’s GPS Legacy Avionics Support (GLAS™) interface which provides direct compatibility with legacy Collins Proline 21 and Honeywell Primus EFIS systems for vertical guidance during approach operations. This unique integration capability enables EFISs certified before the availability of LPV approaches to have coupled approach guidance on these and other SBAS approaches.

The Avidyne Atlas boasts a variety of features not found in any other FMS system, such as:

Hybrid touch-screen user interface
Moving map with airspace, terrain, navaid, and airport display capability
High resolution 3-arc-second color-contoured terrain base map
Powerline data available as a Map feature
Display of XM or ADS-B weather with full graphics as an overlay on the map
Traffic display from TCAS, TAS, or ADS-B
Display of Jeppesen approach plates and airport diagrams, including HeliPorts
Integrated WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
Integration with ForeFlight® and a host of other EFBs
Built-in USB charger
Optional integrated 16-watt VHF COM, VOR, localizer and glide slope radio w/15 COMM Channel presets with remote Increment/Decrement and XFER
Optional NVIS compatibility
Optional Avidyne GLAS™ technology
Optional radar display for BendixKing digital radars
Optional integrated HTAWS
Optional R-170 video input
The single-box system is 7.5” tall, 5.75” wide, and 10.615” deep and is form-factor compatible to physically fit is the same space as a host of legacy FMS systems.

Pricing &Availability

Introductory pricing on Avidyne Helios™ starts at $23,999. Helios with optional 16-watt VHF COM/NAV/ILS is $29,999. Contact Avidyne for pricing of additional options, including HTAWS, NVIZ, Radar, Video, GLAS, and Gray Bezel.