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ÖAMTC Air Rescue: Innovation for more safety and efficiency

Photo: ÖAMTC/Postl

State-of-the-art four-axle autopilots are a valuable support for pilots, especially during rescue flights. The autopilot supports flight-related tasks up to hovering, which relieves the pilots throughout complex missions. “Six helicopters out of the Christophorus fleet are already equipped with an autopilot”, knows Marco Trefanitz, Managing Director of ÖAMTC Air Rescue. Since this achievement is especially valuable for 24-hour operation and for difficult salvage in alpine terrain, further helicopters will be retrofitted with this technology.

Following successful negotiations, HeliAir, the technology division of ÖAMTC Air Rescue, has entered into a strategic partnership with Thales.

“Our goal is to further develop the AFCS Autopilot from Thales, to integrate it on the EC135 and to test it in real operation,” says Trefanitz. “Many years of experience as well as our know-how and expertise are essential building blocks to achieve this goal.”

Together, ÖAMTC Air Rescue and Thales want to work on solutions that support pilots in every decisive moment along the way.

“We know that ÖAMTC Air Rescue trusts in high technology solutions and is continuously working on further developing their air rescue system”, says Hannes Boyer, Managing Director of Thales in Austria. “We are looking forward to supporting their current and future ambitions with our expertise.”

The partnership between HeliAir and Thales offers potential for various other innovations; whether a fully digital helicopter cockpit for a more flexible and situative information display, a helmet mounted display for extended sight or a dedicated tablet mounting for helicopters.

About HeliAir

With Helikopter Air Transport (HeliAir), the ÖAMTC Air Rescue Service has its very own maintenance facility with European aviation legislation approval at its bases in Innsbruck and Wiener Neustadt, a facility that enjoys an excellent reputation also at the international level. Helicopters and engines from all over Europe are serviced and maintained at Innsbruck and Wiener Neustadt.

HeliAir also operates its own design and production facility, developing mission equipment for helicopters and compiling all the approval documents required by the European Aviation Authority. In all its areas of operation HeliAir has established quality standards that are on a par with the systems implemented by major airlines.

About Thales in Austria

In Austria customers in rail transportation, air traffic, cybersecurity and defence missions rely on Thales. Their expertise in signalling gives people and goods in Central and Eastern European markets, like Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia and Albania, the connected journey they deserve. With 400 employees in Vienna, Thales supports its customers in every decisive moment.