Alpine Aerotech’s Garmin avionics update for the Bell 212.
Photo: Alpine Areotech
Written for Insight Magazine – Heli-Expo 2022
There’s not much that Alpine Aerotech can’t do to a helicopter.
“Our capabilities include dynamic components, structures, paint, avionics, heavy maintenance, parts sales, specialized repairs, manufacturing, and design.,” said Alfonso Garcia, vice president of sales, speaking with Insight.
From its origins in 1990 as a helicopter structural repair shop in Kelowna, British Columbia, Aerotech has grown to include service and manufacturing facilities covering over 64,000 sq. ft. at its home in West Kelowna.
In 2013, the company expanded to Canada’s West Coast at the Abbotsford, B.C. airport (YXX) with a 30,000 sq. ft., fully-capable inspection, repair and installation shop.
Aerotech has international accreditation as an approved maintenance organization from Transport Canada, FAA, EASA, Brazil’s ANAC, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea.
For years, Aerotech has been one of the largest and most reputable Bell Helicopters customer service facilities in the world, and in 2017, became a recognized maintenance centre for Leonardo Helicopters. Aerotech also has technicians trained on Airbus and K-MAX aircraft.
The team of 150 employees is focused on Aerotech’s customers, and the integrated manufacturing and design facilities give the company the ability to quickly respond to a client’s needs.
They have developed more than 50 supplemental type certificates (STC) in collaboration with major original equipment manufacturers (OEM), government agencies, and end users.
“Having the in-house manufacturing capability is key to the innovation process where you have an idea, and you can actually develop it into a final product. You don’t have to outsource it, and that expedites it,” said Garcia.
One of Aerotech’s most recent STCs addresses the reality faced by all operators of legacy aircraft – equipment obsolescence. These customers utilize aircraft that may be decades old, but still have lots of operational life left in their airframes.
Drawing on their experience with the Bell 212 and 412, Aerotech gives the helicopter a complete avionics upgrade, beginning with the replacement of the pilot’s original electro-mechanical flight instruments with a Garmin G500H TXI electronic flight display. The system is driven by a robust Garmin Air Data Attitude Heading Reference System (ADAHRS).
“We see value in taking these perfectly fine, operational aircraft and upgrading them versus replacing them. Savings aside, the aircraft familiarity stays with the operator and that is very important,” said Garcia.
Alone, this upgrade introduces a more reliable instrumentation package giving pilots advanced features that ultimately improve mission effectiveness and overall flight safety.
The upgrade can also result in “a weight savings of 50 to 60 pounds by removing expensive-to-maintain Tarsyn gyros in the standard Bell configuration,” said Bert Geofroy, Aerotech’s avionic manager.
“The STC was carefully developed to allow customization for unique customer requirements,” explained Mark Jensen, avionics product manager.
“The system can be configured with all Garmin navigators (including 6 and 7 series), multiple models of ADS-B transponders, traffic systems and radar altimeters. The operator can also choose to go with a single display on the right- hand side, or dual primary flight displays.”
According to Geofroy, the conversion of a helicopter to a single-side display along with a basic avionics package could likely be completed “in a couple of months.”
“When our clients can align the avionics upgrade with a scheduled maintenance event, we can take advantage of the aircraft’s downtime. That’s our ideal window of time to do it,” said Garcia.
And when the newly upgraded helicopter is ready to return to operation, it’s a special event.
“It feels like you’re rolling out a new aircraft for the customer. It may be a thirty-plus year-old airframe, but when they see the displays all lit up, it really feels like you’ve given them something brand new,” said Jensen.
Garcia is understandably proud of the organization, and points to the skill and commitment from all departments at Aerotech.
“These projects require expertise and a high level of coordination across multiple departments – it’s a team effort! We have people whose first job was Alpine Aerotech, and their last job was Alpine Aerotech. That’s the level of experience that we have to offer.”