Safran’s digital Cassiopée flight data acquisition, transmission and analysis system has received technical authorization for use on the EC120B helicopter.
Successful teamwork
In early January 2020, a year after signing the Letter of Intent (LOI), Safran and HeliDax carried out the technical validation of the complete digital Cassiopée-based system on the EC120B helicopter.
A series of tests performed by HeliDax validated Cassiopée’s ability to automatically transfer flight data between its different modules, including the Helicom V2+ acquisition unit,theCassiopée Digital Flight Report app and the Cassiopée Helisafe web interface. The company also checked that this data was fully synchronized with its maintenance information system (MIS).
“I’m very satisfied with our collaboration with Safran. The end-to-end data transfer functioned without a hitch, providing real time savings and fewer transcription errors. These are critical factors in ensuring maximum flight safety and reducing our costs.”
Joël Baudon, Technical Director of HeliDax
“The teams at HeliDax and Safran performed a tremendous amount of work in less than a year. This technical validation confirms our determination to continue developing this digital flight data system for helicopters. By calling on digitization and automation, we can continuously process data, handling larger amounts with greater accuracy, for an increasingly precise analysis.”
Florence Minisclou, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Safran Electronics & Defense Avionics Division
Step by step technical checks
Pre-flight checks
The first step for HeliDax was checking the operation of the Cassiopée Digital Flight Report app. From user connection and recognition, to access to the fleet associated with its profile and the automatic generation of a pre-flight report, the app’s pre-flight functions came through with flying colors.
Checks in flight
In addition, the Helicom V2+ acquisition and transmission unit chalked up a large number of flight hours on the EC120B, confirming the aircraft’s perfect real-time geolocation performance.
Post-flight checks
Flight data
Following the flight, data recorded by the Helicom V2+ unit were automatically transmitted (via a secure wireless connection) to Cassiopée Helisafeand made available to the maintenance information system.
Post-flight report
At the same time, using the Cassiopée Digital Flight Reportapp and a Bluetooth connection, HeliDax’s experts downloaded the data needed for the automatic pre-filling out of the post-flight report (position, flight time, engine operating time, number of landings) via the Helicom V2+ unit. The report was then completed and sent via the Cassiopée Helisafe interface to be made available for the MIS so that maintenance teams could import relevant data. Day after day, Safran delivers proven data expertise to more than 80 helicopter operators. Our solutions support pilots, operators and airlines from around the world to ensure flight safety while also lowering operating costs, thanks to a complete, reliable and high-performance digital system.
