MDHI’S COCKPIT MODERNIZATION PROGRAM LEAPS FORWARD WITH FAA TYPE CERTIFICATION OF ADVANCED, ALL-GLASS COCKPIT
DELIVERIES OF MDHI’S NEWLY CERTIFIED COCKPIT ALREADY UNDERWAY
Mesa, Ariz., July 11, 2018
MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) announces FAA-approval of its advanced, all-glass cockpit for the MD 530F (type certificate 369FF). Approved for production and as a type design option, this is the third glass cockpit certification MDHI has received in the last year.
“My commitment to delivering next generation technologies that are both design and function-forward is unwavering,” said Lynn Tilton, Chief Executive Officer for MD Helicopters, Inc. “My team has embraced this commitment, and with flawless execution has delivered a glass cockpit that rises head-and-shoulders above other cockpit solutions in its class; in both capability and aesthetic.”
MD Helicopters completed all FAA certification requirements for the updated MD 530F glass-cockpit in early June 2018. After a thorough review by the FAA, Type Certification was granted on June 14. MDHI’s newest single-engine all-glass cockpit features:
- Howell Instruments Electronic Engine Instruments and Crew Alert System (EICAS)
- Garmin G500[H] TXi Electronic Flight Instruments (EFIS) with Touchscreen GDU 700P PFD/MFD
- Garmin GTN 650 Touchscreen NAV/COM/GPS
- Optional L-3 ESI 500 Electronic Standby Instrument
Efforts to obtain type design certification for this cockpit configuration for remaining MD Helicopters single-engine models is ongoing. In 2017, MDHI previously certified similar all-glass cockpits for both the MD 530F and the MD 600N.
Deliveries of the first production aircraft to feature this all-new cockpit have already started, with initial aircraft earmarked for the U.S. Army and Afghan Air Force as well as Virginia Beach Police Department.
“I am very proud of my MD team for achieving this milestone,” Tilton concludes. “Along with not less than five other active certification efforts, this talented team never lost focus. Because of their precision execution, MD Helicopters’ operators will see an accelerating pace of innovations and upgrades across our entire fleet of iconic aircraft.”