Safe Flight Instrument Corporation
Pioneering Safety and Performance Products Since 1946
Proprietary Notice
This document contains proprietary information and covers equipment in which Safe Flight
Instrument Corporation has proprietary rights.
No data contained herein may be duplicated, used or disclosed, in whole or in part, for any
purpose, without the express written permission of Safe Flight Instrument Corporation.
Safe Flight Instrument Corporation expressly reserves all rights, including all rights of patent and
copyright protection.
Safe Flight Instrument Corporation
2004
Presented By:

Adrian Rosenberg
Helicopter Program Manager

Al Warg
Government Program Manager
Company History

Founded in 1946

Supplier to Commercial, Business, General and Government
Aviation Markets
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Product Installed Base Includes 2/3rd’s of the World’s Aircraft

Pioneered
 Stall Warning
 Automatic Throttle Systems
 Wind Shear Warning
 Over 100 Aviation Patents

Facility – 40,000 sq ft in White Plains, NY
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120 Employees
Safe Flight Areas of Core Competencies
 Detection
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 Warning
Lift Detector/Transducer
AOA Vane
Flap Transmitter
Ice
Pressure
Powerline Detector
 Performance
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Stall Warning
Exceedance Warning
Wind Shear Warning
Stick Shakers
Horns
Voice Alert
 Certification
 DER Engineering
 DER Flight Test
 DMIR Quality
AutoPower®
SCAT
Speed Command
N1 Computer
 Flight Test
 Fixed Wing
 Rotary Wing
Engineering Competencies
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Staff Includes
 FAA DER Test pilot
 FAA DER Systems
 FAA DMIR
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Conceptual and Analytical Design
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Analog and Digital Electrical Design
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Software Design and Verification
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Electro-Mechanical Design
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System Design and Integration
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Computer Aided Design
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Aerodynamic Design
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Systems Integration
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Environmental Testing
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Fixed and Rotary-Wing Aircraft
Flight Test Facility
Powerline Warning
PROTECTION YOU CAN HEAR
Powerline Detection
 Challenge
 Protect Rotary Wing pilots from the “invisible
hazard” of power lines
 Safe Flight Solution
 We developed a powerline detection system that
aids pilots in reducing risk of power line strikes
during low level operations
 Features
 Provides an audio alert, which clicks like a
Geiger counter, is heard through the audio
system and increased in frequency as the power
line gets closer.
Powerline Strike Risk Reduction
Powerline Strikes are one of the greatest hazards to
both civil and military helicopter operations.
On Average:
 60% of wire strike victims failed to see the wire
 75% of all wire strikes destroy the aircraft
 Average reaction time between seeing the wire and
meaningful action to avoid is 4.6/5.0 seconds (The
Powerline Detection system increases the reaction time
to 10 seconds)
 Two wire strike accidents occur in the United States each
week
 One fatality occurs every seventeen days
 Only about 10% of the wire strikes that occur are
recorded
 There are 4.6 Million Miles of Powerline in the U.S.
Powerline Detection Installation Drawing
Powerline Detection System
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Offers a Simple, Inexpensive Solution to Major
Safety Concern
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Significantly Reduces the Potential for Wire Strikes
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Passively Detects Obstacles in a Head-Up Attitude
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Double Pilot’s Time to React
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Can Save Lives As Well As Dollars
The Issue
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INADVERTENT OPERATING LIMIT EXCEEDANCE:
 Excessive Transmission Torque
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Excessive Exhaust Gas Temperature
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Excessive Gas Producer Speed
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Low Rotor Speed
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Others
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MOST EXCEEDANCES ARE INADVERTENT
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COSTS:
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Disaster – Accidents / Lives
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Dollars – Equipment / Maintenance
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Down Time - MMH/FH
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Degraded Aircraft Availability Rate
Exceedance Warning
 Challenge
 Provide rotary wing pilots with a tactile warning when
operating limits are approached
 Safe Flight Solution
 We designed and produce collective and pedal stick shaker
systems warning pilots when they are approaching various
operating limits
 Features
 Provides Tactile Warning of when Operating Limits are
being approached or exceeded
 Such as: Transmission Over Torque, EGT, Rotor Speed
The Requirement

Significantly Reduce Inadvertent Operating Limit
Exceedances
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Reduce Accidents / Unscheduled Maintenance
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Expand Pilot’s Situational Awareness
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Improve Operator Safety Margins
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Solution Must Be Practical and Cost Effective
Exceedance System Diagram
TQ
EGT
EXCEEDANCE
COM PUTER
W a r n in g
A le rt
W a rn in g :
A le rt:
Low Speed
H ig h S p e e d
S hake
S hake
S ig n a l
C o lle c tiv e
C o n tro l
Ng
Nr
SFIC Exceedance Warning System
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Provides Tactile Feedback Cues to the Pilot
 Dual Speed Collective Shaker
 Limit Exceedance Computer
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Prevents Inadvertent Exceedances from Occurring
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Pilot-In-The-Loop Decision Making
 No Hard or Soft Stops
 Complete Freedom of Collective Movement
How It Works – Human Factors
 Pilot’s Response - Instinctive
 Lower Collective (Reduce Power) if Appropriate
 Result
 Pilot Has the Information Needed to Make the
Best Decision in a Timely Manner
 The Pilot Knows When a Limit Is Being Exceeded
 The PILOT DECIDES What To Do
Collective Shaker
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Dual Speed Shaker Controlled by the Limit
Exceedance Computer
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Low Speed Shaker - Warning of an
Impending Limit
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High Speed Shaker - Alert That a Limit Has
Been Reached or Exceeded
How It Works – Collective Shaker
Shaker Installation in Bell206B3
How It Works – Exceedance Computer
 Continuous Real Time Monitoring
 Transmission Torque
 Engine Exhaust Gas Temperature
 Engine Gas Producer Speed
 Main Rotor Speed
 Others
 Dual, Programmable Trigger Points
Exceedance Computer- Diagram
System Characteristics
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Shaker
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Exceedance Computer
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1.1 to 1.4 lbs
2.5” x 4” Approximate Envelope
<28 VDC @ 0.5 Amp (1 Amp Surge)
8”L x 5”H x 2.5”W
2.5 lbs
Waterproof
Dustproof
28 VDC @ < 1 Amp
Reliability / Maintainability
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Reliability > 22,000 hours @ 40 Degrees C
Extensive BIT
Maintenance Diagnostics via Laptop
R / R Time < 10 Minutes
Qualified to DO-160D
Exceedance Avoidance
OPERATING LIMITS YOU CAN FEEL

Significantly Reduces the Potential for Operating Limit
Exceedances
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Prevents Exceedances Rather Than Recording Them “After the
Fact”
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Reduces Unscheduled Maintenance
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Improves Situational Awareness- “Eyes Out Of Cockpit”
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Increases Operator Safety Margins
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Is Effective and Simple to Install
Safe Flight Instrument Corporation

Powerline Detection
-Doubles Pilots Reaction Times
-Saves Money and Lives
-Significantly Reduces the Potential for Wire Strikes

Exceedance Warning
-Is Inexpensive
-Is Easily Installed
-Will Increase Aircraft Availability Rates
-Will Drastically Reduce Maintenance Costs