EVAS has now been installed in 600 aircraft, according to EVASWorldwide’s vice president Jonathan Parker. The system, which was first certified in 1989, inflates in 20 seconds creating a vision tunnel

by displacing any amount of smoke that’s in the cockpit and providing a clear view.

The manufacturers expect the system to become standard option on Falcon aircraft this year and

on Gulfstream and Bombardier aircraft next year.

Parker said: “The product evolved from the original product at the recommendation of Dassault, who needed something not so hard to install and more portable. We turned it into a smaller more compact unit, which is actually better because it runs longer and the field of vision for the flight crew is wider. Subsequently we've taken that design and turned it into something that can be installed on an STC basis after market.”

FAA certification required the company to immerse the power unit in smoke and run it for two and a half hours with continuous smoke to prove that the filter wouldn’t clog, the power source wouldn’t drain,

and that it could maintain pressure. “We have had EVAS running in the lab for up to four hours in the past,” said Parker.

EVASWorldwide is now focused on getting the system fitted as standard and manufacturers (such as Boeing and Airbus) are already looking at this as an option.

“We’re installed on 40 per cent of the BBJ fleet as an after market product. Beyond that our primary customers are long range aircraft, including Challenger, Gulfstream and Falcon. We are also installed

on all of NetJets aircraft, while TAG and Private Air have recently recommended all of their clients to install it,” said Parker.

This currently remains the only solution which can adequately manage continuous dense cockpit smoke, according to the company. Patents apparently prevent a similar product coming onto the market. “We now have 600 aircraft equipped and all of these were after market purchases. It hasn’t yet been used, but we’ve spoken to a couple of pilots who have been close to deploying it. There are around 1,200 smoke events in the US a year, so with more purchases it creates a greater likelihood of being needed.

“Obviously we hope nobody has to use it though, it’s really like a life raft aboard an aircraft. A piece of survival equipment,” said Parker.

According to the vice president, the system has now reached a stage of maturity, although there is a development under way for a two piece system.

“We’re finding some of the smaller aircraft are needing to separate the unit into power source and IVU, because there’s not a lot of physical space in aircraft such as a Beechjet or a CJ to install the system. But our focus will be on gaining STCs, which is a long and expensive process,” he added.