British Columbian rotorcraft specialist Alpine Aerotech, in collaboration with Port Aerospace, has received a Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) STC for its crew barrier system for Bell medium aircraft. Initially accepted as a minor modification, Aerotech ultimately pursued an STC in response to guidance from TCCA certification and airworthiness.

“We are the only STC’d solution in Canada,” explains Taylor Wilson, manager of manufacturing at Alpine Aerotech. “We became aware of an airworthiness directive in Canada that classified the installation as a major modification. After talking with Transport Canada we immediately switched gears to obtain the STC.”

While many other international airworthiness authorities continue to accept the barrier as a minor modification, Aerotech knew the STC was essential for its Canadian operators to continue flying with little to no interruption.

The crew barrier system was developed in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic and is specifically designed to create a non-permeable barrier between the crew and passenger compartments. It provides an added level of protection against the transmission of airborne droplets that may contain the virus. This new STC is applicable to all generations of Bell 205, 212 and 412 aircraft. Aerotech has also received TCCA DAR minor modification acceptance for the Bell 407, and has a 429 version currently in development.