StandardAero will unveil the industry's first four-axis autopilot available for retrofit on AS350 helicopters with demonstration flights at the March 2022 HAI Heli-Expo. The autopilot, developed in partnership with Thales and known as StableLight, is equipped in an AS350 test rotorcraft that will be located at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center vertiport in Dallas, Texas and available for onsite customer demo flights during the exposition.

“These flight demos will enable operators to feel the advantages of a true four-axis autopilot. They will experience its hands-off capabilities and see how pilot workload is reduced while both mission efficiency and safety are significantly increased,” says StandardAero helicopters business unit technical sales manager Christian Blagborne.

StableLight is currently in the process of certification. StandardAero anticipates that the StableLight STC will receive FAA certification this summer and shortly thereafter be approved by EASA and Transport Canada.

Any AS350/H125 helicopter operator attending HAI or with facilities in western United States may request a demonstration flight at or after HAI as the helicopter returns to its home base in Vancouver, Canada.