Appareo Introduces New Lightweight AIR-400 Recording System

Appareo announced its new Airborne Image Recording System (AIRS) today (June 22) at the Aircraft Electronics Association convention in Dallas, Texas. The AIRS-400 model records video in 4K ultra-high-definition as well as capturing intercom audio, ambient audio and detailed flight data on both an internal crash-hardened memory and a removable SD card. The playback software works independently or with Appareo’s flight data monitoring (FDM) software suite. The company calls the suite “extensive, yet easy-to-use,” for debriefing flights for aircrews. It also provides maintenance personnel with effective troubleshooting data and tools, said Appareo.

And the AIRS-400 features cellular data offload capabilities for simplicity and high-speed data transfer. It does not rely on pilots or crew members to manually transport an SD card to a workstation.

Designed to be “simple to install,” the AIR-400 is lightweight (11 ounces) with a compact footprint (2.8” x 3.4” x 2.6”) making it “ideal for any rotor or fixed-wing aircraft,” according to the company. Equipped with internal sensors, the AIRS-400 needs only aircraft power and ground. The package includes a small GPS antenna that is installed inside the aircraft. An optional intercom interface (no extra charge) records crew and ATC communications along with ambient audio. No special tools are needed for the installation, which takes about one day.

AIRS-400 is a Class C Airborne Image Recorder. It can also be paired with a crash-hardened storage module such as Appareo's own RDM-500 (currently under development) to meet or exceed crash survivability standards of ED-155. 

David Batcheller, president and CBO of Appareo, said, “FDM or FOQA [flight operational quality assurance] programs are valuable for fleet operators to monitor trends, identify areas of risk, and deploy training programs to mitigate those risks. However, it can be a challenge for mixed-fleet operators to effectively analyze their flight data when it is collected in multiple acquisition systems. The AIRS-400 is an ideal solution for those programs because it was designed for use in both modern and legacy aircraft.”

Appareo did not release pricing information as of press time.