Polastar Safety Systems (Hall 4, A9) is a little company with a big, bright idea – a very bright idea.
It is marketing an escape lighting system that can be quickly and cheaply applied to a helicopter's standard push-out escape windows to show survivors the way to safety if the aircraft comes down in water.
Ditches
"When a helicopter ditches, it is likely to turn turtle very quickly, leaving passengers shocked and disorientated," says company spokesman Ian Brown.
"Our heli-exit system lights up the edges of escape windows and also shows where the survivor should push to open a window."
The system's LED strips light up as soon as sensors built into the window enter the water.
It is independent of other aircraft systems, so that it can work when all aircraft power is lost, and it can be installed with the minimum of modifications to aircraft structure.
A typical installation takes 5h.
Polastar has just received its first order for heli-exit, from Middle East operator Gulf Helicopters, for installation on its fleet of 20 Bell 412s.
Polastar has been approached by a number of other rotary-wing operators, says Brown, and is also talking to a couple of airlines.
Source: Flight Daily News
