ONBOARD'S BO105 HYDRAULIC HOOK FAA CERTIFIED

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Onboard Systems, a leading provider of innovative helicopter cargo hook equipment, announced that its new hydraulic cargo hook kit for the Eurocopter BO105 aircraft has been certified by the FAA and is now in production. The kit has also been submitted to Transport Canada, and should be certified for use in Canada in the near future.

According to Jason Lemmon, General Manager of Onboard Systems, “Our new hydraulic hook kit was designed to eliminate increasing numbers of inadvertent cargo releases from the legacy cargo hook equipment on the BO105 helicopters. Our new replacement cargo hook kit provides a cost-effective solution to this problem.”

Excessive movement during external load operations can unintentionally activate the manual release cable on an improperly rigged cargo hook system, causing an inadvertent release of the load. The hydraulic system will only open the hook when the pilot activates the release handle—snagging or damage to the cable will not lead to accidentally dropping the cargo. In addition to the hydraulic release, the new kit features a bumper ring and improved positioning to further protect control cables and electrical connectors from damage.

Onboard Systems, Inc. designs and manufactures a complete line of innovative helicopter cargo hook equipment under its TALON™ brand, including belly hooks, cargo hook suspension systems, onboard weighing systems and remote hooks. Its low-weight, high-quality products provide helicopter operators with increased cost efficiencies and safety through customer-driven designs, responsive service and support, and low on-going maintenance costs. Founded in 1975, Onboard Systems is a US corporation located Vancouver, Washington, with an international sales office in the UK.

Contact: Sheri Gormley, 360-546-3072