SPAES, an aviation equipment and services provider, has received certification for an additional life raft handle in its Airbus H155s for Northern HeliCopter.
The Airbus H155s are equipped with life rafts on the left and right-hand sides beneath passenger exits. Typically, the rafts are deployed using an external handle; however, the additional handle will facilitate deployment in the event of an emergency water landing. Currently, the additional handle has been installed on four H155s.
Joachim Schanz, CEO of SPAES, said: “Our priority is safety. By certifying this extra handle for the life raft in the Airbus H155, we’ve made it easier and more reliable for the crew and passengers to access life-saving equipment in an emergency.”
SPAES has acquired its own EASA directive, titled “Flight over water emergency equipment”, to mandate the installation of the new handle. The mechanism to fit the new deployment handle has changed, and it is now a steel cable of a specific length that is not the market norm. Therefore, the cable must be cut and fitted with a stainless steel ball to ensure functionality. The installation was performed by the Part 145 Maintenance Organisation of Northern HeliCopter. 
The announcement follows recent news that SPAES has designed, manufactured, and installed medical racks in Heli Austria’s MD 902 helicopters.
Photos: SPAES
