Universal Avionics (Booth No. 4702) has done it: created a way for helicopter pilots to keep their hands on the collective and still have “point and click” cursor control. The avionics manufacturer’s new device is a cursor slew hat-switch mounted on the collective of the MD 902 Explorer equipped with the Universal Avionics Next Generation flight deck, which is on display at the MD Helicopters booth (No. 6922).

Grady Dees, director of technical sales for Universal Avionics, is excited about the Next Generation flight deck capabilities. “Flight decks of the future need to provide functionality and safety features while reducing pilot workload,” Dees explained. “Giving cursor control to the light-twin helicopter market should revolutionize it,” he said. The cursor currently gives the pilot access to the avionics system’s most-used features.