Safe Flight Instrument (Booth 5251) introduced at EBACE 2014 its new Icing Conditions Detector (ICD). The patented optical ICD provides an alert that icing conditions exist before ice can accrete on the aircraft. Comprised of a single line replaceable unit, the system is ideal for operations in all modes of flight, according to Safe Flight.

Meanwhile Safe Flight has also announced that Canadian manufacturer Viking Air selected the company’s angle of attack (AoA) system as standard equipment for the Viking Series 400 Twin Otter twin turboprop. The fully qualified and TSO’d AoA system is comprised of a lift transducer, computer and speed indexer. The speed indexer provides the pilot heads-up guidance to approach AoA and the computer provides Arinc outputs to drive low airspeed awareness and AoA displays on the primary flight display.

The lift transducer is a heated leading edge sensor and is flight into known icing- capable. Any factor that affects angle of attack is accounted for in the system, including flap and gear changes, wind gusts, ground effect and weight differences. The system provides instantaneous stall trend and AoA information such as best short field approach and best climb angles, aiding pilots of utility aircraft, such as the Series 400 Twin Otter, during backcountry and unimproved runway operations.