FEC Heliports launches MIL-Star
Designed primarily for rapid deployment and use by advancing military forces in temporary and emergency situations to provide safe and effective marking at designated or ad-hoc helicopter landing areas, for tactical airborne and air drop operations, the MIL-Star portable LED helipad lighting system has recently achieved FCC certification for operation in the US, and CE certification for the European Union.
The MIL-Star is a versatile man portable landing light system that allows fixed and rotary wing aircraft to identify landing areas or drop zones at night at distances of up to 10 Miles (16kms).
Able to support non-overt, covert and FLIR operations, the system contains up to 8 landing lights, each weighing less than 1 kg. A fully populated case of 8 lights weighs only 10.6Kg.
MIL-Star is capable of showing, at programmable intensities, red, blue, green, white visible LED’s and infra-red or a combination of a visible colour and infra-red to support pilots wearing Night Vision Goggles (NVGs).
The MIL-Star can be easily programmed to flash warning, location beacon or Morse Code and has the ability to detect light levels for automatic sunset and sunrise switching.
Portable in cases of up to 8 lights and rechargeable in its case via mains at 100-240V AC, vehicles at 13.5-28VDC, solar or wind power. The MIL-Star landing light system is recharged via the drop in charger cradle located in the carrying case, which accepts either AC or DC input.
MIL-Stars are pilot control enabled and fitted with an 868 MHz (915 MHz in USA) UHF transceiver to enable each individual light or set of lights to be programmed, interrogated and controlled by wireless commands. Using this function, MIL-Stars can be switched on from the aircraft using an in case Mobile Lighting Controller (MLC) transceiver or using a PC/Tablet with the Zulu “dongle” transceiver. Wireless operation can set up, test and control groups of lights via the VHF MLC transceiver operational at line of sight up to 10km away.
MIL-Star is an IP65 rated light fitted with rubber soled stainless steel base to ensure stability under the toughest rotor-wash conditions and has been successfully tested at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center (DFC) in Florida for stability under the rotor wash of a CH-147 (Chinook).
The MIL-Star portable LED helipad lighting system has recently achieved FCC certification for operation in the US, and CE certification for the European Union.
