“Helisas” for VFR Helicopter Pilots

Weighing around 15-pounds soaking wet, HeliSAS offers pilots flying light single- and twin-engine helicopters all the advantages of a digital, full-authority stability augmentation system at the fraction of the cost of other autopilots.

Once engaged, HeliSAS acts as a full-time co-pilot whose “hands and feet” never leave the controls. Should a pilot lose his or her visual references for any reason, all they need to is to let go – yes let go – of the helicopter’s cyclic and HeliSAS will automatically maintain or recover-to a near level attitude. HeliSAS will provide the situational stability to enable the pilot to regain his or her bearings before taking back control of the aircraft.

With the addition of the two-axis autopilot option, HeliSAS provides a fully array of workload-reducing capabilities including altitude hold, NAV hold – it can even track an entire GPS-based flight path – heading hold and vertical mode, which can track an ILS approach.

The real beauty of the system is that should a VFR pilot encounter IMC they can easily command a 180-degree turn by simply using the HeliSAS heading control and inputs from the HSI or EFIS.

Genesys’ HeliSAS is not the only autopilot solution available to light helicopter owner/operators, but it is the lightest, easiest-to-install and most affordable SAS currently available – okay enough of the commercial.

The bottom line is, if you operate a helicopter and are not an experienced instrument helicopter pilot, then the first thing on your “must have” list is to have an autopilot – any autopilot – installed before you take your next flight at night.