AeroMechanical helps Indian Air Force pilots break world record

CALGARY , Aug. 29 /CNW/ - The head pilot of a risky, record-breaking world flight in a tiny aircraft said no plane should leave the ground without the tracking and communications equipment AeroMechanical Services Ltd. provided for his round-the-earth odyssey.

Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Rahul Monga and his co-pilot Wing Commander Anil Kumar landed their tiny micro light plane in New Delhi Aug. 19th , shaving an eye-popping 19 days off the previous world record for a similar aircraft.

In the 79 days the two took to fly 40,497 kms, Monga said he was able to rest easier knowing no matter where they flew, India-based air force control officers were just an on-board phone call away.

In addition, in the worst-case scenario where the two might have had to make a forced landing, those control officers sitting in an air force base near New Delhi always knew precisely where Monga and Kumar were and could call in rescue officials no matter how remote the location.

That's a luxury not available to commercial passenger jet pilots who are out of radar or radio contact in large swaths of the world where there are no land-based transmission towers.

AeroMechanical's proprietary technology is satellite based so there is no spot in the world left uncovered.

"Every aircraft should have this technology on board," Monga said in an interview after his flight over one of the 19 countries the two crossed.

"The communication was fantastic and helped me shave days off the existing record by frequent route alterations and in-flight communications. It was also a very good flight safety aid and would have proven invaluable in any survival situation if the need had arisen," Monga added.

To view the Indian Air Force journey in Google Earth click here or type http://www.amscanada.com/download.htm into your web browser and follow the links.

The technology AeroMechanical provided is a lightweight, scaled-back version of that provided for large aircraft.

The full technology can also monitor up to 2,000 sensors on an aircraft and beam any anomaly in real time back to the airline company. It saves airlines up to $100,000 per aircraft per year through better maintenance, operations and scheduling.

The roster of AeroMechanical's current customer list of 19 airlines includes such diverse carriers as Aloha Airlines, which flies trans pacific and inter island routes, DAC Aviation, which provides services in the remotest parts of Africa and Skyservice, whose aircraft alternate between North American and European home bases as seasonal loads vary.

AeroMechanical CEO Bill Tempany said he was glad his company was able to assist in the creation of a new world flying record in an aircraft that with pilots, fuel and baggage weighs less than 500 kilograms.

"Our technology works in everything from a very small aircraft to some of the biggest aircraft in the world," Tempany said, noting his company just installed the technology in a Boeing 767 passenger jet that has a maximum takeoff weight of roughly 160,000 kilograms or 352,000 pounds. In addition, AeroMechanical is working toward an installation on an Airbus A330 this fall.

About AeroMechanical Services Ltd. http://www.amscanada.com/

AeroMechanical Services Ltd. (AMA:TSX.V) provides proprietary technologies and services designed to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in the airline industry. The company has successfully commercialized three products and associated services currently marketed to airlines, manufacturers and maintenance organizations around the world. Its premier technology Automated Flight Information Reporting System AFIRS™ and UpTime™ allows airlines to monitor and manage aircraft operations in real time, all the time, anywhere on the planet.

For further information contact:

AFIRS, UpTime, AeroQ and Smart Box are Trade Marks of AeroMechanical Services Ltd.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Not for Distribution to United States Newswire Services or for Dissemination in the United States.