Sunrise Aviation Installs Wi-Flight Flight Data Recorders

Feb. 14, 2011 - PRLog -- Ormond Beach, Florida – Sunrise Aviation, a flight school and FBO located in Central Florida, announced today that they are installing the Wi-Flight flight data monitoring system in their fleet of general aviation aircraft.  Wi-Flight is an automated flight data capture and analysis system that also incorporates a cockpit voice recorder system.  Sunrise Aviation has already installed the system in one of their 40 training aircraft and will initially install Wi-Flight in 3 aircraft during a short evaluation period.  Later, Sunrise Aviation expects to install the Wi-Flight system in all of their single-engine aircraft, a fleet of over 30 airplanes based at Ormond Beach, Florida.

The Wi-Flight flight data recorder system is a combination cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder that sits atop the airplane glareshield and automatically records, uploads to the internet, and analyzes the data from each flight.  Wi-Flight will email Sunrise Aviation whenever a flight exceeds school set safety parameters including low-level flights, flights in unauthorized airspace, or even hard landings.  Wi-flight’s playback features will also allow flight instructors and students to review each flight visually through the use of Google Earth 3-D simulations.  The audio features of Wi-Flight will permit playback not only of each radio transmission to air traffic control but will include all crew intercom communication and ambient noise as well.  

Devon Dorato, Chief Pilot at Sunrise Aviation, stated that “the Wi-Flight flight data recorder will not only add an element of safety to our flight program, but will also enhance our flight training  capabilities. “

Pascal Gosselin, President of General Aviation Safety Network and makers of the Wi-Flight system, commented that “We are delighted to have Sunrise Aviation evaluate Wi-Flight for fleet-wide deployment."  In addition, Gosselin mentioned that "Wi-Flight's full automated flight capture, upload and analysis were tailored exactly for the type of mixed fleet operations of larger flight schools such as Sunrise."  

The Wi-flight system consists of a Neo mobile phone which serves as a wireless flight data recorder.  That flight data recorder automatically records GPS position and accepts audio input for the entire flight.  When the flight ends, the device uploads the data to the internet via the nearest Wi-Fi network for analysis by the Wi-Flight servers.   Sunrise Aviation already has a wireless internet system in place and will optimize that system for better uploading on their parking ramp at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport in Florida.

Flights instructors, students and management will be able to view browser-based internet playbacks to “view” their flights using Goggle Earth 3-D that features both cockpit and chase plane simulated views.  Streaming audio from the radio, intercom and ambient noise will be available with the simulated view.  Instructors will be able to view how well the student executed each maneuver.  Students can login at home and review each flight at their convenience.   All students, but especially those from non-English speaking countries, will be able to listen as often as they like to their own communications with air traffic controllers.

Wi-flight’s Gosselin also stated that "Sunrise's evaluation of Wi-Flight begins as we have just released a powerful new flight playback and analysis interface."

Sunrise Aviation owns over 40 aircraft utilized for airplane rental and pilot training.  Recent additions to Sunrise’s fleet include several Cessna Skyhawks (C172SP) with G1000 glass cockpit avionics, plus additional C172 R and S models with standard flight instruments.

The amount of pilot training conducted at Sunrise Aviation has expanded over the past few years.  January 2011 was the best month for student enrollments at Sunrise Aviation in several years.  Today, students from Asia and the Gulf States keep the Sunrise Aviation fleet especially busy.  Recently, more interest has been expressed by potential students in Africa and the Caribbean countries.  Students from nearly 50 different countries have enrolled at Sunrise Aviation in just the past few years.  Sunrise Aviation specializes in Professional Pilot Courses geared towards students wanting careers as airline pilots.  Sunrise Aviation also does individual ratings including private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, multi-engine rating, ATP and even flight instructor ratings.

Sunrise Aviation was founded in 1983.  They provide maintenance, parts, flight training, fuel and additional services to local and transient pilots at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport in Central Florida, less than 10 miles north of Daytona Beach International Airport.  They can be found on the internet at www.flysunriseaviation.com.  Email Sunrise Aviation at info@flysunriseaviation.com.  Or call a Sunrise Aviation representative at 1-386-677-5724.

Wi-flight can be found on the internet at www.wi-flight.net.  Email Wi-flight at info@wi-flight.net or call them at 1-450-676-6299.

http://www.flysunriseaviation.com

http://www.wi-flight.net

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Flight training for professional pilots. Private pilot, commercial pilot, instrument rating, multi-engine rating and flight instructor. Aircraft rental. Full-service FBO with fuel and maintenance available.