March 10, 2014
We are all aware and deeply saddened of the event that unfolded this weekend on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Our deepest condolences go out to everyone that is affected by this tragedy. We are deeply rooted in the aerospace industry, and know firsthand people who have been affected by tragic events such as these.
At FLYHT, we have been very busy fielding calls and emails from industry executives, media and shareholders with questions about the incident. Although we are doing our best to respond in a timely fashion we thought we would take a moment to reach out and proactively answer five of the most asked questions we have been receiving.
1. Was AFIRS on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370?
NO-AFIRS (Automated Flight Information Reporting System) is installed by operators at their own discretion. AFIRS is normally installed on aircraft to support communication and operations during routine operations-it is NOT on aircraft only for emergencies but is uniquely capable of automatically switching to emergency mode streaming when the aircraft is in an unusual state or upon request from the crew or the ground.
2. If AFIRS was onboard, how and what would we know about the fate of the plane versus what is known as of today?
If it was, and if it was enabled for triggered data transmission, we would know where the aircraft was when it last had electrical power and we would know the behavior of the aircraft at all times leading up to that point, including altitude, attitude, airspeed, direction/heading, engine state, doors open/closed, and many other parameters.
3. If AFIRS was installed on the plane would we know exactly where in flight the plane had either crashed or started to experience problems?
Yes. As long as there is electrical power to the AFIRS unit and the antenna is intact, it will keep transmitting.
4. Are you approved for installations on Boeing 777’s?
Yes
5. What would it have cost and how long does it take for an airplane to be installed with AFIRS?
Less than $100k US and a few days, depending on the aircraft type and whether the installation is done during routine heavy maintenance, at which point, the install would be coordinated with other maintenance and have little or no time impact.
Once again, our deepest condolences to friends, loved ones and all others concerned about the whereabouts of this aircraft.
We hope that this answers some of your questions, in the meantime; if there are additional questions or concerns, please direct your call or emails to those listed below.
Sincerely,
The FLYHT Team
Investor Relations
KIN Communications
VP Investor Relations: Fred Leigh
1-866-684-6730
fly@kincommunications.com
Bristol Institutional Relations
Glen Akselrod
President
(905) 326–1888
glen@bristolir.com
The Howard Group Inc.
Dave Burwell
Senior Associate
(888) or (403)-221-0915
dave@howardgroupinc.com