"We're thrilled to work with the VisionSafe team on this growth catalyzing investment. As a safety first organization, VisionSafe has developed an exceptional reputation in the cockpit smoke displacement market."
2024 Year
in Review
- The Stephens Group Investment into VisionSafe
- VisionSafe Welcomes New CEO
- VisionSafe Wins Supplier of the Year 2022 & 2023
- Unaddressed Smoke Risk in Passenger Airlines
- VisionSafe Van Tour
- Canada, Qantas and others add EVAS to their cargo aircraft
Stephens Group Makes Strategic Investment into VisionSafe
The Stephens Group has completed a significant strategic investment into VisionSafe designed to accelerate the growth of the business. This investment exhibits Stephens Group's continued interest in supporting businesses, providing highly engineered, mission critical systems and components, serving aerospace and defense applications. The Company will serve as a new Stephens Group platform.
VisionSafe Welcomes Jon-Michael Kasten as New CEO
VisionSafe proudly welcomes Jon-Michael Kasten as the new Chief Executive Officer, bringing over 20 years of distinguished leadership experience from the aerospace industry.
His previous roles at aerospace companies like Intec Aerospace, Crane Aerospace, AvtechTyee, and Pacific Propeller International allowed him to showcase his capability in team building, market expansion, and strategic execution.
Kasten's extensive background in strategic planning, business development, and operational excellence is set to further VisionSafe's mission to supply cutting-edge cockpit smoke displacement systems globally. Jack Nadal, Managing Director at Stephens Group, highlights Kasten's depth of aerospace experience and leadership skills as pivotal for steering VisionSafe into an exciting new era, with a focus on customer support, product innovation, and operational superiority.
Mr. Kasten added, “I am honored to join VisionSafe and look forward to working with their talented team. Together, we will build on the company's strong foundation, explore new opportunities for growth, and continue delivering exceptional value to our customers and stakeholders.”
Gulfstream OPS CON 2024 - VisionSafe Awarded Supplier of the Year
VisionSafe visited Savannah, GA for the Gulfstream Operators' Conference which happens every two years. We were present for the announcement of the FAA certification of the new G700 and witnessed a historic flyover of the G700 and G800.VisionSafe was awarded the prestigious 2022 and 2023 Supplier of the Year awards. We thank Gulfstream Aerospace for their continued support towards EVAS as a critical safety initiative and their overall dedication to aviation safety.
Hugh Tillman Celebration of Life
Celebration of Life for Hugh at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii in the Osprey Hangar.
We honor the life of Hugh Tillman who sadly passed away in July of 2024. A decorated United States Marine, Hugh was a passionate advocate of EVAS. After having a nearly catastrophic flight due to smoke in the cockpit in a King Air over Afghanistan, Hugh went on to develop a comprehensive EVAS educational presentation that merged his real world experience with EVAS training. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Lainie, and the Tillman family.
The Unaddressed Risk of Cockpit Smoke in Passenger Airlines
Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has raised concerns over bird strikes on Boeing 737 Max aircraft, specifically warning about the risk of smoke accumulation in the cabin and flight deck, which can significantly impair a pilot's visibility. This issue underscores a broader, critical safety challenge that the aviation industry faces: smoke and fumes in the cockpit, a factor that has consistently led to unscheduled landings and poses a direct threat to flight safety. Over the past decade and a half, the FAA has issued multiple warnings and guidance to mitigate this risk, particularly emphasizing the danger of cockpit smoke that obscures a pilot’s view. However, incidents continue to rise, indicating a persistent hazard to both cargo and passenger operations.
In response to these challenges, the aviation sector has seen the adoption of technologies like the Emergency Vision Assurance System (EVAS), especially within the cargo industry following the tragic UPS Flight 6 crash. EVAS helps pilots maintain visibility of instrumentation and the windscreen in smoke-filled situations. Despite its effectiveness, shown by its widespread use among cargo operators, its adoption in passenger aviation remains limited. This is concerning given that passenger aircraft are statistically more likely to experience smoke or fume events compared to cargo flights.
The FAA has taken steps towards addressing safety concerns involving 737 MAX airplanes engine issues related to bird strikes, indicating potential procedural changes to ensure flight safety. As the industry strives to enhance safety protocols, collaboration between agencies like the FAA, NTSB, and aviation companies becomes crucial to implement comprehensive solutions that protect both those in the air and on the ground from the dangers of cockpit smoke.
Smokey Van Routes 2024 April through November
The demo van was quite active this year, crossing the nation twice and even heading up to Canada for a Maintenance and Engineering event in Toronto that was sponsored by new EVAS affiliate CASP Aerospace.
Air Canada, Qantas and Others add EVAS to Their Cargo Aircraft.
In a significant advancement for aviation safety in 2024, Air Canada, Qantas, and other leading airlines have equipped their cargo aircraft with VisionSafe's Emergency Vision Assurance System (EVAS). This adds to the thousands of EVAS units currently protecting nearly the entire domestic air freighter market and approximately 70% of air freighters globally. The integration of EVAS underscores these airlines' commitment to enhancing crew safety, demonstrating proactive measures to address potential in-flight emergencies. As the aviation industry continues to prioritize safety innovations, the implementation of EVAS represents a vital step forward in safeguarding the integrity of air transportation.
DFW Thriving Aviation Industry
The DFW area was a hotbed of activity for the VisionSafe sales and demo team this year. In Dallas, we attended a North Texas Business Aviation Association (NTBAA) event at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Our partnership with CAE made it possible for us to meet with many clients and demo EVAS to NTBAA members during the VisionSafe sponsored luncheon.
We also stopped by the Gulfstream Dallas G280 completion center and met with the interior team where we explained the system and timed the vision unit deployment with the engineers.
Embraer Flight Ops and Safety Day 2024 was hosted at CAE West Dallas. There were several EVAS equipped clients in attendance, and we made great connections with the Embraer Executives.
At Bombardier Dallas, several departments' leads experienced the EVAS demo in the parking lot. We met with the military sector at the Airlift Tanker Association in Grapevine and discussed their experiences with cockpit smoke events and demo-ed the product to many military pilots that had experienced blinding smoke in the cockpit events.
Thanks to EVAS equipped flight department Cardinal Capital Aviation at Love Field for taking the time to experience the smoke emergency demonstration in our demonstration van.
In the Houston area, we intercepted our EVAS equipped clients the Mexican Navy, Armada de Mexico, and provided an emergency smoke demo at the Western Airways hangar. Their G450 is featured in the photo.
Significant 2024 Smoke Incidents
British Airways flight Declares Mayday due to Smoke in the Cockpit
A British Airways plane was forced to make an emergency landing after smoke entered the cockpit while it was 35,000ft in the air. The plane, which was heading from London to Oslo, landed in a rainy field in Amsterdam where it was met by emergency vehicles yesterday evening. Passengers onboard were told their plane had to land immediately due to safety fears, as the pilot issued a mayday call around 90 minutes into their journey.
A Scoot Airbus Declares Mayday, Reporting Smoke in the Avionics Bay
A Scoot Airbus A320-200N, registration 9V-TNF performing flight TR-478 from Singapore (Singapore) to Langkawi (Malaysia), was enroute at FL340 near Penang (Malaysia) when the crew declared Mayday reporting smoke in the avionics bay. The crew decided to divert to Penang for a safe landing on runway 04 about 20 minutes later.The aircraft remained on the ground in Penang for about 31 hours, then positioned back to Singapore but has not yet returned to service about 63 hours after landing in Penang.
Smoke in the Cockpit Forces Emergency Landing of Easyjet Flight
An Easyjet Airbus A320-200, registration G-EZOU performing flight U2-6621 from Birmingham,EN (UK) to Berlin (Germany), was enroute at FL370 about 70nm west of Hanover (Germany) when the crew decided to divert to Hanover reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely on Hanover's runway 27R about 25 minutes later. Attending emergency services did not need to intervene. The aircraft remained on the ground in Hanover for about 18 hours, then positioned back to Birmingham and resumed service.
Power Bank Explodes and Fills Cabin With Smoke
The plane was flying from Bangkok to Nakhon Si Thammarat in the south of the country when flames and smoke were seen 30 minutes in. Shocked cabin crew rushed to the middle row of the Airbus A320 to extinguish the flames, as nervous customers watched on. “'We had been sitting for about 30 minutes when suddenly there was a fire burning and smoke rising in the middle of the plane, in row 15.”
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-VisionSafe Team
VisionSafe Corp. 46-217 Kahuhipa St Kaneohe, HI 96744 United States
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