DART Aerospace has received a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) supplemental type certificate (STC) for its Robinson R66 Emergency Float System.

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This float system, designed and manufactured by DART, is an aftermarket retrofit option available for R66 operators that allows the aircraft to safely perform over-water operations. The system can be easily retrofitted on the R66 aircraft and is designed with multi air-holding chambers.

The float systems are manufactured using patented lightweight urethane-coated fabric. This maintenance-friendly system has longer inspection intervals and does not have to be returned to the manufacturer for re-certification. Other key features include a reservoir made of aluminum with a carbon fiber and fiberglass wrap to reduce the risk of corrosion.

The entire kit includes includes fwd and aft floats, reservoir, skid extensions and installation hardware. In addition, it is fully certified by these following authorities: NAAC, IAC AR, DCA, FAA, TCCA and now EASA.

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“Achieving the European approval for this kit is a big deal for DART,” said Steve Ghaleb, vice president of commercial operations at DART Aerospace. “The DART commercial team has been receiving lots of interest from the European R66 community for an aftermarket option to install emergency floats. We are happy to now be able to service that demand.”

DARTCare, a repair and overhaul program offered by DART, can be purchased alongside the R66 Emergency Float System. This program consists of repairing, testing and repacking of float systems, liferafts and vests as well as servicing on reservoirs. DARTCare features price escalation and aircraft downtime protection, reduced maintenance costs and guaranteed TAT.