A silent opening to the daily air demonstrations

By Brian Walters

July 17, 2008
People

As a dramatic contrast to the usual way of opening an air display, this 60th anniversary event features the first all-female parachute jump team to appear at a Farnborough International airshow. Known as the Aero Sekur Shooting Stars, the Italian team of skydiving women will open the show on each day to gracefully and silently provide a unique curtain raiser. The synchronized parachute jump performed by the Shooting Stars supports the company’s high profile presence here at the show.

Based at the Farnborough Business Park, Aero Sekur specializes in the manufacture of safety systems and advanced flexible structures for the aerospace and defense market. Of particular interest is a new emergency flotation system for helicopters, designed to be the first with non-pyrotechnic actuation. The company makes the system with new-generation textiles that are flexible as well as robust, resulting in a light, portable system.

Displayed in Hall 4 Stand D8, the Aero Sekur Emergency Flotation (ASEF) system has been developed to enable crews to escape safely in the event of a ditching. The system features valve technology designed by the company’s in-house R&D department using the properties of smart materials to engineer a valve that is easily re-set, requires minimal maintenance and does not require regular replacement, the company said. Importantly, it also eliminates problems associated with the transportation of pyrotechnics.

Another advantage over predecessor pyrotechnic products, according to Aero Sekur, is ASEF’s unlimited shelf life and the fact that its actuation can be tested and re-set more than 100 times–clearly not possible with a pyrotechnic. While pyrotechnical products have to be replaced every five years, the new alternative can be used until the natural conclusion of its service life.  

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