TORRANCE, Calif., 30 March 2009. Officials at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, Conn., selected the FAERITO Digital Video Recorder from Physical Optics Corp. (POC) to support its S-76C+ and S-76C++ customers with video flight recording, or DVRS (Digital Video Recorder System) capability -- complimenting its existing flight data analysis and animation solutions.

The DVRS suite provides the company with an end-to-end solution for advanced flight data recording, says Eric Hansen, senior program manager for the S-76 from Sikorsky.

The agreement between POC and Sikorsky Aircraft stems originally from a Navy SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) project for advanced flight data recording systems. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted an STC (Supplemental Type Certification) for this system late last year. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is expected to validate the STC this month.

The system will permit operation of the S-76C+ and the S-76C++ helicopters in accordance with EASA JAR-OPS (Joint Aviation Requirement Operations) commercial operating requirements. The POC crash survivable DVRS will be the first flight data recorder certified to the EURO CAE ED-112 – the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment's Minimum Operational Performance Specification for Crash Protected Airborne Recorder Systems standard -- and compliant with both the FAA and EASA requirements.

In addition to the current crash survivable FAERITO Digital Video Recorder, POC is also developing an Advanced Avionics Recorder (UAR) for U.S. Navy and commercial aircraft.