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Infrared vision comes to your 172

You know that show, Flying Wild Alaska, where the Tweto family operates a flying service? The daughter, Ariel Tweto, learned to fly in the Discovery Channel series in a Cessna 172 equipped with possibly the first infrared vision system on any Skyhawk.

Engineering to offer the Max-Vis EVS-600 infrared system was completed by Cessna last year, and it has been installed on a few demonstrator aircraft in addition to the one in Alaska. It is also available on the Cessna 182 and 206. At EAA AirVenture 2012, Max-Vis will train Cessna salesmen in explaining the system to customers.

Beyond turning night into day, the system also provides additional situational awareness for Cessna pilots who want to visually penetrate haze, light fog, smoke, and precipitation during restricted visibility flight conditions.

The EVS-600 utilizes long-wave uncooled infrared technology to blend the imagery from an additional visible light sensor to the thermal sensor, which is presented on the display as a single 40-degree-wide image through the use of patented image fusion software. The EVS-600 provides the highest performance EVS available for general aviation aircraft.

Alton Marsh
Alton K. Marsh
Freelance journalist
Alton K. Marsh is a former senior editor of AOPA Pilot and is now a freelance journalist specializing in aviation topics.
Topics: Aviation Industry, Alaska, Travel

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