CiES Announces STC For TSO’d Fuel Quantity System

Over 1,500 aircraft in the field, already fly with CiES digital fuel quantity systems. CiES new technology fuel quantity systems are incorporated on all new Cirrus Aircraft SR20, SR22 and SR50 Jet, Quest Kodiak, Vulcanair P68, Gippsland GA10, CAIGA with several more to be added in the coming months.

"CiES has been an excellent supplier to Cirrus Aircraft, their fuel quantity system has allowed us to enjoy best in class performance in our fleet of aircraft,"said Pat Waddick, Cirrus President. "CiES has consistently delivered a quality product to Cirrus and we consider them a key partner in our success. Early this year, CiES contacted the FAA Small AIrcraft Directorate and illustrated to them how CiES could replace failing and legacy resistance fuel quantity indication as a retrofit program. We demonstrated that our success in OEM applications required the CiES digital fuel sender to be a fit form and function replacement for existing fuel senders, and this requirement facilitated a relatively easy integration to many legacy aircraft.

Scott Philiben, CiES President, says "For years, pilots of type certificated aircraft have suffered with marginal fuel quantity information, many don't trust or rely on this FAA required instrumentation, and they have asked us for a method to install a more accurate and reliable fuel quantity system in their airplanes.

This STC illustrates that a conventional approach to FAA Approval is still a viable method of incorporating changes when safety of flight and regulatory requirements are involved. As we have seen with the re-write of FAR 23, there is a new attitude and working commitment at the FAA, and they are encouraging many efforts to improve the safety of the legacy aircraft fleet ."

The CiES digital fuel quantity system utilizes a high technology sensor system that allows repeatable accurate measurement of fuel in aircraft tank. This high technology and patented sensor system allows fuel measurements down to a change in fuel level to less than 0.03 of an inch. This measurement represents much less than 10 ths of a gallon of AVGAS or Jet A. The non-contact measurement method insures a lifetime of operation providing the same consistent fuel level output in the cockpit with modern digital fuel indication.

The initial STC allows the CiES to replace the existing fuel quantity senders in:

Britten Norman BN2 Beech 33, 35, 36, 55, 58 Cessna 170, 172, 177, 177RG, 180, 182, 185, 206, 207 Cirrus SR20 SR22 Fairchild 24 Gippsland GA8 Maule Mooney Piper PA 23, PA 24, PA 28, PA 30, PA 31, PA 32, PA 39, PA 44 Vulcanair P68 Fairchild 24

More aircraft approvals are expected to follow.

"Everybody involved from FAA Small AIrcraft Directorate, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office and CiES were dedicated to the success of this safety project approval. A perfect example of that collaborative process is the low fuel programmable warning. The Small Aircraft Directorate asked if an annunciation output could be provided for "Low Fuel" as a retrofit. CiES went back to our system design and software and realized if we re-purposed the JET A fuel temperature output - we could give the FAA and flying public a viable and predictable low fuel warning.

"I'm really encouraged that CiES is making the effort in getting an AML STC done. Helping the GA fleet have accurate and dependable fuel indication will definitely have an impact on safety,"said Melvin Johnson, FAA Small Aircraft Directorate Manager.