Thales and StandardAero have announced that the StableLight 4-Axis Autopilot System has been selected by leading European helicopter operator Heli Austria. Installation is currently underway on one of Heli Austria’s Airbus H125 helicopters at the company’s facility in Sankt Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, Austria.
Developed from Thales’s Compact Autopilot System, the StableLight 4-Axis Autopilot combines stability augmentation, auto-hover, stabilized climb flight attitude recovery, and other advanced features in a lightweight, efficient configuration designed for light-category rotorcraft. The system dramatically reduces pilot workload, enhances mission capability, and improves safety in critical flight phases — particularly during Inadvertent entry into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC).
The StableLight system holds a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is expected to achieve EASA certification soon, paving the way for broader adoption across Europe.
“At Thales, integrating cutting-edge technologies to deliver safety and trust is fundamental to who we are. By uniting Thales’s advanced expertise with StandardAero’s deep industry knowledge, we harness a powerful combination to provide Heli Austria’s pilots with the autopilot solution they have eagerly awaited,” said Florent Chauvancy, Vice President, Flight Avionics Activities, Thales.
“Once certified by EASA, European H125 operators will be able to reach a new level of safety and efficiency of helicopter operations with the StableLight system,” added Andrew Park, General Manager, StandardAero.
