Northwest Aerospace News April | May Issue No. 2 | Page 44

airborne
environmental control systems:
An Exciting New Transplant to the Pacific Northwest
W
By Fiona McKay, Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance
hen you think of Port Angeles, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the pristine
beauty of the Olympic Peninsula, in the nation’s most northwest corner. Each year millions
flock to the area to enjoy the outdoors and make a trip to Victoria, Canada. But this past year
Port Angeles has welcomed a series of visitors heading to the area to experience something
new and different, but no less awe inspiring: Airborne ECS — an exciting and highly ad-
vanced technology company that relocated to Port Angeles in 2017.
Airborne ECS: Technology Like No Other
Fiona McKay
Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance
Business Development Director
www.pnaa.net
PNAA SPOTLIGHT
Over the last few decades the A&D industry has seen rapid densification of electronics in
the name of ISR airborne sensor advancement. However, with the complexity of aerospace
systems, other components have gotten in the way of maximizing the true potential of these
new technologies. The culprit behind this was often traditional cooling systems — to remove
heat from vital components, enabling them to operate at their optimum performance points —
which simply could not keep up with new requirements. In 2015, tired of seeing the impact
this was having on the performance and useful life of critical electronics components, Bill
Lee, a U.S. Army veteran and successful A&D leader, decided it was time to change the game
and address the gap in the marketplace.
With a team of experienced and determined systems engineers located around the country,
Airborne ECS developed proprietary technology, and their first system for an airborne thermal
management application. They now supply control systems, vapor cycle systems, air cycle
systems, and thermal management parts and equipment to the aerospace and defense sector.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS