It’s been a lean year for new product introductions, and many manufacturers struggled to deliver items in their existing lineup let alone release new ones. Still, we found a half-dozen good products worthy of the Aviation Consumer prestigious Gear of the Year award.
At the top of the list is Aithre—a relatively new company that has made impressive progress with products that up the ante in cockpit safety. This includes personal oxygen systems, biometric monitoring devices and a smartphone/tablet app that takes health awareness to new levels. At the top of Aithre’s product line is the AVI8 smart pulse demand portable oxygen system. The AVI8 straps to the oxygen bottle and connects with a push-button O2 flow controller and has plug-ins for two users. Using built-in algorithms, the AVI8 monitors for oxygen flow and periodically checks for active inhalation using optical sensors. We like the system’s simplicity and a major part of the interface is handled within Aithre’s Connect app for iOS—which constantly monitors pilot and passenger SpO2 levels and other biometrics. Visit www.aithreaviation.com.