Inflatable Emergency Equipment Service
Aviation inflatable evacuation devices provide passengers and personnel with a fast and efficient means of escaping hazardous aviation situations while avoiding serious injury. Whether you’re part of a commercial, military or corporate aviation crew, it’s vital that your aircraft inflatables are functional and effective at all times.
You can ensure that your inflatables are equipped to engage in reliable and efficient operation during any emergency with aviation inflatable services at HRD Aero Systems. Our experts are prepared to inspect, maintain and repair any inflatable device for safe and lasting service.
Certified Inflatable Slide and Raft Maintenance Services
With HRD Aero Systems, you get more than regular maintenance. Our FAA and EASA-certified team handles every inflatable slide, raft or survival kit you send us. Our team provides:
- Inspections: We’ll conduct a thorough, documented review for safety and compliance.
- Repairs and overhauls: Our experts complete skilled repairs and overhauls using OEM-approved parts.
- Pressure testing: HRD Aero Systems will check for leaks and ensure inflation verification for every unit.
- Repacking and recertification: After your service, we’ll ensure proper folding and certification paperwork for regulatory peace of mind.
Each job follows industry-leading standards, so your equipment is compliant and ready to deploy.
Emergency Escape Slides
Aircraft evacuation slides are single- or dual-lane inflatable slides kept tucked inside cabin doors and external fuselage compartments to provide an alternate aircraft escape method. These devices are used when standard exits are deemed unusable due to water, fire or other safety hazards. During an emergency, the slide will deploy automatically after an armed door is opened, inflating in less than 10 seconds and providing a safe descent from either an aircraft wing or floor-level exit.
There are four types of inflatable escape slides:
- Slides
- Slides/rafts
- Exit ramps / Off-wing
- Combination exit ramps/slides
When you book aircraft evacuation slide services with HRD Aero Systems, skilled technicians will evaluate, repair or provide preventive maintenance for all of your most vital emergency slides.
Inflatable Life Rafts
Aviation life rafts are flotation devices that allow aircraft passengers to stay afloat and sail or row to safety during emergency water landings. These collapsible inflatables contain high-pressure gas, are stored in heavy-duty fiberglass cylinders and inflate in approximately 15 seconds either manually or automatically.
There are two types of life raft groups according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — Type I, which is applicable to any aircraft, and Type II, which is suitable for non-transport category aircraft.
You can book aircraft life raft inspections and services to ensure that your life rafts are ready to deploy the second you need them.
Helicopter Floats
Helicopter floats prevent helicopters from sinking or capsizing in the event of a crash landing or controlled ditching onto a body of water, allowing passengers and crew to evacuate safely. These emergency flotation systems are stored in airframes or mounted externally to the lower structure of the helicopter, and they inflate using gases such as helium stored in pressurized cylinders.
Helicopters can use either pop-out or fixed flotation devices. Pop-out floats are activated in emergency ditching situations, while fixed floats are permanently attached to the helicopter skid.
The aviation professionals at HRD Aero Systems can repair and maintain your helicopter inflatable floats to keep them functioning reliably for years to come.
Life Vests
Life vests are personal flotation devices that are mandatory for aircraft that navigate over bodies of water. This equipment provides sufficient buoyancy to keep users’ heads suspended above water, whether they’re awake or unconscious. In most cases, life vests contain a pair of air cells, or bladders, that inflate when their attached canister releases carbon dioxide.
There are two primary types of inflatable life vests — airline and continuous wear vests.
You can ensure that your aircraft’s life vests are fully functional and ready for use with aviation inflatable inspections from our knowledgeable and experienced staff.
Aircraft life vests require regular inspections to confirm they are serviceable and ready for emergency use. This process includes checking that all vests are present and correctly stowed, inspecting for physical damage or wear, verifying inflation mechanisms and CO₂ cartridges are intact and within service life, and confirming any indicators or seals are proper and unbroken. Detailed records of each inspection support FAA compliance and help ensure passenger safety during over‑water operations
Inflatable Brands and Manufacturers We Service
HRD Aero Systems has the tools and resources to service inflatables from any of the following manufacturers:
- Winslow
- Air Cruisers
- Goodrich
- RFD
- Zodiac
- Aero Sekur
Why Choose HRD Aero Systems for Inflatable Service?
You want a maintenance partner who prioritizes your uptime and safety — not just a quick fix. When you work with us, you can expect:
- Honest timelines
- 30 years of dedicated inflatable equipment experience to guide our processes
- Clear communication, up-front pricing and status updates throughout the service process.
Whether you manage a full airline fleet or keep a single raft in top shape, your needs guide everything we do.
Schedule Inflatable, Escape Slide and Raft Services at HRD Aero Systems
For aviation inflatable inspections you can trust, choose HRD Aero Systems. You can trust that every service is completed with the values of professionalism, quality and accountability in mind.
Contact us for more information on our services today!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve got questions about keeping your inflatable slides and rafts in top condition, we’re here to help. Check out answers to the most common questions below, so you can make informed decisions about your safety equipment and service provider.
The best value maintenance providers for inflatable slides and rafts are those with proper certification and deep industry knowledge and experience.
When you’re looking for a trusted maintenance provider, consider these factors:
- Certification and compliance: Ensure your provider holds FAA, EASA or other recognized certification to guarantee regulatory standards.
- Industry experience: Evaluate the provider’s years of experience maintaining inflatables for airlines, operators or commercial use.
- Transparent pricing:Â Ask for clear, up-front quotes to ensure no hidden charges or last-minute fees.
- Comprehensive reporting: Detailed inspection and service reports give you total confidence in your equipment’s readiness.
- Customer support:Â Open communication and easy access to customer support allow you to get frequent updates and ensure quick responses when you have questions or special requests.
HRD Aero Systems gives you certified service, rapid turnaround and transparent pricing backed by decades of aviation industry experience.
Yes, we can service the inflation cylinders of your life rafts and slides. We are a DOT-certified facility for testing and recertifying the compressed gas cylinders used in inflatable equipment.
It is important to service inflatable equipment to ensure that your inflatable equipment will deploy and function correctly in an emergency, which is critical for passenger and crew safety.
Preventive maintenance also extends the lifespan of your emergency equipment and reduces the chances of costly malfunctions. Partnering with an expert team means fewer unexpected repairs and greater reliability, saving you time and money over the long run.
Yes, we service Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) as part of our life raft and emergency equipment maintenance capabilities.
The brands of inflatables we service include all major manufacturers, such as Goodrich, Zodiac, Air Cruisers and Winslow.
It takes less than 10 seconds for an escape slide to inflate in an emergency.
