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Skyryse, ACE partner to make hundreds of Black Hawk helicopters easy enough for anyone to fly

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Nov 21, 2024, 12:01 PM ET

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. and GUNTERSVILLE, Ala., Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Skyryse^®, the creator of SkyOS^™, the world's first universal operating system for flight, has signed a strategic partnership with Ace Aeronautics, LLC ("ACE") a major reseller of Black Hawk helicopters around the world. The agreement paves the way for Skyryse and ACE to equip hundreds of Black Hawk helicopters with SkyOS, transforming the highly-capable Black Hawk into the world's safest and simplest aircraft to fly.

Under the partnership, ACE's facility in Guntersville, Alabama, will serve as the primary installation hub for retrofitting Black Hawk helicopters with SkyOS. The Black Hawk comprises the largest fleet of helicopters in the world and will be in service for years to come. This collaboration addresses the rising demand for more advanced, safer, and user-friendly aviation solutions in the civilian market, particularly for public safety, search and rescue, and other critical life-saving services. ACE also sells Black Hawks in foreign markets representing an opportunity to introduce SkyOS in offshore markets.

"Skyryse's mission is to make flying so simple that anyone can pilot any aircraft," said Dr. Mark Groden, CEO of Skyryse. "For 85 years, helicopters have been flown using the same mechanical controls that Igor Sikorsky used in his first flight. We're thrilled to be partnering with Ace Aeronautics to use SkyOS to bring unprecedented simplicity and safety to the most iconic aircraft to wear Sikorsky's name, allowing operators of all experience levels to fly with confidence."

ACE's CEO Rich Enderle shared his enthusiasm for the partnership: "The Black Hawk helicopter is a proven workhorse that has performed countless missions around the world for almost 50 years. Today in partnership with Skyryse, we're ushering in a new era of possibilities. We're excited to partner with the leader in rotorcraft flight controls to enhance the safety and operational capability of the aircraft, and we're looking forward to seeing SkyOS elevate the experience for our customers."

The integration of SkyOS into ACE's Black Hawk fleet promises to set a new industry benchmark for innovation, providing operators with a seamless, safer flight experience, and unlocking the capability to make every Black Hawk optionally-piloted for high-risk or non-passenger missions.

For more information on Skyryse and SkyOS, please visit the Skyryse website.

About Skyryse, Inc.

Founded in 2016, the mission of Los Angeles-based Skyryse^® is to bring about a new era in flight, with a goal of zero fatalities, and where piloting any aircraft is simple and safe. Their proprietary SkyOS^™ universal operating system for flight – which powers their first aircraft, the Skyryse One^™ – gives pilots greater control by simplifying the management of an aircraft during standard flight operations, inclement weather, and emergencies. Skyryse has raised more than $300 million from leading investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Monashee Investment Management, Positive Sum, ArrowMark Partners, Venrock, Eclipse Ventures, Cantos, Stanford University, and Bill Ford, Executive Chair, Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.Skyryse.com or watch videos of Skyryse in action on YouTube.

About Ace Aeronautics, LLC

Founded in 2015, Ace Aeronautics (ACE) was established specifically to develop cockpit upgrades for the UH60 Blackhawk helicopter. Today, the overarching objective of ACE is to provide both aircraft that have undergone airframe and avionics upgrades which minimize obsolescence challenges facing operators around the world through industry best practices and a forward-thinking design. ACE currently supports numerous aircraft fleets operating around the world in Austria, Portugal, Ukraine and here in the US. Ace Aeronautics' executive staff offers more than 150 years of collective experience in global defense aerospace industries that span numerous specialties including business management; military and commercial program management; military aviation commands; manufacturing, design, integration, qualification/certification; and experimental flight test. ACE operates with a sincere commitment to Quality, Integrity, Safety and Ethics in all of our business ventures. We take pride in the professionalism of our personnel who are focused on customer satisfaction and the success of our entire team.