CIES, Inc. of Redmond announced at the recent Oshkosh AirVenture Show the availability of its patented digital Fuel Level Sender technology for all new production Cirrus Aircraft. The multi million dollar contract between CIES and Cirrus represents a significant milestone for the startup company and addresses just one segment of the $100 million dollar aviation fuel level market as well as other industry sectors.
“This digital level sending technology in the Cirrus Aircraft brings a new level of reliability and accuracy to aviation fuel level,” stated Scott Philiben, CEO and Founder of CIES, Inc. He explained that aviation fuel level is the most difficult physical environment for measuring the available fuel in a tank. “Think about the motion of the aircraft and the resultant motion of the fuel. This poses a formidable challenge for level measurement. Our solution measures fuel from outside the tank and functions with any type of fuel additive or contamination.”
When CIES publicly announced the availability of its FAA-approved technology at the recent Oshkosh AirVenture Show, it captured the attention of aviation manufacturers. “We are literally inundated with inquires from businesses well outside our target market,” added Philiben.
“It is very gratifying to see an idea that started in aviation to solve a unique aviation problem is now generating interest for fuel level sensing throughout the world—especially in the alternative fuel market,” added Philiben. “It is an exciting place to be in a new business.”
CIES, Inc. anticipates further announcements of product acceptance and innovation of its technology later this year.
Philiben was vice president and an owner at Bend-based Precise Flight Inc. for 10 years. Prior to that he served as mechanical engineering manager at Gulfstream, and was a New Product Development Engineer at Goodrich Aircraft seating. He holds bachelors in engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison
Philiben moved to Central Oregon almost 20 years ago, bringing with him an extensive background in aircraft systems and an equal number of aircraft industry contacts. For nine years, Philiben worked on solutions to what is known as the “Bird Hazard to Aircraft” problem, assembling a team of industry researchers and wildlife biologists to explore methods that could be used on the aircraft to mitigate critical risk to the flying public. The resulting technology solution was adopted by Airbus and recognized on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in the article “New Focus Put on Avoiding Bird Strikes.”
In an industry dominated by stalwarts like Honeywell, Goodrich, B/E Aerospace, Zodiac & Meggit, Philiben has repeatedly demonstrated that his team can compete effectively in aviation through innovation.
Philiben has been active with the EDCO Aviation Business Recruitment Committee and was an early proponent of the initiative to bring UAVs to Central Oregon. He was honored as Opportunity Knocks’ 2008 Member of the Year.
About CIES
CIES, Inc. is headquartered in Redmond, OR and was founded by a group of aviation professionals to introduce an all digital line of aviation grade fuel level and position sensors, incorporating patented innovative and advanced electronic technology. For additional information on CIES and its products, visit ciescorp.com
