Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation
History
In the 1930s the roots of two progressive companies were formed: All American Aviation (which evolved into both U.S. Airways & All American Engineering) and the E.W. Bliss Company, Advanced Development & Engineering Center (ADEC). By the 1950s, these early predecessors to ESCO were producing arresting systems, along with other products for aircraft in a young aviation industry. As technology changed, AAE and ADEC changed too, expanding their product lines and moving into international markets. With breakthrough advances, including the AAE Model 340 Water Squeezer Arresting Gear and the EW Bliss Overrun Barrier Arresting Gear, they were able to firmly establish themselves as expert pioneers in aviation arrestment. The companies refined their products, staying a step ahead of the times, while meeting military needs and focusing on safety, mirroring aviation's growth. Fully mobile systems were introduced: the Portarrest and MAG (Mobile Arresting Gear); NASA contracted AAE to develop a Space Shuttle Orbiter Arresting System (SOAS). The companies diversified, introducing energy-control solutions of a different nature with catapults and hook/cable landing systems, mid-air retrieval systems, and spy satellite recovery technology. In the early 1990s, a merger-by-acquisition of these two market leaders created Engineered Arresting Systems Corporatioin. Originally established as a division of Datron Systems, ESCO continued the legacy of intelligent arresting systems and safety in both the military and commercial sectors. The development of an Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) as a partnership with the FAA provided airports with a reliable, safe solution to their most common landing problems: runway overshoot and landing gear malfunctions. Today, ESCO is part of the Zodiac Group, a highly diversified aeronautical and maritime company founded in the late 1890s with a long-standing mission to develop technology that can "Master the Elements." As a member of Zodiac's Emergency Arresting Systems Division (EASD) with our sister company, Aerazur, ESCO shares the same core values of humility, entrepreneurial spirit, realism and respect. ESCO's aircraft arresting systems continue to maintain their global leadership role, widely perceived as the top industry standard and certified for every major aircraft in operation, including modern military fighters. ESCO's has earned this honor by continually improving and refining our military and commercial aviation products. ESCO has also set new standards of excellence in the development of energy control solutions for perimeter security/containment, vehicle arresting systems (VAS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launch and recovery. “Air pick-up” was invented by Dr. Lytle Adams, a dentist and part-time inventor. It provided airmail to communities without airports. The service began on May 12, 1939 and carried airmail for ten years, a period during which mail volume boomed due to World War II correspondence.The engineering arm of All American Aviation developed Dr. Adams’ original idea of air mail pick-up, creating “aircraft arresting systems” for military and civilian use. Watch the presentation below to see amazing footage of human pick-ups (gasp!) as well as a very nifty way to get engine-less gliders airborne by pulling them behind another aircraft: Smithsonian National Postal Museum Lecture Video
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