Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

A year from now the FAA's new flight data monitoring (FDM) mandate takes effect for air ambulance operators. But how do operators use all that data as it relates to a flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) program? That was the question posed by Brian Mahoney, business development manager of Skytrac Systems,&nbsp;at a recent operators forum. "Are you just collecting the data to 'check that [compliance] box' or are you actually using it to advance safety?" Mahoney provided some basic guidelines for how to integrate FDM data into an organization's safety program.


Per FAR 135.607, after April 23&nbsp;next year, "no person may operate a helicopter in air ambulance operations unless it is equipped with an approved flight data monitoring system capable of recording flight performance data." The system must: "(a) Receive electrical power from the bus that provides the maximum reliability for operation without jeopardizing service to essential or emergency loads, and (b) Be operated from the application of electrical power before takeoff until the removal of electrical power after termination of flight."


In Section 10 of the Final Rule, the FAA proposed that flight performance data include "a broadly defined set of parameters including information pertaining to the aircraft's state (heading, altitude, attitude), condition (rotors, transmission, engine, flight controls) and system performance (Fadec and Efis)." However, Mahoney acknowledges that the regulation is "imprecise," but pointed out that it gives operators a certain latitude to select recorders best suited for the types of aircraft they fly.


<h2>Trend Analysis Gains</h2>


Setting up a fully integrated program can be time-consuming and expensive, and that means the benefits have to be fully explained and sold to top management, Mahoney said. "The operators want it, the maintenance guys want it, but they have to go to their bosses and sell it. Half or more of atypical events can be eliminated with FDM data. G-force exceedance, over-temping... By looking at the data, operators can reduce the number of occurrences they have and that saves money. String together a few $40,000 incidents and it adds up," he said.


Beyond short-term maintenance gains, Mahoney points out that the data can be used to transform an organization's culture, to make it safer and more efficient, by using metrics such as trend analysis. "How can we use it to transform the culture? What kind of trend analysis are we doing? One of the things you have to do right off the bat is look at what kind of challenges your organization has. Where have you had problems in the past? What are your 'D' points? What are the things that are causing the most difficulties internally? Then you can figure out how this system can help you. You can figure out how to tie all the data points together to help maintenance and operations to make it work for you," he said.


Starting an integrated program can seem overwhelming, so Mahoney recommends a go-slow approach and counsels patience. It might take a year or more to have enough data before an organization can start applying meaningful trend analysis.


"We recommend starting with a targeted approach. If you have a mixed fleet, maybe start with one aircraft type and work your program through that and then roll into the next aircraft type and start developing that. If you try to jump in all at once, sometimes that can be a problem," he said, adding, "Figure out what events are affecting you and what you want to monitor. What things concern you every day, both on the maintenance and operations side? Commit to using the system and reading the data. Integrate it into a goals system. You have to figure out your goals and what you want to achieve. Obviously when you are just starting out you don't have a lot of data you can go back and compare against. It may take a year's worth of data—unless it is something really dangerous—before you spot clear trends. Then you can go back and look at what you are doing, see if it makes any difference, and if you are training for the right items. You can also integrate the data into an SMS [safety management system] and SMS levels. That has the added benefit of reducing insurance costs."

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

FDM Mandate for EMS To Yield Meaningful Data for Operators

With enough data in hand, organizations can transform their culture.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

Japan Orders Its First H160 for Emergency Response

Flights with two scaled technology demonstrators will inform potential future iterations 

Singaporean eVTOL Conducts Test Campaign In Germany 

Matt Thurber

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Lightweight white-phosphor NVG have a 94-degree field of view

FAA Approves TSO for ASU Panoramic Night-vision Goggles

Hanneke Weitering

Proposed rule addresses pilot awareness of control limits

FAA Floats Special Conditions for Skyryse Fly-by-wire R66

Charles Alcock

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

European Helicopter Association and Vertical Aviation International extended their alliance 

Vertical Lift Groups Extend Trade Show Partnership

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

More In Rotorcraft

Japan Orders Its First H160 for Emergency Response

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

Singaporean eVTOL Conducts Test Campaign In Germany

Flights with two scaled technology demonstrators will inform potential future iterations

FAA Approves TSO for ASU Panoramic Night-vision Goggles

Lightweight white-phosphor NVG have a 94-degree field of view

FAA Floats Special Conditions for Skyryse Fly-by-wire R66

Proposed rule addresses pilot awareness of control limits

Vertical Lift Groups Extend Trade Show Partnership

European Helicopter Association and Vertical Aviation International extended their alliance

Sikorsky Is Upgrading the Black Hawk Helicopter for Evolving Military Needs

Armed forces will be able to outfit Black Hawks with new armament and equipment.

Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider Points to a New Level of Performance for Future Helicopters

Originally developed for the U.S. military, X2 technology is in search of a new customer.

Bell 505 Makes Asia-Pacific Debut with Aichi Police

Joins fleet of longtime operator of Bell 206s and 412s

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN