A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

The digital revolution has arrived at the maintenance department, and here at NBAA 2017 maintenance tracking system and service providers are displaying an array of new and enhanced offerings, along with flagship products that save operators time and money, while improving and simplifying shop floor operations.

 


ATP (Booth C7316), longtime provider of technical publications, has evolved to offer services including maintenance tracking for fixed-wing pistons, turboprops and light jets and rotorcraft. ATP’s mission is “to help make life easier for the maintenance provider,” said Victor Sanchez, chief product officer. “The challenge they have is finding what they need in a constant flood of information being thrown at them: technical, operating and regulatory” data, which ATP helps “curate.”

 


Here in Las Vegas the California company is launching its Advanced Library Connectivity (ALC) service, building on its Aircraft Centricity Service (ACS) introduced at EBACE this year. ACS connects all related documents, including maintenance and compliance tracking data, for each aircraft, with access via any type of computing device. The user-friendly app manages all library content and features a new dashboard, simplifying access to documents. ATP is demoing the ACS and ALC here at the convention center.

 


By year end, ATP plans to “take maintenance tracking to the next level,” said Sanchez, aggressively targeting digital upgrades to business and general aviation operators currently using Excel or grease boards for maintenance tracking. Pricing of ATP’s services is based on aircraft type.

 


Flightdocs (Booth N2104), which introduced its basic maintenance tracking and management system in 2003, has expanded the web-based platform and added compliance, cost projections, work orders, logbook and most recently inventory and asset management tools. With these additions, Flightdoc’s 1,000-some users worldwide can maintain stock levels and manage shipping in full integration with maintenance tracking, taking advantage of the platform’s modern architecture.

 


“Aviation is a high-tech industry—the actual aircraft and avionics,” said Greg Heine, COO of the Florida-based company. “But a lot of times the software supporting these operations is behind the curve.” Aimed at operators of fixed-wing aircraft from turboprops the largest VIP jets, Flightdocs now supports electronic signatures and real-time updating, complemented by 24/7 telephone customer support. Here at NBAA, Flightdocs is demonstrating its core maintenance tracking offerings, Flightdocs Enterprise for fixed-wing models, and Flightdocs HMX for rotorcraft, and offering a “walk through of typical workflows with operators,” Heine said. Also in the spotlight: an updated version of the Flightdocs Quick Tools phone app, now available for both Android and iOS devices.

 


The flagship Maintenance Management tracking solution from Camp Systems International (Booth N1710) is used by operators of more than 20,000 aircraft and 31,000 engines, and here in Las Vegas the New Hampshire-based company is highlighting the system’s integration with the maintenance tracking programs of recent acquisitions Cescom, CMP, Avtrak and Daniel Systems. Camp’s latest release, Camp Connect, makes the integration possible, while enabling efficiencies that shorten the return to service cycle.

 


Camp is also showcasing its own suite of Aircraft Health Management solutions here, said a company spokeswoman. The integrated product suite covers aircraft health, shop floor efficiency and market knowledge, with engine health monitoring now integrated directly into the Camp maintenance tracking program. Camp Systems is the exclusive provider of engine condition trend monitoring services for Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada and Honeywell engines, and customers operating these powerplants can view engine data within the Camp application. Additional engine brands are expected to be covered by the service. Meanwhile, Camp introduced a maintenance tracking solution for helicopter operators. Representatives from all divisions are on hand here to demo the solutions and answer questions.

 


Among the beneficiaries of Camp’s integration are customers of Corridor Aviation Service Software (Booth N1415), which Camp acquired in 2015. “We have plenty to show both existing and prospective customers about how we help them address many of their day-to-day business challenges,” said Mike Grieg, v-p and general manager of Texas-based Corridor. Customers can now automatically generate job estimates and quotes via Camp Connect, and all data loaded into Corridor is automatically uploaded into the Camp system. Corridor is presenting videos and demos of these latest and soon to be released products, including the upcoming Mobile Technician application, and enhancements in the upcoming Corridor v11.5 release. The new release includes customer-requested updates such as Formalized Pricing and Availability requests from the shop floor, Enhanced Vendor Quoting and additional integration to StockMarket.aero, along with customer portal improvements.

 


Montreal-based Traxxall Technologies (Booth N4508) is showcasing new enhancements to its Aircraft Maintenance Tracking System. The improvements “take technology up to another level,” said Mark Steinbeck, Traxxall’s president, allowing maintenance technicians “to go completely paperless on the hangar floor.” The tracker, used by aircraft “from an SR22 to a BBJ,” Steinbeck said, features customizable reports and dashboards, along with tablet and smartphone apps. Offered for an annual per aircraft service fee, the system is more affordable than many competing products, according to the company, and compatible with the widely used Rockwell Collins FOS.

 


Known for its operational cost consulting services, Conklin &amp; de Decker Associates (C&amp;dD; Booth C7634) also offers its MxManager maintenance tracking product, and here in Las Vegas the Orleans, Mass. company is launching a server-based version of the software, accessible via Remote Desktop Access. MxManager is aimed at operators of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft, turboprops and jets, or piston fleets of ten or more, aircraft that are past their initial warranty and not covered by ancillary maintenance plans. On the rotorcraft side, many operators put their aircraft on MxManager earlier. “Historically, helicopter operators like to keep track of their own information and keep it closer to the vest,” said Brandon Battles, C&amp;dD v-p and co-owner. The company developed the software as an outgrowth of efforts to obtain maintenance cost information for its operational cost analyses, after observing the need for smaller maintenance facilities to have "a tool of their own at a reasonable cost that allows them to enjoy the benefits of automation,” said Battles. The company is demoing a new version of MxManager here, and is also eager to discuss pricing plans.

 


Austin, Texas-based Avianis (Booth C6621) is showcasing its operations management platform incorporating maintenance tracking capability. Avianis can integrate data from disparate maintenance tracking providers, enabling management companies operating individually owned aircraft to bring maintenance management of the entire fleet into one system.

 


“Data matters to business aviation,” said Dan Tharp, Avianis founder and managing director. For example, a charter operator will immediately know if fleet aircraft face any upcoming inspections or maintenance work that affect their availability. Customers range from small-single aircraft flight departments to large operators worldwide. “Our focus has been to pinpoint the operational inefficiencies and develop a smart, intuitive platform that makes running the day-to-day operations of a flight department easier,” said Tharp. “We eliminated the need for multiple applications to run your business."

 


Here in Las Vegas Avianis is highlighting a new partnership with Honeywell on datalink services, as well as launching a new finance management module and new mobile apps, including an expense tracker for flight crews.

 


Making its NBAA debut, Airbly (Booth N12445) is showcasing its Phoenix Aircraft Monitor, a portable unit introduced in July that automatically tracks and sends via satellite operational and engine data for maintenance management. The monitoring unit (3.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 inches; 7.5 ounces) can be mounted on a glareshield without wires or screws and automatically creates flight logs, and records data and sends it via satellite. The data can be accessed by smart device for real-time monitoring or data review.

 


Operators can set operational times for inspections and maintenance on engine and components and integrate ADs, service bulletins and other items, and the Phoenix system provides alerts when these come due for attention. The system is designed for piston fleet operators such as flying clubs, flight schools and small commercial operations, where multiple pilots fly individual aircraft, said Chris VanHorn, president of the Price Edward Island, Canada company. Takeoffs and landings, departure and arrival weather and times, and location tracking are among the recorded data. The service is subscription-based, ranging from $39 and $54 per month per aircraft, with the hardware provided at no cost.

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