Air Methods announces selection of Truth Data to provide flight operations and quality assurance (FOQA) and flight data monitoring (FDM). Truth Data provides FOQA and FDM capabilities through local and cloud capabilities for data analytics, information visualization and reporting.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the largest emergency air medical operator in the world,” said Pete Henrikson, president of Truth Data. “Air Methods is a leader in the industry, and it’s clear that their commitment to safety extends to every level of the operation. We work with virtually any aircraft and any FDM recorder, and there is a lot that can be learned from fleet-wide analysis over a diverse fleet of aircraft.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released the new Helicopter Air Ambulance (HAA) rule (FAR 135.607), requiring all operators with 10 or more aircraft to implement FDM systems by April 23, 2018. Truth Data offers FDM services and statistical analysis.

“We look forward to our partnership with Truth Data,” added Mark Rambis, vice president of Safety and Risk Management at Air Methods. “They are the experts in the field of flight data, from understanding best practices and leading industry trends to their technical knowledge with respect to the systems on the market. Their experience will clearly enhance our operations.”

In 2009, Air Methods entered the FAA’s voluntary safety management system (SMS) program. In 2013, the FAA announced that Air Methods had successfully reached the highest level (Level 4) of the FAA’s voluntary SMS program. The SMS program is an organizational framework created and implemented by the FAA to systematically guide, track and provide recognition for safety efforts by commercial air operators. Level 4, the continuous improvement stage, is the final phase of implementation.