Airbus Helicopters signed a contract with German operator Global Helicopter Service (GHS), making them the launch customer for the company’s new FlyScan service, software that helps customers to analyse and manage the Health & Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) data from their helicopter fleet activities.

“FlyScan sets a new standard of customer service based on true predictive maintenance: operators can anticipate formerly unscheduled events, avoid operational disruptions, and reach a new level of dispatch reliability,” said Matthieu Louvot, Executive Vice President of Customer Support at Airbus Helicopters. “It is one of the new services we offer our customers in line with our overarching goal to fully support them in safely and efficiently managing their operations.”

The HUMS system, a standard fixture on many Airbus Helicopters platforms, uses sensors placed throughout the aircraft to monitor key components and the overall behaviour of the machine. The system records large amounts of useful data, which is then transferred to various systems for interpretation. By effectively analysing such data and providing proactive feedback, FlyScan helps customers to enhance flight safety, increase fleet availability, and reduce the maintenance burden by up to seven percent.

“With FlyScan Supervise, we know we will have reliable insight coming directly from the manufacturer itself on the details and operational statistics of our in-service fleet,” said Dominik Goldfuss, CEO of GHS. “It also provides a smart solution for less complex organisations so they no longer have to worry about developing these capabilities in-house, as Airbus takes care of everything.”

Three different levels of FlyScan are available for the H225, H175, H145, H135 and Dolphin fleets equipped with HUMS:

·         Advise, for customers already performing HUMS monitoring. HUMS experts from Airbus work in partnership with the customer to closely monitor the health parameters of their helicopters to better anticipate maintenance events.

·         Supervise, for customers without a HUMS expert in their organisation. Airbus manages the various thresholds implemented and closely monitors any event that occurs in the fleet.

·         Guard, for customers already managing a HUMS system. Airbus brings its expertise to the customer’s doorstep, supporting teams in surveying their fleets. This package includes a specific HUMS hotline available 24/7, and commits to responding to AOG requests within a few hours.

FlyScan is part of the HCare Technical Support offer, providing 24/7 technical support, continuous airworthiness management and global technical assistance. Additional FlyScan contracts are planned to conclude this year, and the company’s objective is for FlyScan to become a standard service for the entire helicopter HUMS community.