GPMS International announced that Blackcomb Helicopters, a helicopter utility provider in Western Canada, has chosen to equip its four Airbus H135s and four Bell 212HPs with the health and usage monitoring system, Foresight MX.
“Blackcomb Helicopters choosing to equip their fleet with Foresight MX HUMS is turning point for utility operators in Canada,” said John Byus, director of sales at GPMS. “With their investment, Blackcomb will benefit from Foresight’s predictive maintenance capabilities for better control of their supply chain, reduction in AOGs, and maximized aircraft availability. Additionally, they benefit from a unified solution over multiple OEMs and aircraft models to simplify their maintenance and operational HUMS experience.”
Aaron Trimble, director of maintenance at Blackcomb Helicopters added: “When you have unscheduled maintenance, it doesn’t just affect the downtime of the aircraft. When you’re having to source parts AOG, your costs go up. You’re having to fly the parts in. But if you’re able to plan ahead, you’re not having to go AOG and your customers, engineers, and of course your management are all happier. Being able to be more proactive than reactive, while benefiting from the added safety, is what we’re really looking forward to.”
“Some of our contracts mandate the use of HUMS to ensure we’re operating to the highest levels of safety,” said Jonathan Burke, president of Blackcomb Helicopters. “When we evaluated various HUMS solutions to meet the requirement, Foresight MX stood out quickly for its simplicity, powerful predictive analytics, and the expertise and customer support from the GPMS team. The initial installation with GPMS has gone seamlessly and we’re looking forward to start using the system after certification has been completed.”
Byus continued: “We’re honored to have Blackcomb as one of our customers and we look forward to learning more from them on how we can better support their utility, powerline, and search and rescue operations. We know other [H135] operators are anxiously awaiting for the certification to be completed and see how Blackcomb is benefiting from it.”
