SKYTRAC (SKYTRAC Systems Ltd.), a global leader in satellite communications (satcom) and intelligent connectivity solutions, today announced that Global Medical Response (GMR), the largest medical transport company in the world, has selected SKYTRAC to provide fleet-harmonized satellite airtime and mission-critical capabilities to its 381 rotary-wing aircraft.
The fleet upgrade program, spanning more than a dozen airframes, will harmonize onboard satellite communications equipment and key mission-critical in-flight capabilities to ensure reliable, streamlined flight operations across the fleet. With 379 air bases and over 500 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft in operation around the world, SKYTRAC’s fleet harmonization will provide significant upside in efficiencies and safety to GMR’s flight operations, maintenance, and medical teams.
To support the fleet upgrade program, SKYTRAC will equip 381-rotorcraft spanning multiple popular airframes including the Bell 206, Bell 407, Airbus EC130, Airbus EC135, Airbus EC145, Airbus EC155, Airbus AS350, Leonardo AW109, and Leonardo AW119 airframes.
“In evaluating our options, SKYTRAC had the greatest breadth of solutions and engineering expertise required for our fleet upgrade program,” said Josh Brannon, VP of Aircraft Maintenance, Global Medical Response. “With advanced capabilities such as medical data transfer, automated FDM data offloading, and state-of-the-art OCC software for flight following and mission management, it was a straightforward decision to select a partner that provided us with modern, innovative solutions that further enhance our leadership in quality medical care and flight safety.”
The fleet upgrade program will enable mission-critical capabilities including automated flight following (AFF) and mission management, voice and text-based messaging, satellite Push-to-Talk (PTT), SAFRTM Flight Data Monitoring, and onboard connectivity for medical devices and EFB applications through both satellite and cellular networks.
GMR will leverage SKYTRAC’s powerful SkyWeb platform for automated flight following and mission management to mitigate flight risk and visualize weather conditions for increased situational awareness and flight safety. The platform will allow OCCs to communicate with fleets, monitor aircraft, configure equipment, run flight reports, and manage fleet-wide efficiencies.
GMR will also enable powerful FDM capabilities through SKYTRAC’s SAFR FDM suite and HD cockpit camera for discreet audio and video recording. In addition to the acquisition and analysis of flight data for effective pilot training programs, GMR will gain automated post-flight data downloading capabilities through cellular 4G/LTE networks to eliminate the need for manual data retrieval. After data has been uploaded to GMR ground stations, flight data teams can visualize data in multiple easy-to-view dashboards with real-time 2D and 3D playback for deeper insights into their flight operations.
These powerful capabilities will be enabled by SKYTRAC’s ISAT-200A and SkyLink 7100 satellite communication terminals for narrowband and midband satellite and 4G/LTE cellular connectivity. The SKYTRAC Cockpit Display Panel and Dispatch Voice Interface (CDP/DVI) and next generation ultra-slim touchscreen Multitouch Controller 100 (MTC-100) will be used in the cockpit and cabin for connecting air and ground crews as well as medical professionals through voice and text-based communications.
Once installed, SKYTRAC will provide GMR with powerful capabilities across their varied fleet and will significantly modernize the cockpit and cabin with state-of-the-art connectivity for onboard medical devices, cockpit applications, personal electronic devices (PEDs), and communications for cabin and crew.
“We are proud to continue our leadership in the air medical industry alongside GMR to provide leading solutions that improve operator, crew, and patient safety and efficiencies,” said Luke Billington, Regional Business Manager, SKYTRAC. “This partnership is a testament to the unique capabilities our customers have grown to appreciate and brings forward a new status quo for what operators should expect from onboard avionics.”
Visit SKYTRAC at Booth B1420 from March 7 to March 9 at HAI HELI-EXPO at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Skytrac.
