GPMS has received FAA supplemental type certification (STC) for its Foresight MX health monitoring system on the Airbus AS350 AStar helicopter platform. The initial certification is on the H125 (AS350B3), but the company plans to pursue approvals with Transport Canada, EASA, and FAA to include B2 variants.
Foresight provides predictive engine and component monitoring, rotor track and balance, and flight data monitoring with exceedance alerting. Cloud-based system data moves automatically via wifi or cellular connections and allows access via any browser-equipped device.
The Foresight system for the AS350 weighs less than six pounds and is sold as a service to “ensure affordability,” according to the company. "The industry is talking about the role connected fleets and predictive analytics can play in asset optimization and the ROI for Foresight is fairly immediate,” said GPMS CEO Eric Bechhoefer.
East West Helicopter and its associate company, Panterra Heli Support, will serve as a sales agent and installer for the system. East West completed the initial installation. Last year, GPMS received STC approval for Foresight MX on the Bell 407.