Alaska-based operator Pathfinder Aviation has become the launch customer for GPMS' Foresight MX health monitoring system on the Bell 212/412 helicopter platform. GPMS has received an FAA STC for Foresight MX, which brings 21st century predictive monitoring capabilities to the platform.

Pathfinder CEO Rogan Parker says: “We are seeing more and more of our end customers demanding safety enhancing technology and selecting operators who invest to keep their aircraft current. Foresight MX will give us a leg up in a competitive market and, given its predictive capability, we believe it will also help us speed and streamline our maintenance process.”

GPMS CEO and chief engineer Eric Bechhoefer notes: “There are thousands of 212/412 helicopters in operation today when you look at the commercial and military variants out there, and only a small fraction have onboard HFDM, let alone a combined HFDM plus HUMS solution. This STC furthers our mission to provide a cost-effective, integrated flight and health monitoring solution for light and medium aircraft.”

Foresight MX is a next generation helicopter health monitoring system. Providing predictive engine and drivetrain monitoring with remaining useful life estimates on all monitored components, rotor track and balance, and flight data monitoring with exceedance alerting, the system helps maximise readiness, lower maintenance costs and enhance safety.

Foresight MX breaks from legacy solutions by fitting the weight and budget constraints of all operators. On the Bell 212/412 the Foresight kit has an STC weight of 7.41 pounds and cable weight of seven pounds. The system is sold on a HUMS-as-a-Service model to lower upfront cost and ensure affordability. Foresight MX is one of only two FAA certified HUMS systems actively sold on the H4SW type certificate.

The installation was performed at Oregon-based Precision Support Services, an FAA Part 145 repair facility. Precision Support Services will join GPMS's network of certified installation partners. Precision GM Grayson Barrows says: “The Foresight MX kit is well designed for ease of installation, and we're pleased to provide this service for operators seeking to put HUMS on board. We also think Foresight will help us collaborate with our customers: If they see a trending bearing, for example, they can give us access and we can troubleshoot and develop a plan with the operator without having to even leave our facility, resulting in saving everyone time and money.”