GPMS International has welcomed Todd Powers to lead its sales organisation, driving the company's efforts to expand the footprint of its health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) Foresight MX.

Powers comes to GPMS after completing an 18 year career with Airbus Helicopters as one of its top global sales leaders. With more than 500 aircraft sold and sales revenue eclipsing $2.5 billion, he was consistently responsible for between 30-50 per cent of annual sales volume for North America. Spending more than 32 years in the helicopter industry in various market segments, including as chief pilot at Reach Air Medical, he has witnessed highs, lows and missed opportunities in the industry. HUMS is near the top of this list.

“Originally, HUMS was supposed to change the way we approach the maintenance and operation of helicopters,” says Powers. “Legacy HUMS didn't accomplish this, and these systems still don't today. They are heavy, expensive, frequently report false positives and are difficult to maintain or understand. All of which heavily impact operator confidence in these legacy solutions.

“What GPMS has developed in Foresight MX is outstanding. It has taken all the things that legacy HUMS solutions promised, but ultimately failed to deliver, and made them highly accurate, more than 50 per cent lighter, globally accessible and most importantly significantly more affordable. I have been looking for this type of solution for my customers and our industry for years.”

GPMS president Jed Kalkstein adds: “Being able to attract an industry leader like Todd validates the strength of our business, our Foresight MX solution and the direction we are taking the company. We believe that the helicopter industry will be connecting its fleet in the next three years and that we have the best product in the space. Todd gives us the reach and relationships to make sure they know and choose Foresight.

"Todd has a passion to improve safety and operations in the industry and is driven to help his many friends in the helicopter industry become more successful and sustainable. That aligns with our company mission and really resonates with our team.”

GPMS's business model and approach to the market also played a part in Power's decision to join the company. He adds: “I can't say enough about the great team at GPMS. There is a start-up mentality here where everyone is nimble, focused and working together toward a common vision. It's refreshing.”

Foresight MX is the next-generation HUMS solution that provides predictive engine and component monitoring, flight data and exceedance monitoring and automatic delivery of rotor track and balancing solutions after each flight. Most notably, it provides diagnostic and prognostic capabilities including early fault detection and detailed forecasts for Remaining Useful Life of trending components.

With the continuing rising costs of aircraft, parts and labour it is this level of detail and insight from Foresight MX's predictive capabilities that will help owners and operators change the way they do business.

Powers continues: “With Foresight MX, not only is there a tremendous opportunity for them to improve the safety and efficiency of their operations, but they can significantly reduce their maintenance costs as well.”

GPMS already has STCs for Foresight MX on a range of helicopter platforms including Bell 407 GX/GXP/GXi, Bell 429, Bell 412/212 and the Airbus H125/AS350 B3. The company has also completed the system for the Mi-series helicopters and expects STCs for the H135, the AS350 B2, analogue Bell 407 and the H-60 soon.