GPMS International has entered into a collaboration agreement with MD Helicopters for Foresight MX, a predictive health and usage monitoring system (HUMS). The agreement provides new and existing MD 530F operators with a Foresight MX OEM installation option at MD Helicopters' facility in Mesa, Arizona.

“Installing Foresight MX when acquiring a new aircraft is the easiest path to knowing your aircraft is healthy from day one,” says Ronnie Ries, GPMS VP of marketing. “The factory team can utilise Foresight's advanced capabilities to monitor the aircraft's health during testing and show the results to their customers during delivery. The power of Foresight HUMS enhances this laser-focus commitment to customer success and support from the new leadership team at MD Helicopters.”

“We want to build a closer relationship with all of our operators,” adds Ryan Weeks, MD Helicopters' VP of customer support. “The more data our operators can share on the health and usage of their aircraft, the better we can support them and keep them flying. With Foresight MX, the generational leap in HUMS capabilities makes it easy for operators to share details on how the aircraft is performing, which allows MD to troubleshoot and resolve issues faster and improve our spares and repairs forecasting accuracy.”

Since the STC announcement last year at HeliExpo, three installations of Foresight MX have been completed on the MD 530F platform. The system provides continuous engine and drivetrain monitoring with predictive remaining useful life estimates on trending parts. Additionally, the system offers rotor track and balance with optimised adjustment solutions at the end of every flight and flight data monitoring with exceedance alerting. Data acquisition and transfer are automatic, and the cloud-based system allows operators to monitor their fleet anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Ries continues: “We greatly appreciate MD Helicopters' confidence in our technology and in bringing Foresight MX as an option to its customers. Gaining the trust of an aircraft OEM speaks volumes to operators, and we're proud to play a supporting role in enhancing their MD Helicopters customer experience.”