If you have worked on helicopters, you understand that while there are similarities to fixed-wing maintenance tracking, there are a few major differences which add a significant layer of complexity – specifically around the calculation of due times and the forecasting of upcoming maintenance.
The Basics of Fixed Wing Maintenance Tracking
For most fixed-wing aircraft, the calculations for due times on inspections and components are relatively straight forward –
(Last Complied Time + Interval) – Current Time = Time Remaining
For example, if a Task was last complied with at 1500 Hours, has an interval of 500 Hours, and the aircraft is currently at 1700 Total Time, (1500+500)-1700 = 300 Hours Remaining. Sure, there could be a Tolerance or Time Since New (TSN) that could affect this calculation, but in general, it’s pretty straight forward, and it is a calculation that is shared among all business jet OEMs.
Helicopter Math
So what makes helicopters different? Obviously, the physics and mechanics of helicopters is significantly different than a jet. Helicopter missions can also vary greatly. As a helicopter flies, components of the aircraft are subject to what is called “low-cycle fatigue”, which is a stress that is applied to particular components based on the operation of the aircraft. This stress is not calculated in a 1 to 1 fashion with hours or cycles the way that most fixed wing aircraft operate, and the end of a part’s life can be accelerated based on the details of each flight – for example, the use of a hoist or hook, operating over a certain weight threshold, or taking off and landing in high-winds could result in what’s called a “penalty factor”. The “penalty factor” is a formula which is applied that is typically, but not always, a multiple of flight hours or cycles.
For example, one part may have a penalty based on the use of an external hoist lift where the penalty factor = 0.5 flight hours. If the flight time was 2 hours and there were 3 hoist lifts, the total time accumulated on that component would be 2 + (0.5 x 3) = 3.5 accumulated hours. Not so straightforward and not possible in your traditional maintenance tracking platform!
There are a few other things to consider that drive additional complexity:
- Every component may have its own formula and calculation affected by operational driven requirements and equipment installed.
- Every helicopter OEM approaches “low cycle fatigue” differently and some have formula-driven requirements such as RIN (Retirement Index Number) instead of Flight Hours or Cycles.
- As in-aircraft technology progresses, some of these calculations and accumulations can be done by the software installed on the aircraft and transmitted to cloud-based systems (although the calculations for due times are still done within a maintenance tracking platform).
A Modern Solution For Managing Helicopter Maintenance
For years, the quality of options for maintenance tracking has not been quite as good for helicopter operators as their fixed-wing counterparts, but as technology has advanced, so has the ability to manage the complexities and nuances of helicopter maintenance schedules. Traxxall was designed with helicopter operators in mind, and today we support a wide range of models from major OEMs, including Bell, MD, Leonardo, Sikorsky, and Airbus (Traxxall is the Airbus Recommended Platform in North America).
Data Capture – Traxxall users are able to input operational-driven data points which affect the calculation of due times, including things like torque, penalty, sling and roping cycles, as well as internal & external load operations, weights, and environmental conditions.
Analyst Support – Unlike many other systems, Traxxall is supported by a team of expert analysts, and we have some of the most knowledgeable individuals in the world when it comes to helicopter maintenance planning. Our team ensures you are tracking the latest requirements from the OEM maintenance schedule and we are continuously monitoring for new Airworthiness Directives and Service Bulletins that could be applicable to your aircraft. On any items that require the complex calculations described above, we manage the formulas on those specific components to ensure due times are calculating properly.
Dashboards & Reports – Traxxall provides operators with dashboards and reports to get instant visibility into the status of their fleet for both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Users have access to standard reports such as the Due List, Status, and History Reports, and can create customized reports to meet the needs of their operation.
Electronic Workflow – The Traxxall platform was built to streamline day-to-day workflow and eliminate as much paper as possible. Operators can easily forecast maintenance, build work orders, electronically sign-off maintenance and create legal maintenance records right from their laptop or mobile device.
Inventory Integration – If you need the ability to manage your inventory and purchasing, Traxall has you covered. Our Inventory management module has the power to track the movement of parts, stock levels, inventory requests, purchase orders, and much more. It is seamlessly integrated with the maintenance module, giving you the ability to easily move parts and related information/documents from inventory directly to the aircraft for full traceability.
Cloud Based & Secure – Utilizing Microsoft Azure, Traxxall is cloud-based and accessible from anywhere in the world. Your data is geo-replicated, backed up, secure, and you don’t need any resources from IT to get started or support Traxxall along the way.
Easy Enrollment – We know the thought of moving all of your data to a new system sounds like a headache, but over the last 10 years, we have perfected the Traxxall enrollment process. We handle the heavy lifting, taking your data and migrating it into our platform while auditing your records for accuracy against the latest OEM requirements. Most enrollments take less than 30 days from start to finish.
Training – Our training team is here to help you and your team get up and running on all of the powerful features within the platform. We offer both remote and on-site training to all of our customers.
If you want to learn more about Traxxall and see if it is the right fit for you, please reach out and schedule a time to talk with one of our team members.
