GPMS Receives Transport Canada STC for Airbus Helicopter Platform

GPMS, a firm that develops technology that optimizes information flow in the aircraft maintenance and analytics business, announced today that Transport Canada Civil Aviation has issued a Supplemental Type Certificate for GPMS’s Foresight MX, the company’s enhanced Health & Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) solution, on the Airbus H125 helicopter. The certificate was based on a prior Federal Aviation Administration STC and covers the installation of Foresight MX on the Airbus H125/AS350 B3 platform.

GPMS President Jed Kalkstein characterized how the approval would impact H125 operators in a positive manner: “With this STC, H125 operators in Canada like East West Helicopter/Panterra Heli Support will be able to adopt Foresight MX on their fleet and begin to maximize aircraft readiness, lower maintenance costs, and enhance safety in their operations.”

East West Helicopter completed the initial installation with support from its associated Canadian company, Panterra Heli Support. Enabled by FAA and TCCA STC’s, the company has partnered with NS AIR Leasing to futureproof its fleet of H125 series aircraft that will operate in both Canada and the United States.

Kalkstein explained that East West Helicopters highlights the unique value that Foresight MX delivers to different aspects of the industry. “As a lessor, they see the value of Foresight MX providing insight into their fleet assets and can be confident knowing that their customers have state-of-the-art predictive health monitoring available around the clock, around the world,” he said.

GPMS will be showcasing their technology at Heli-Expo 2022 in Dallas, TX, offering live demos and information on how their platform, dubbed Foresight MX, increases value to their customers.

Why it’s important: GPMS already has STC’s on a range of helicopter platforms including Airbus H125/AS350 B3, Bell 407 GX/GXP/GXi, Bell 429, Bell 412/212, and MD530, showcasing the benefits of predictive analytics tools that enable operators to more intelligently optimize the methods of maintenance and operation of their most costly investments – their airframes and powerplants. This same technology could easily be applied to aerial mobility systems to decrease maintenance downtime and improve the overall efficiency.