HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
Major Utility Operator PJ Helicopters Deepens Relationship with GPMS
GPMS International recently announced it has received a fleet order from PJ Helicopters for Foresight MX. This order marks a major milestone in integration of HUMS into the utility helicopter market. “We continue to be very impressed with the advanced capabilities of Foresight MX,” said Justin Gunsauls, VP and director of maintenance at PJ Helicopters. “Foresight’s predictive analytics, easy-to-use interface, and multi-OEM capability makes it the perfect solution for our mixed-fleet operations.”
BY THE NUMBERS 39
The number of scholarships that Whirley Girls announced it will award at this year’s HAI Heli-Expo to deserving female aviators, making the scholarship program the largest in the helicopter industry. “Only 6% of helicopter pilots are women,” said Whirly-Girls International Scholarship
Director Joanna
Forrester, who hopes the scholarships will increase that percentage.
40 Jan/Feb 2024
PJ Helicopters utilizes its fleet of MD 530Fs, Bell 407s, Bell 429s, UH-60s, and CH-47s to perform a variety of utility, power line, and firefighting operations throughout the United States. With Foresight MX’s cloud capability, PJ monitors the health of its remote aircraft, and receives SMS and email notifications of any exceedances or negative trends after every flight.
Long promoted by leading safety organizations like the Vertical Aviation Safety
Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), HUMS and FDM interest and integration into the
utility space has been growing rapidly, driven by new contract requirements. In the new U.S. Forest Service MATOC, task order awards and preferences are given to “modern helicopter” operators, which includes HUMS as a minimum aircraft requirement.
Team (VAST) and the U.S.
For PJ Helicopters, deciding on a HUMS provider was about more than just technical capabilities. Gunsauls continues, “GPMS’s commitment to customer support has given us the confidence to grow our relationship. From working with them on the STC for the 407 Analog and the UH-60, to
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The record-setting G-force voluntarily experienced by Col. John Stapp when testing forces the human body can survive in early supersonic aviation. He accelerated on an exposed-to-air rocket sled from 0 to 632 mph in 5 seconds. He then braked to 0 mph in 1.4 seconds. Stapp survived (with temporary blindness). He later developed improved harnesses for fighter pilots and lobbied for laws to install seat belts in new cars.
72
The number of flights NASA helicopter Ingenuity completed on Mars before ending its service this past January due to a damaged rotor.
(A critical, planet-wide shortage of Martian mechanics leaves an opening for an Earth-based mechanic who wishes to help. Make a field call to: 18.4°N. 77.5°E, Jezero Crater, Mars 040321.) The little helicopter exceeded expectations by flying Mars missions since April 2021.
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