Sikorsky360(TM) Gives Operators Competitive Edge
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PARIS, June 21 / / - Operators of the Sikorsky S-92(R) helicopter are not only flying one of the most advanced helicopters in the world, but they are also being supported by the industry's most advanced fleet management program, Sikorsky360(TM). Sikorsky Aircraft, based in Stratford, Conn., is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
"The idea behind Sikorsky360 is to bring all our expertise together along with every piece of data about how our helicopters are performing in the real world," said David Adler, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Customer Service. "We can gather, analyze and dissect flight operations, maintenance, the use and health of individual systems, parts availability - virtually anything an operator needs to know. The result is increased availability at lower costs."
The heart of the Sikorsky360(TM) program is the newly created Fleet Management Operations Center (FMOC) located in Trumbull, Connecticut. Experts from Customer Support and engineering disciplines work together gathering and analyzing real-time aircraft data. They can then establish trends, identify problems and recommend actions before an issue affects aircraft operation. The Fleet Management process has identified over 30% direct maintenance cost savings to date based on design and supportability improvements.
"What we've done is transform our customer support function from one that reacts to a field problem to one that can foresee and predict issues, guaranteeing S-92 operators mission readiness," Adler said.
A key feature is a single portal that operators can use to access data and trend analyses not just on their own helicopters, but on the whole fleet. "Operators automatically get a monthly trend analysis of the entire S-92 fleet so they can see how their operations compare with the rest of the fleet."
Sikorsky360(TM) uses the existing Goodrich Health and Usage and Monitoring System used on the S-92. In addition, Sikorsky has just reached an agreement with Flightscape to install its Flight Data Monitoring capability that will further enhance data collection and analysis.
Sikorsky360(TM) is initially aimed at the S-92 fleet and will be incorporated into the S-76D(TM), but the idea behind it is far reaching.
"This is really an example of how you can improve your fleet's operations. The lessons we are learning on the S-92 can be extended to any commercial or military fleet," Adler said.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacturing, and service. The company's long commitment to safety and innovation is reflected in its mission statement: "We pioneer flight solutions that bring people home everywhere ... every time(TM)." United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.
Source: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
Web site: http://www.sikorsky.com/
