of regulatory, airframe, engine and accessory service information into inspection checklists. At the top of the scale, users can opt to contract with the program provider for an additional layer of oversight in the form of an experienced, FAA-certified airframe and powerplant (A&P) technician. These aircraft savvy experts (AvTrak calls them compliance specialists) can be added to each user’s menu of services on a temporary, part-time or full-time basis. One of the main advantages these maintenance tracking programs offer is record-keeping. When a government inspector asks a MRO provider or repair station for evidence of compliance in accordance with the company operations manual, a serial number or the date a component was installed on a customer’s airplane, these programs provide answers. Search filters in most electronic maintenance tracking and compliance programs enable users to pull out the appropriate records in just seconds. But the world changed in 1947 when Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley invented the first transistor. This discovery and the resultant explosion of solid-state electronic technologies laid the foundation for the systems that revolutionized the MRO sector. One of those systems was invented by Michael Lentini, a computer software engineer and small MRO shop owner. Feeling that he was spending too much time doing pencil and paper record keeping, Lentini began to look for a computer-based alternative, only to discover that there was no maintenance tracking software programs available for small operations. Instead of picking the pencil and paper back up, Lentini convinced partner Eric Baal to drop out of college to write aviation maintenance software. This soon led to the establishment of Datco Media and its EBis program – a pioneer in integrated aviation maintenance software programs. Today, there are a number of maintenance tracking and planning programs and software solutions available from such companies as AvTrak, CAMP, EBis, Corridor, Component Controls, TData, Skybooks, QAV Systems, and TotalFBO – each offer-
ing integrated tasks to simplify management chores in the MRO and repair station business. Each of these programs includes common business tasks, such as inventory control and basic maintenance tracking. Others go much further with modules that generate task cards, maintain customer data bases, track tool calibration status and rotable parts date windows, maintain inventories and track parts ordering, prepare estimates, track parts used and man-hours per job and technician, maintain a comprehensive maintenance calendar for fleet or customer aircraft, alert maintenance personnel to upcoming due list and MEL items, and integrate with other modules for flight scheduling and engine condition monitoring. Further, many synch with other programs. For instance, EBis opted to tie in to Quicken, the provider of a widely used business accounting software package, to provide users with such financial data as accounts receivable, payable records and customer billing. AvTrak and CAMP are the leaders in the business aircraft world. Each offers a smorgasbord of services that can be tailored to fit every customer’s needs. A sample of services includes automatically incorporating updates BART: FEBRUARY - APRIL - 2012 - 67