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FLIGHT DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT Mario Pierobon is a safety management consultant and content producer. He currently is working on a research project investigating aircraft ground handling safety. Contact him via marioprbn@gmail.com
Better Understanding BizAv Maintenance Tracking Software Big Data is offering new opportunities. In this two-part article, Mario Pierobon speaks to industry experts about the main features of maintenance tracking software, how it helps to satisfy regulatory requirements, and its recent and future developments… usiness aircraft maintenance tracking has become increasingly automated. New efficiencies have been generated, and in particular the work of maintenance planners has been simplified and the predictability of maintenance increased. When it comes to business aircraft maintenance there are several providers of software solutions, as well as some providers who offer software coupled with a service. This is a major distinction. The software-only providers in essence offer more of a ‘do-it-yourself’ solution, while the other providers include services which help ensure data accuracy and that aircraft are being maintained to the approved maintenance programs, notes Mark Steinbeck, president of Traxxall. “In Business Aviation the maintenance tracking service providers notify operators when new airworthiness directives (ADs) and new service bulletins (SBs) are issued, and when the original
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92 Vol 24 Issue 10 2020 AVBUYER MAGAZINE
equipment manufacturers (OEMs) revise their maintenance programs,” he says. “Not only do they notify the operators…but often they make the adjustments to the aircraft for the customer, so operators are ensured they are always operating to the latest standards.”
Airline vs Business Aircraft Software: The Differences
Airline and business aircraft maintenance software are similar in their functionalities, particularly in relation to major maintenance, but when it comes to line maintenance the differences are more marked. “This has to do primarily with the way Business Aviation is run, whereby schedules are firmed-up as close as four hours before flight,” Saravanan Rajarajan, head of Solution Consulting at Ramco Aviation Solutions, says. “This poses challenges on scheduling the maintenance crew and positioning the right parts at the right time and right location. Changing flight schedules and minimum equipment list www.AVBUYER.com
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