PlaneConnectTM, the maintenance data link Gulfstream Aerospace introduced in September 2007, has transmitted 10,000 downlinks to Gulfstream Technical Operations in just nine months.
PlaneConnect automatically relays messages generated by the Crew Alerting System (CAS) and Central Maintenance Computer (CMC) on airborne aircraft to operation centers on the ground and then via e-mail to operators. Technicians use that information to assess the aircraft’s maintenance requirements, allowing them to arrange for parts or service personnel to be readily available before the aircraft lands.
Approximately 135 large-cabin Gulfstream aircraft operators use PlaneConnect. Of those, about 90 percent choose to have the information sent to Gulfstream Technical Operations in addition to their own flight departments.
At Gulfstream, a computer analyzes and prioritizes the messages. Those that may result in an Aircraft on the Ground (AOG) situation once the jet lands automatically generate priority e-mails to the appropriate Gulfstream field service representative and Technical Operations staff. This real-time reporting increases safety and reduces maintenance times.
“The automatic transmission of messages at the aircraft’s top of descent streamlines the maintenance process,” said Mark Burns, president, Product Support, Gulfstream. “It gives technicians on the ground time to assess the situation and order possible parts. By analyzing the PlaneConnect database, Technical Operations staff can evaluate the messages to determine if they hint at a problem that may not have been evident to the flight crew and to see whether the issue is an isolated incident or a fleet concern.”
PlaneConnect is part of the PlaneView® Certification Delta software package, which features Honeywell’s Primus Epic avionics suite. It can be enabled at no cost on in-service G550, G500, G450 and G350 aircraft while incorporating the Certification Delta upgrade.