According to the National Transportation Safety Board's 'Most Wanted List', it is a best-practice recommendation to capture and analyse aircraft flight data using a flight data monitoring (FDM) programme. That's why the Air Charter Safety Foundation, a non-profit aviation safety organisation whose mission is to improve the safety of air charter and private aviation flights, is launching a brand new flight data monitoring programme for its member companies.

According to ACSF president Bryan Burns, implementing an FDM programme is the next logical step for aircraft operators who also use a safety management system (SMS) and are active members of the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP).

In the process, the ACSF will serve as a third party FDM advisor and educational resource for its members, in a similar capacity to how it facilitates each member's ASAP.

“If something goes awry, FDM's data-driven, post-flight feedback tells you what the aircraft did during a flight, while a post-flight ASAP report will explain why it happened,” says Burns. “The two programmes go hand in hand.”

To offer a turnkey FDM solution, the ACSF is teaming up with aviation technology innovators AirSync and CloudAhoy. AirSync will provide members FDM access with flight data collection hardware and connectivity, while CloudAhoy will provide its P-FOQA software for flight data analysis.

“For a long time, FDM programmes have been accessible mostly to medium to large cabin aircraft operators,” says ACSF director of safety Frank Raymond. “This limitation leaves operators of piston, turboprop and light jets (who may not have built-in technology) without a cost effective solution. By partnering with CloudAhoy and AirSync, we'll provide the benefits of FDM at a much lower cost.”

As a part of this FDM effort, the ACSF began a beta test with three member companies. As a result, the ACSF will support its members in launching an FDM of their own. For example, the ACSF team is able to:

- Assist flight departments in determining the necessary FDM programme scope.

- Help members source available FDM hardware and software solutions with AirSync and CloudAhoy (or other partners, as needed).

- Educate the member's staff regarding the non-punitive nature of an FDM programme.

- Analyse routine flight data captured from aircraft systems to improve safety performance, and, as well, analyse all de-identified member data.

- Provide an FDM programme manual and a section on FDM for their flight/general operations manual.

- Discuss quarterly reports highlighting the member's FDM performance benchmarked with ACSF aggregate data information.

- Help address systemic issues identified through FDM.

- Share trends to help improve safety events and incidents.

CloudAhoy founder and CEO Chuck Shavit says: “By providing ACSF members with CloudAhoy's P-FOQA, pilots will receive immediate feedback after every flight, highlighting safety and proficiency topics. P-FOQA will also enable ACSF safety personnel to aggregate anonymised data across multiple operators, to identify trends, and to improve flight safety across the board.”

“AirSync is excited to partner with the ACSF to deliver practical and cost-effective FDM capabilities to smaller aviation organisations,” adds director Jason Harris. “In particular, Part 135 operators will be able to significantly enhance their safety by increasing efficiency and automating flight ops, maintenance and training.”

All third party products and services available to ACSF members are subject to the terms and conditions of the third party providers, and these providers are solely responsible for their delivery of the product or service.