Global Medical Response (GMR) has selected SkyTrac Systems, a satellite communications and intelligent connectivity solutions provider, to implement fleet-harmonised satellite airtime and mission-critical capabilities to its 381 rotary wing aircraft.

The fleet upgrade programme, spanning more than a dozen airframes, will harmonise onboard satcoms equipment and key mission-critical inflight capabilities to ensure reliable, streamlined flight operations across the fleet. With 379 air bases and over 500 fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft in operation around the world, SkyTrac’s fleet harmonisation will provide significant boosts in efficiencies and safety to GMR’s flight operations, maintenance and medical teams.

To support the upgrade programme, SkyTrac will equip 381 rotorcraft including airframes such as the Bell 206, Bell 407, Airbus EC130, Airbus EC135, Airbus EC145, Airbus EC155, Airbus AS350, Leonardo AW109 and Leonardo AW119.

“In evaluating our options, SkyTrac had the greatest breadth of solutions and engineering expertise required for our fleet upgrade programme,” says GMR maintenance VP Josh Brannon. “With advanced capabilities such as medical data transfer, automated FDM data offloading and state-of-the-art OCC software for flight following and mission management, it was a straightforward decision to select a partner that provided us with modern, innovative solutions that further enhance our leadership in quality medical care and flight safety.”

The upgrade programme will enable mission-critical capabilities including automated flight following (AFF) and mission management, voice and text-based messaging, satellite Push-to-Talk (PTT), SAFR flight data monitoring and onboard connectivity for medical devices and EFB applications through satellite and cellular networks.

GMR will leverage SkyTrac’s SkyWeb platform for automated flight following and mission management to mitigate flight risk and visualise weather conditions for increased situational awareness and flight safety. The platform will allow OCCs to communicate with fleets, monitor aircraft, configure equipment, run flight reports and manage fleet-wide efficiencies.

GMR will also enable powerful FDM capabilities through SkyTrac’s SAFR FDM suite and HD cockpit camera for discreet audio and video recording. In addition to the acquisition and analysis of flight data for effective pilot training programmes, GMR will gain automated post-flight data downloading capabilities through cellular 4G/LTE networks to eliminate the need for manual data retrieval. After data has been uploaded to GMR ground stations, flight data teams can visualise data in easy-to-view dashboards with real-time 2D and 3D playback for deeper insights into their operations.

These capabilities will be enabled by SkyTrac’s ISAT-200A and SkyLink 7100 satellite communication terminals for narrowband and midband satellite and 4G/LTE cellular connectivity. The SkyTrac cockpit display panel and dispatch voice interface and next generation ultra-slim touchscreen multitouch controller 100 will be used in the cockpit and cabin for connecting air and ground crews as well as medical professionals through voice and text-based communications.