Aerotech Group has completed the installation of Foresight MX HUMS on one of its UH-60 Black Hawks, and it has placed a follow-on order with options for additional aircraft.

Based in Adelaide, Aerotech operates a fleet of fixed and rotary aircraft performing agricultural, utility and firefighting missions. "For nearly 60 years, we've been proud to service our customers both in South Australia and around the world," says managing director Sam McCabe. "But providing our aerial assets to the South Australian County Fire Service (CFS) is sacred to us, as most of our employees, friends and families are protected by its incredible efforts."

Based on key findings from the Bushfires Royal Commission, Aerotech has purchased six Black Hawks to provide Australia with the permanent Type 1 helicopter firefighting capability that's required to support the ever-increasing bushfire threats around the country. McCabe continues: "We're proud to be the first and only Australian operator of VH-registered Black Hawks. Their speed, superior water-drop capability and ruggedness make them the perfect platform for this critical responsibility."

HOFO Chris Boyd says maximising the availability of its Black Hawks in support of the CFS mission was a big reason why it decided to invest in HUMS. "Being in Australia, especially with former military aircraft, getting parts when we're AOG can be very difficult. Every hour that we're down can put homes and lives at risk. We knew we had to move from being reactive to unscheduled maintenance events, to proactive and predictive, and there's only one way to really do it. And that's with Foresight MX HUMS."

Health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) utilise vibration monitoring and other capabilities to analyse and trend the health of aircraft and engine components. With the advanced capabilities of GPMS's Foresight MX HUMS it goes much further, by not only identifying negative issues earlier than legacy HUMS, but with its advanced sensors and predictive analytics, it can notify operators more than 100 hours ahead of a chip light.

"Most civil operated Blackhawks are no longer supported by the OEM, placing big responsibilities on the operators," says Ronnie Ries, vice president of marketing at GPMS. "To maximise availability, they're planning their supply chain out not in months, but in years. This is where Foresight MX can help. By identifying issues when they're at a bearing level instead of a gearbox, the availability of parts is greater, replacement costs are lower and the time to get the birds back in the air is significantly faster. Add in the remote monitoring capabilities, and operators like Aerotech will have a better view of the health of their fleet, no matter where they are in Australia or even around the world.

"Aerotech is a leader in aerial firefighting in Australia, and we're proud to provide HUMS monitoring for its fleet. Its continued investment in technology, training and, most importantly, safety are why it continues to win contracts, but its leadership and its culture are why it's so successful and it continues to grow. And we're looking forward to growing with it."