Helicopters Magazine

News
Bell, GPMS achieve Foresight MX HUMS FAA STC for the Bell 407 Analog

March 8, 2023  By Helicopters Staff


Team members from Bell and GPMS celebrate Foresight MX HUMS FAA STC for the Bell 407 Analog. (Photo: Bell Textron)

GPMS International and Bell Textron earned a Supplemental Type Certificate from the FAA for Foresight MX Health and Usage Monitoring System on the Bell 407 Analog platform. PJ Helicopters, a utility operator in California, assisted in the certification process to introduce Foresight MX HUMS into its operations.

“PJ Helicopters is one of the largest and most respected utility operators in the United States, and Bell is proud that they’ve selected Foresight MX and is excited to see this helicopter operator take the lead in adopting this advanced and lightweight HUMS,” says Bret Finney, Bell Manager of Aftermarket Sales. “PJ Helicopters’ assistance in the certification process was extremely valuable, and thanks to their help, nearly 1000 Bell 407 Analogs operating around the world can now benefit from Foresight’s comprehensive and predictive HUMS capabilities.”

Certification on the Bell 407 GX/GXP/GXi platform was previously announced in January 2019. Bell explains this new milestone is an important STC for operators of the Bell 407 Analog platform, which is widely used in public safety missions and by customers in utility, powerline, and construction operations. Bell explains these missions and operations often include “low and slow” flight regimes where aircraft performance, reliability, and safety are critical.

“Our 15 Bell 407s are the workhorses of our fleet. With Foresight MX, we now have valuable insight into the performance and health of our aircraft and their components,” said David McCammon, Director of Operations, PJ Helicopters. “It’ll allow us to further enhance the safety of operations and reduce our direct operating costs.”

Advertisement

“We are very impressed by Bell’s commitment to improve their customer’s support and experience,” said Ronnie Ries, GPMS VP of Marketing. “With the latest STC, over 1600 factory-delivered Bell 407s can receive the benefits of Foresight’s advanced analytics. With deep insights into the health, trends, and predicted remaining useful life of components, Bell’s recognized product support is further enhanced, and customers will benefit from increased aircraft availability and lower DOCs.”

Advertisement

Stories continue below