Computer-Based Maintenance Tracking Flight Training ... - NATA

Computer-Based Maintenance TrackingContinued from page 49Avtrak LLCAvtrak GlobalNetIn 2001, the Littleton, Colo.,-based company introduced AvtrakGlobalNet, a web-based productthat caters to maintenance managementof corporate and ondemandcharter business aircraft.According to Dennis Steinbeck,Avtrak’s vice president, Global-Net was the first Internet-basedmaintenance tracking system forbusiness aircraft and is tied forfirst place with CAMP in termsof registered aircraft. Currently,there are more than 4,200 aircrafton GlobalNet, representing140 different aircraft types andmodels. Of that group, about 95percent are turbine driven.GlobalNet’s design philosophy isone technology, one common interface,which is compatible withany aircraft type and fleet size. Itwas also built for ease of use, evenby those who are not aviationmaintenance technicians.Avtrak, which is available by annualsubscription, offers a singlesource for the maintenance managementof as little as one aircraftup through large fleets with mixedtypes. Subscriptions are not onlymade directly with customers, butindirectly through some aircraftOEMs that will offer the Global-Net technology under their ownprivately branded system. OEMprivate brands account for some25 percent of GlobalNet users todate.All information pertaining to themaintenance status of customers’aircraft is managed by Avtrak andstored on a secure website accessiblevia password.In early 2007, Avtrak addedinventory control and work ordertracking and management capabilities,along with a mobile portalinterface, enabling user accessfrom any mobile wireless device.CAMP SystemsCAMPFor nearly four decades, CampSystems, headquartered at NewYork’s Islip-Long Island Mac-Arthur Airport, has offered itscomputer-based maintenance,planning, scheduling, and trackingsuite to business jet operators.The software debuted at the timethe first Gulfstream II went intoproduction, and this market segmentwas initially targeted. Sincethen, CAMP has been applied toall business aircraft types—fromsmall twin turboprops to BoeingBusiness Jets, as well as standardcommercial airframes configuredas VIP or head-of-state transports.In the late 1990s, the softwaretransitioned from mainframe systemsto the Internet.Subscription costs are predicatedon aircraft type, which factorin size and system complexity.Currently, there are 5,300 aircrafton the CAMP subscription list,representing 130 different aircraftmodels.Backing the website are 75analysts, available for customersupport and located at CAMPSystem’s locations, including theIslip headquarters; Miami, Fla.;Wichita, Kans.; Merrimack, N.H.;and Paris, France. The analystsinclude groups who specialize invarious aircraft models and whoseknowledge base includes the aircraftsystems, an understanding ofeach OEMs maintenance manualstyle, and how to work with it.The analysts are considered tobe an extension of the customer’smaintenance staff.CAMP has been able to accommodatecustomer-scanned orfaxed documents since 2005. Oncetransmitted to the CAMP system,those documents are added to thecustomers’ aircraft maintenancerecords, stored on the CAMP website.Cessna Aircraft CompanyCESCOMWhen Cessna delivered its firstCitation business jet in 1972, itoffered CESCOM as a standardized,computer-based method forowners to create a maintenancelogbook. Today, more than 90 percentof the Citation fleet is maintainedusing CESCOM.CESCOM’s primary function ishelping current Citation operatorsadhere to all maintenance schedulingrequirements of the OEMspecificitems on each aircraft.As an added benefit, it providesan apples-to-apples comparisonfor all subsequent owners of theaircraft, verifying the extent towhich those aircraft have beenmaintained in accordance withthe OEM’s standards.CESCOM, which is available byannual subscription per coveredaircraft, is an Internet-based serviceusing a secure website. Thesite is completely integrated withthe Citation Service Center network,along with Cessna’s publications,reliability engineering, andmaintenance engineering departments.CESCOM allows automatic entryof maintenance log data, eliminatingthe need for manual paperworkentries. In February, Cessnaadded the Fleet Dashboard Report,which provides a snapshot ofevery aircraft in the fleet, showingits current maintenance status. Asa result, CESCOM subscribers cannot only view the maintenancestatus of their aircraft but willsee an itemized list of tasks duewithin the next 14 days.Currently, Cessna is updatingthe system to comply with apolicy to transition all Citations toan MSG-3 maintenance plan. Thisis projected to increase up timeand lower maintenance costs,given CESCOM’s fleet-wide trendContinued on page 5250 Aviation Business Journal | 3 rd Quarter 2007