A TRIAL HELICOPTER OPERATIONS MONITORING PROGRAMME ( HOMP ) Brian

In recent years advances in technical safety of large helicopters have been achieved through the implementation of Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS). These systems have provided improved information on the integrity of the helicopter powertrain. All HUM systems have been introduced on the back of a mandatory requirement to fit Flight Data Recorders (FDRs). Until now, however, the flight data stored in the FDRs has only been used in a reactive manner for the analysis of incidents and accidents. Many airlines operating fixed wing aircraft have adopted a pro-active approach to improving operational safety by analysing flight data on a routine basis to provide better visibility of their operations. This paper describes the trial of a helicopter version of this approach, known as a Helicopter Operations Monitoring Programme (HOMP), with the goal of further improving helicopter operational safety by making better use of the existing FDR data.