DS&S’s CoreWing sends crew-entered technical data via cellphone network
MyTravel Airways is to be launch customer for a new product that extends the paperless-cockpit concept into post-flight technical logs. CoreWing is an electronic technical log devised by Rolls-Royce’s engine health monitoring business Data Systems & Solutions (DS&S) that accepts crew-entered data via a tablet computer and transmits it to airline and third-party maintenance organisations.
The computer is a Panasonic Toughbook CF18, also usable as a Class 1 electronic flight bag that MyTravel will also be introducing, and the data can be transmitted cheaply via the GSM/GPRS networks used by mobile telephones. DS&S claims the system cuts the costs associated with paper technical logs by 40%.
UK leisure carrier MyTravel had to obtain UK Civil Aviation Authority approval to use the system and has run an in-service trial covering 15,000 sectors, in which it says no data was lost.
Director of flight operations Steve Solomon says the regulator was initially worried about data fidelity and failure situations, but became enthusiastic. “There was incredulity that we were even going to look at it,” he says. “But now the local office has gone from a position of standing in front of us holding us back to pushing us forward.”
Solomon says: “MyTravel is an industry leader in streamlining aircraft operations through the use of information technology. This will help us improve our operational efficiency and will enable us to remove all technical log paper from the cockpit.” He adds: “Having this information available in real time means we will be able to improve our customers’ experience with even better on-time performance.”
Solomon also likes the cheap cellphone transmission process, which does not require ACARS or a VHF datalink.
KIERAN DALY / MANCHESTER
Source: Flight International
