Enhancing DON Helicopter Flight Operations Using Available Flight Related Data

With the advent and maturation of varying aircraft monitoring systems and databases, an abundance of flight related data is now routinely available in near real-time. For many years, civil aircraft operators have made use of this data in a variety of ways with the goal of improving safety and enhancing the quality of their flight operations. This process is known as Flight Operations Quality Assurance or FOQA. For the past several years, the Department of the Navy (DON) has been exploring ways to use a similar process to enhance Naval flight operations with a goal of reducing mishap rates and improving operational readiness. This effort has taken on the moniker MFOQA – Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance. This paper describes the efforts and the results of the DON MFOQA Demonstration Project to make use of aircraft flight data, maintenance systems data, and logistics data to enhance the safety, flight operations, aircraft maintenance, aircrew training, at Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron Four One (HSM-41), a Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) at Naval Air Station, North Island, California, whose primary mission is to prepare fleet aviators and aircrew to fly the SH-60B and MH-60R multi-mission helicopter.