FAA Approved S-76A In-Flight Power Assurance and Trending Procedure

Commercial helicopters operating under Federal Airworthiness Regulation (FAR) Part 29 are required by Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Special Conditions to have a means of determining that the full engine power level for which the aircraft certification was obtained is available prior to initiating a revenue flight, thereby assuring published aircraft performance. Until recently this requirement was met by conducting a daily power check on the ground prior to take-off. This check imposed a hardship on the helicopter operator requiring a loss in operational time, passenger discomfort, and cancellation of revenue flights. Additionally, data scatter resulting from the ground check environment could result in the removal of engines which were in fact capable of producing required power adding significantly to the operator's maintenance burden.