Gulfstream has opened a 55sq m In-Flight Support Center (IFSC) at its Savannah, Georgia, Service Centre.
Designed to help the company’s Technical Operations department troubleshoot inflight situations faster, the 24 hour call centre is staffed with more than 40 technical/system specialists able to support Gulfstream operators. The centre features three interactive graphical flightdeck simulators, complemented by a projector, a 3m projection screen and two 117cm high-definition monitors equipped with fleet-tracking software.
The IFSC houses three FlightSafety International manufactured cubical sized simulators equipped with between 10 and 12 LCD touch screen monitors. Those monitors will carry readings from the aircraft’s cockpit, instrument panel and pedestal, offering a similar tactile experience to that found in a much larger, full motion simulator. Using the simulators, technical specialists will be able to induce the faults into the simulator to mirror what is happening to a troubled aircraft in flight.
The new IFSC replaces the older system of pilots reading what they see on the central maintenance computer (CMC) screen and a Technical Operations member prompting them to make specific selections in order to troubleshoot problems on board the aircraft. Gulfstream technical operations manager, David Snively, said the introduction of the IFSC would be able to “replicate or closely recreate what the pilot sees and experiences for virtually every aircraft system”.
