Questions
1. What is a HOMP/FOQA program?
2. Why is HOMP/FOQA important and what do I need to implement a program?
3. Who uses HOMP/FOQA?
4. What if ALERTS is not STC’d for my aircraft?

Answers
What is a HOMP/FOQA program?
HOMP (Helicopter Operations Monitoring Program) and FOQA (Flight Operations Quality Assurance) are programs designed to give you enhanced information about your flight operations. FOQA has been around for several decades and is widely used in the airline industry; however it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that HOMP began to see use in the helicopter industry. Until recently, HOMP/FOQA programs in light and legacy aircraft were virtually non-existent. The foundations for an effective FOQA program include a device to gather flight data on the aircraft, a means to access that data and a method for analyzing the data. After the flight data is captured and analyzed, the operator is able to:

• Improve pilot compliance with standard operating procedures.
• Measure and minimize risk levels.
• Reduce cost.

Why is a HOMP/FOQA program important for my operations, and what do I need to implement one?
FOQA programs play a major role in tracking and improving the overall safety performance of aircraft operations and are one of the key recommendations from the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) to reduce the helicopter accident rate by 80% by 2016. ALERTS is a comprehensive FOQA solution able to accurately track and analyze trends and incidents over the long-term. The resulting data can then be used to identify dangerous or costly practices and further to revise training and operating procedures to minimize those risks. The bottom line is that FOQA programs are important because they improve training and safety and can also reduce operational costs.

ALERTS has been designed as a turn-key solution for your HOMP/FOQA needs. We offer you all the components needed at the markets’ most affordable price and even host the flight information for you, thus eliminating the need for costly IT infrastructure. ALERTS is easily customized to identify the information that is important to your organization and to provide you the tools to easily manage your flight data.

Who uses HOMP/FOQA?
FOQA programs are in use by organizations around the world, from commercial airliners to off-shore helicopter operators and military applications, and are an important and growing aspect of aviation safety. However, until the release of Appareo’s ALERTS system, the hardware and software required to operate effective FOQA programs have been out of reach of most operators due to the cost, complexity and size of the equipment. With ALERTS, any operator can implement an effective FOQA system.

What if ALERTS is not STC’d for my aircraft?
Appareo Systems is continually pursuing STCs on additional models of aircraft. However, if you wish to install the GAU 2000 recorder on your aircraft without a STC, we can assist you in obtaining approval from the appropriate regulatory agency. Since the recorder does not transmit data and is so unobtrusive to your aircraft we have had tremendous success in having the GAU 2000 approved for use in widely varied aircraft.