How HUMS Enhances SMS Programs

Rotor Safety Challenge (RSC)
Tracks: Maintenance, Operations, Pilot, Safety
Instructor: Josh Kethan, GPMS, and Chris Young, Tour Operator Program of Safety

Safety management system (SMS) programs help organizations run more effectively, efficiently, and safely through proactive/predictive risk management. Health and usage monitoring systems (HUMSs) directly support SMS programs through organizational fleet health visibility, improved awareness of issues through automated alerts, and empowerment of everyone to take ownership of safety and risk management through clear and unfiltered communications.

Instructor Bio

Josh Kethan is head of customer success at GPMS. He is a licensed A&P with 19 years of helicopter experience and has worked on many different airframes, including the Bell 206, 407, 427, 430, and 412; the Sikorsky S76; and the Airbus AS350/Eurocopter EC145. He has experience in the oil-and-gas, air ambulance, and commercial air charter industries. Prior to joining GPMS, Josh held roles in field maintenance, quality assurance, training, reliability, tech support, and as the director of maintenance for a Part 135 helicopter operation.

Chris Young is a broker with Pik West Insurance Agency and the executive director of the Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS). He has 30 years of aviation and leadership experience from the US Navy as well as the helicopter air ambulance, aircraft manufacturing, aviation safety, technical publications, and insurance segments, with over 2,900 flight hours as a pilot. He understands the unique complexities that all types of aircraft operators face when implementing risk-management strategies. In addition to brokering insurance, Chris offers practical guidance on safety and quality analyses, hazard assessments, incident investigations, compliance evaluations, and continuous improvement opportunities. He is active in the helicopter safety community as the cochair of the USHST Outreach Team and secretary of the HAI Safety Working Group.