Mustang Helicopters
Flying High with Latitude SkyNode AFF and SatCom System
Case Study Prepared for Rotorhub Magazine
Mustang Helicopters, headquartered in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, serves customers in the famed Alberta oil patch and the region’s mining and forestry industries. As well, Mustang is contracted for medi-vac and SAR work and offers heli-skiing, heli-hiking, and heli-fishing transportation. A part of Coast to Coast Helicopters, Canada’s largest family-owned air fleet with a total of 85 rotor craft, Mustang leads the way through innovation and the integration of new technologies on the flight deck and at ground control, improving safety and better serving its customers.
Mustang chose Latitude Technologies’ SkyNode S200 Iridium voice and tracking system as the company’s standard AFF and full-service satcom platform for installation on Mustang’s fleet of Bell 205, 206, AS350-B2, and MD 500D helicopters. For Mustang, a key concern in selecting its AFF and satcom equipment was the need for highly accurate and reliable tracking – mission-critical for the company’s search and rescue work. When investigating its satcom and tracking platform options, Mustang was very impressed by the features and functionality of the SkyNode line of AFF and satcom devices and by Latitude’s reputation for delivering on its promises.
Mustang is very pleased with the SkyNode S200’s performance. With tracking and other telematics data being logged and mapped by Latitude’s Web Sentinel data-management system, Mustang’s Flightwatch Operations now has continuous access to real-time online display of fleet geo-positioning and operational status. This allows Mustang to more effectively plan jobs and schedule maintenance, including selecting sites for in-field fleet maintenance. The Operations Manager can react quickly to last-minute job changes and other customer service requests. Aircraft positioning can be confirmed and both text and voice updates can be communicated to the pilot via the onboard satphone, which when selected on the coms panel allows the pilot to fly “hands on” while talking thru the headset.
Latitude worked closely with Mustang to develop and deliver a future-proof solution that meets Mustang’s current operational requirements. Mustang has been very pleased with Latitude’s service, noting that Latitude backs up its sales pitch with solid performance.