The previous installment set the proverbial table so it’s now time to delve deeper as to how recent digital and AI advancements are specifically benefiting business aviation. Of course, before jumping into the “what” and “how”, it’s always important to address the “why”. Why is the AI leap so important to the typical Part 91 or 135 flight department? Why is continuous maintenance compliance (for all) with Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (the FARs) so elusive? Why is predictive maintenance late to the party when it comes to business aviation? Inquiring minds want to know.
If you ask any seasoned (some might say “crusty”) Director of Maintenance, the percentage of private aircraft that are truly 100%, FAR-compliant and they will invariably answer that the number is quite low. How is this even possible in the year 2025? BizAv employs incredibly talented individuals, the aircraft are, for the most part, impeccably maintained and related software tools (Mx-tracking, ERP systems, aircraft records platforms, etc.) are the best they have ever been. The answer is often nuanced, with the good news being that aviation safety is seldom compromised because of improper maintenance compliance. Of course the words “seldom” and “aviation” are not a good combination. A quick search within the NTSB database easily brings this point home.
“Garbage in, garbage out” (GIGO as it’s affectionately called) is a term commonly known when it comes to maintenance tracking applications. Although it’s a rare example, a perfectly-documented logbook entry covering dry film lubricant (DFL) in support of AD compliance, if incorrectly entered by a maintenance tracking analyst, could set off a chain of events that might ultimately lead to blade failure or, worse case, uncontained engine failure. Yes, that’s an extreme example but, as everyone knows, Murphy’s law knows no bounds, especially when it applies to aviation. Enter AI…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of machines or software to perform tasks that typically require structured data, predefined inputs and human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. Even better, Generative AI (Gen AI) is like rocket fuel as it can ingest all types of data (including unstructured data) and deliver much better outcomes by learning from existing data. Modern AI-powered platforms like Bluetail, that rely on purposeful and small language models (SLMs) built from all of the related aircraft records, are already delivering huge productivity gains.
Picture this. To ensure engineering integrity, some aircraft wheels require a non-destructive test (NDT) every 3 times a tire is changed. (Such tests may cost ~$1,000 per wheel.) An aircraft is sitting on the ramp in a remote location and the pilot reports that the tire needs changing. Is a costly, and probably not in stock, wheel assembly also needed? (Mx-tracking is unclear if NDT is required. Ay carumba!) A quick thinking mechanic then performs a simple AI-powered part number search in Bluetail and, voila – previous NDT results are located (it is not needed), the tire is replaced, the $75K revenue flight is saved and the sun breaks through the clouds. Le fin.
Now imagine feeding all requisite aviation compliance data for a specific make and model aircraft into the “Gonculator” – maintenance manual excerpts, the Mx-tracking report, work/task cards, the type certificate data sheets (TCDS) and all historical aircraft records – and then having a Gen AI-assisted platform keeping that aircraft fully compliant, in real time. This isn’t science fiction, it’s demonstrative compliance and it’s happening with modern, intuitive and AI-powered workflow tools offered by companies like Bluetail. Again with the Bluetail!
Beyond compliance, now an operator needs to take an aircraft to a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility (MRO) for a major OEM-mandated inspection. Well before that happens, a maintenance planner at the facility has access to Bluetail’s AI-powered platform and, by using it for deep research, they then prepare a quote for the aircraft owner almost as if it was prepared by someone who has managed the asset for its entire life. Given the time and expense typically associated with major inspections, quote accuracy for the upcoming project now takes on added significance.
How can the broker/dealer community fully leverage this new AI magic? Since they value transparency so much in any given aircraft sales transaction, the answer should be immediately obvious. While most brokers typically have their own “jet whisperer” on speed dial, much of their aircraft records detective work, up until now, was based on manual review, sometimes looking for a needle in the haystack that does not want to be found. (e.g. Damage history that may have been rolled into an STC modification. This can sometimes be tough to spot.) That same SME now has a much better AI-enabled research tool at their immediate disposal – that tool being Bluetail.
That brings us to the holy grail benefit of utilizing AI in aircraft maintenance; specifically, using it and complex data sets to better predict future aircraft servicing and repairs. Commercial aviation has already been making huge productivity gains in this area. (One need look no further than the Airbus Skywise platform.) Given maintenance resources are continually strained and costly in BizAv, predictive maintenance is no longer a nice to have. It’s now an absolute must. While the current BizAv solutions may not be as impactful as Skywise – there are multiple reasons why Part 91/135 dynamics are trickier than Part 121 – suffice it to say that data powered by AI is always a prerequisite for any predictive maintenance solution. Because Bluetail’s platform has an open application programming interface (API), connecting it to a modern predictive analytics platform – like Veryon Analytics – is how such functionality works its way into business aviation.
In the next and final installment we will look at where aircraft maintenance tech and purpose-built AI apps are headed in the next few years. Spoiler alert: Look for the industry to go from a digital “system of record” to a “system of action”. Grab the popcorn folks, it’s going to be an exciting ride!
