BEFORE A nearly original 1972 Huey instrument panel PacWest Helicopters pacwesthelicopters.com * Redding, California Number of employees: 12 Installers/technicians involved with the project: * Barry Spyres (lead technician) * Roger Umstead (technician) * Aaron Umstead (structural) * Dan Wheeler (avionics supervisor) Aircraft type: Bell UH-1H Huey What was the objective of the project? To increase mission capability while improving operational safety and reliability. What date was the project started? November 2015 What date was the project completed? September 2016 some scheduling conflicts due to the scope of work being performed on the aircraft. What makes this installation unique? The scope of the work performed included new avionics, engine instrumentation, rescue hoist, and fire attack/suppression systems. These upgrades and modifications were carried out concurrently with major airframe structural repairs/modifications, dynamic component repairs, and complete airframe stripping and custom painting. How did you resolve these problems? We worked to maintain an open dialogue with the customer and equipment manufacturers to ensure the final product worked as advertised and met customer expectations. We coordinated technician access to aircraft to minimize conflicts where possible. Did you encounter any problems while working on the project? We experienced a few minor system integration issues and Did you learn anything from this project? When dealing with a 40-plus-yearold aircraft and associated original wiring, there is not much that is acceptable to remain in service. In spite of the aircraft being 85 percent rewired during this project, it would have been more efficient to have completed a 100 percent rewire of the aircraft. What was the customer's response? The customer was impressed with the attention to detail and effort that led to a finished product that met their expectations. Additional comments? Preplanning and requisition of equipment and parts prior to aircraft arrival is critical to the success of a project of this scope. q AFTER The finished product shows completely upgraded avionics, instruments and mission equipment to meet evolving operational requirements. AVIONICS NEWS * MAY 2017 63http://www.pacwesthelicopters.com