In the years since Savvy Aircraft Maintenance Management (SAMM) (January 2009 Aviation Consumer) brought managed aircraft maintenance from the turbine to the owner-flown piston world, the company’s practice of analyzing the engine monitor data of its clients has resulted in the collection of a massive database. According to company founder Mike Busch, it has the engine data from more than 600,000 flights.
Although engine monitors were originally developed to help pilots lean their engines in flight, the parameters they collect include extensive information on the operational health of the engines. SAMM has been using the data to diagnose problems in its customers’ airplanes—to catch developing issues before they become expensive.