Ultramain Systems' efbTechLogs™ Achieves Aviation First on KLM Boeing 777-300ER

Albuquerque, NM, USA – 2008-12-02KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. This milestone was celebrated at a delivery and naming ceremony held in Seattle. On Wednesday, February 13, the new Boeing 777-300ER bearing registration PH-BVA - the first of its kind registered in the Netherlands - will land as flight KL7461 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and take part in a welcoming ceremony. The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will complement KLM's existing fleet of 15 B777-200ERs, the shorter version of the B777. KLM has aligned the configuration and specification of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with Air France which has operated this aircraft type since May 2004. The 777-300ER delivered to KLM is the first eEnabled aircraft delivered by Boeing to any customer. As such it is equipped with Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) computers in the cockpit, one for the pilot and one for the copilot, both connected to a Network File Server (NFS) with air-to-ground data communications capability. During the delivery flight from Seattle to Amsterdam on Feb 13, 2008, KLM pilots made the first ever electronic tech log air-to-ground data transmissions from EFBs using Ultramain Systems efbTechLogs software. "The software worked as advertised". It was the first ever electronic tech log transmissions by an airline. efbTechLogs is a new class of software that operates onboard aircraft on EFB hardware. It fully replaces the traditional paper tech log thereby allowing flight crews to electronically and accurately report defects in real time to ground engineers while airborne. Such transmissions replace the paper tech log so no paper writeups are needed then or later. "For years airlines have communicated defect information to ground engineers while airborne, about selected problems, but such snippet transmissions, either done verbally or using the FMS, do not replace the regulatory required paper tech log. Unfortunately they create secondary tracking systems that must ultimately be recorded on the paper log. While such practices are well intended, they only increase needed coordination, tracking requirements and the opportunity to miss important writeups", said Tim Spears, Director of Ultramain Systems’ Onboard Systems division. "efbTechLogs is different in that it becomes the primary tracking system which replaces the need for paper altogether. It allows timelier and more accurate reporting of faults. Maintenance engineers can be waiting for the aircraft with a part instead of a pen. Maintenance delays go down and asset utilization goes up, which is where savings are created." "In a test Ultramain Systems conducted in 2005 we successfully transmitted tech log data from a Boeing aircraft airborne over the South China Sea to our servers in Albuquerque, NM, USA done in conjunction with Cathay Pacific Airways" said Mark McCausland, President of Ultramain Systems. "However those transmissions were accomplished by the technology developer, Ultramain Systems, in an early test phase of data transmission capability and not by a real airline using their own aircraft with fully operational tech log software, which is what KLM achieved during their delivery flight using efbTechLogs." "I have no doubt that KLM will achieve other aviation firsts pertaining to electronic tech log software including first operational use carrying passengers and first authorization received for paperless use from a regulatory authority", said McCausland. "KLM has a history of innovation and leadership in aviation and Ultramain Systems is proud to be a part of it." For more information, please contact Ultramain Systems at info@ultramain.com Phone: +01-505-828-9000