ZOLEO Improves Communication for Helicopter Crews
Overview
With a fleet of 10 aircraft based on Vancouver Island, 49 North Helicopters Ltd., operates year-round transporting passengers and provides services like sightseeing, aerial photography, heli-skiing, fire suppression and search and rescue. It also provides training for student pilots. As an aviation ‘jack-of-all-trades’, 49 North Helicopters serves customers throughout British Columbia and often operates beyond the reach of cellular coverage.
ZOLEO was far more affordable to purchase and operate in comparison to the other satellite communication devices we looked at.
Bastian Fleury
Pilot Instructor, 49 North Helicopters
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Connect with an ExpertChallenge
Operating helicopters in mountainous regions comes with high costs and safety demands. 49 North Helicopters relied on FM radios and a competing satellite device, but both were unreliable or overly complex. Inconsistent connectivity made it difficult to coordinate pick-ups, drop-offs, or schedule changes in real time.
Key Challenges:
- Teams experienced FM radio failures in mountainous areas
- Crews used satellite tools that were difficult to operate and inflexible
- The organization faced safety and timing risks during pick-ups and emergency communications
- Communication systems posed significant cost and complexity challenges
Crews sometimes had to resort to relaying instructions at the hangar or in person, wasting valuable mission time and increasing operational risk.
Solution
49 North Helicopters adopted ZOLEO for its reliability, ease of use and affordability. The team now uses shared devices between pilots, with seamless handoff. The ZOLEO Location Share+ add on and app-based messaging improved coordination across aircraft, crews, and support staff.
Key Benefits:
- Shared ZOLEO units rotated between shifts and pilots
- Easy pairing with smartphones via the ZOLEO app
- Messages received instantly, even in remote valleys
- Cost savings from flexible plans and suspended devices off-season
Outcome
Today, 49 North Helicopters has a ZOLEO device assigned to each aircraft they operate so they’re always connected. No matter which helicopter a pilot is flying, they can open the ZOLEO app and connect to a ZOLEO device in under a minute before taking off.
If someone requires an early pickup, all they have to do is send a text and we’ll be on our way.
Bastian Fleury
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