Donecle and AAR will work together to use Donecle’s automated drone solution to improve the efficiency and reliability of visual inspections during base maintenance.
The drones will assist general visual inspections on both Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. AAR is Donecle’s first MRO customer in the U. S. and the first one to use the drone operationally on the Boeing 737.
Following prior tests in its facilities, AAR chose Donecle’s automated drone solution for visual inspections of the narrowbody aircraft it maintains in Miami, Fla. Donecle has also recently delivered the latest release of its software which includes updated advanced analysis algorithms for defect detection. With this updated software, Donecle says inspectors can easily perform aircraft inspections. Damage as small as 1mm² can be detected on the images and are precisely positioned relative to airframe structural elements, for a better assessment of the criticality of the defect. This leads to better planning on subsequent maintenance job cards. Reports are then automatically generated and stored on Donecle’s cloud for full traceability.
“We are very proud to support AAR in its innovation process aiming at better serving its customers and keeping its position as a leading independent MRO in the USA and worldwide, while contributing to its internal digitization process,” says Josselin Bequet, CEO and co-founder at Donecle.
Donecle says they are confident the solution will save time and workload and can also contribute to increased worker’ safety by reducing the requirement to work at significant heights to perform inspections. With Donecle, operators monitor the drone’s mission directly from the ground.
“As part of our continuing commitment to driving real business value using emerging technology, AAR is excited about this new partnership and the capabilities Donecle brings,” says Matthew Kammerait, director digital product management, AAR. “We will continue to look for ways to drive efficiencies and maximize the value of our skilled labor and look forward to continued partnership from OEM’s and regulators in maximizing the value these technologies can create.”