Like most other businesses, we have had our fair share of obstacles and challenges to overcome this year. However, the continued outstanding work of everyone in the team, including our new additions, plus the trust of our longstanding and new customers, has immensely contributed to QCM’s success in 2023. For this we would like to thank you all.
Below you will find a summary of 2023 from each of our organizations, all of which have experienced positive growth over the past year.
Your QCM Team
December 2023
Bern, Switzerland – Vienna, Austria – Prague, Czech Republic – Lodz, Poland
Training
The QCM Part-147 organization had an impressive run in 2023, maintaining strong growth. A significant milestone was achieving the capability to conduct three Type Ratings trainings simultaneously for the first time.
Our Part-147 approval encompasses three fundamental Maintenance training categories (A1 / B1-1 / B1-3), catering to aviation professionals in mechanics, and in MROs in civil and military aviation sectors. QCM currently also offers 10 approved Aircraft type courses (B1 / B2 / C) primarily in business aviation, serving customers across Switzerland and Europe.
We also expanded the reach of our training with the addition of a second QCM satellite location in Bangkok, Thailand, approved by FOCA, which is primarily focused on fundamental training activities.
Our general training courses are consistently updated with the latest regulatory changes, and our catalog for 2024 reflects our extensive capacity. Due to the high demand for our training, we are pleased to be working with more trainers in the coming year, which will allow us to deliver an even higher volume of trainings in 2024, either inhouse or from our locations in Belp, Switzerland or Vienna, Austria. Additionally, with our distance learning teaching option, we can offer our training courses to aviation professionals based anywhere in the world – this year, we successfully catered to customers as far as New Zealand for the first time!
Our consulting activities maintained a notably positive trajectory, providing critical support to numerous clients in implementing SMS into their operations (Part 145).
I would like to extend my gratitude to our clients and participants for their ongoing trust this past year, and, in particular, to all members of the training department at QCM. Without this team, the growth we experienced this year would not have been possible.
We wish all the members of our community a wonderful Christmas and holiday season, and we look forward to helping even more individuals with our training programs in 2024.
Patrick Sutter
CEO, QCM quality control management AG
Design
2023 has been a huge year for QCM design – our 10-year anniversary since we received our EASA Part 21J Design Organization approval, the strengthening of our team with the addition of new colleagues, 145 new projects started in the last eleven months, and plenty of ideas, opportunities, and quotes for future projects; we have certainly been busy since the beginning of this year.
There have been quite a few highlights, but to bring attention to all of them would require more than one newsletter article! Here are the top features of our year that have simply been icing on the cake:
– Our Team Building & Strategy Day in Prague in October!
An intensive strategy and planning session in the morning, where our team members split into smaller groups to reflect on what has been going well and to identify areas for improvement, before sharing their ideas and thoughts to the whole group.
A Treasure Hunt through the old City of Prague followed the brainstorming, which was a great opportunity to learn about this beautiful city, but also to encourage team building by requiring team members to work together to solve riddles to get to the ‘treasure’!
– Becoming an Authorized Collins Aerospace Dealer for STC Engineering Design support!
This authorization means that QCM design can provide support with all Rockwell Collins equipment and parts and offering the Collins Avionics Service Program CASP to operators.
– Exciting Projects are our Opportunities to Shine!
There have been so many projects this year that it is difficult to pick our favorites: STC certification and installation of the Certus Satcom for the Cessna 525 Citation aircraft types; a complete aircraft interior refurbishment including Honeywell Ovation Select CMS installation and integration on a Bombardier Global; exterior paint scheme certification for a Pilatus PC-12; STC certification and installation of the Ku-SAT 2000 System with Gimbal Antenna and Wi-Fi- Hotspots for the Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft type; our 100th cabin interior project on a Bombardier Global aircraft; the list goes on…
Each project is an occasion for our team members to have the chance to standout and demonstrate our problem-solving abilities and out-of-the-box thinking. I’m very proud of my team and all that we have achieved this year.
With so much going on, we are glad to have a bit of downtime between Christmas and New Year; this will give us the time breathe, to replenish our ‘batteries’, so to say, and to get ready for what 2024 will bring us in challenges and opportunities!
Christian Schusser
CEO, QCM design GmbH
CAMO+
At the end of 2022, the CAMO team was surprised by the departure of two of its senior team members. Having been in the performing phase for some time, this forced us to take a step back into the forming phase. The team was very supportive, and I can proudly say we passed the storming phase and have re-entered the norming and performing phase again. A big thanks goes out to each individual team member who supported me in warmly welcoming the new team members who joined. Together we managed to keep the ship on course and back into calmer waters.
Despite having most aircraft and helicopter types on our approval schedule, we still managed to add 5 new types over the past year. The Helicopter team experienced a significant increase in number of managed helicopters. Also, the Business Jet team and the Turbo Prop team added some new customers, which reflects our team’s strong reputation as being trustworthy, detail-oriented, and hardworking.
We are very proud to have achieved the first certification of a San Marino independent CAMO organization. In the meantime, we have 3 aircraft enrolled in this CAMO organization.
Overall, a big thanks goes out to each member of the CAMO team for their efforts, and to our customers and partners for their on-going trust and support. None of this would have been possible without you. Together, we are ready to soar to new heights in 2024.
Luke Oppliger
CEO, QCM camo plus AG
Flamelab
2023 has once again demonstrated the importance of automated flammability tests within the aviation industry, delivering over 1600 flammability test results to over 35 European customers, with an average lead time of just 26 hours.
With exceptional precision and a 100% repeatability rate due to decreased human factors, and automated analysis, it’s no surprise that QCM Flamelab has an average customer satisfaction rate of 9.5 out of 10, and that we received 10 new DOA acceptances over 2023.
These new acceptances reflect the high trust, reliability and customer satisfaction rate for the fire testing services offered by QCM Flamelab. And we’re just getting started!
Throughout the second half of 2023, we’ve been preparing for the implementation of a new test stand which will allow QCM Flamelab to expand the scope of aviation fire tests offered, in line with our mission to revolutionize the fire testing industry.
The installation of the new stand is expected to be completed in Q1 of 2024, and will result in an operational Oil Burner for Seat Cushion tests, using the newest generation sonic burner. The addition of cameras will allow us to record every single test run and share the data collected with customers, while simultaneously keeping our promise for a 26 hour lead time.
We look forward to turning up the heat on our fire testing again next year!
Jakub Galkiewicz
Laboratory Manager, QCM flamelab