Sensis has completed delivery of automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) ground stations under Phase 2 of the US Federal Aviation Administration's Capstone programme in Alaska.
The US company has also received a contract to provide for remote monitoring of the systems from the Anchorage air traffic control centre.
Dewitt, New York-based Sensis hopes for further orders for its ADS-B ground-based transceiver (GBT), which uses the universal access transceiver (UAT) datalink, under a planned Phase 3 state-wide expansion of Capstone. The company has delivered 78 GBTs to Capstone and the FAA's Safe Flight 21 programme.
Under the Capstone programme to reduce aircraft accidents in areas of Alaska where terrain and weather are challenging and radar coverage non-existent, ADS-B is used for position determination, as well as the broadcast of traffic, graphical weather and other aeronautical data to 81 aircraft with UAT datalinks under Phase 2.
Sensis says some of the Alaskan GBT locations are so remote that a five-day supply of food is stored at the site. Technicians are dropped off as close to the site as possible by aircraft and armed for protection against wildlife. The new software will allow remote monitoring and reconfiguring of the transceivers.
* The Alaska Department of the Interior is equipping 28 aircraft with Iridium satellite data terminals, provided by Infosat Communications, to allow automatic flight following via the web-based tracking system used by the US Forest Service.
Source: Flight International
