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SATELLITE TRACKING
The recent disappearance of Air France Flight 447 over the Atlantic was the latest example of aircraft
which have disappeared with no immediate indication of their whereabouts.
Whilst some of the Air France wreckage has now been located, the critical remains may never be found,
given the length of time between the disappearance of the aircraft and the location of the first signs
of the accident site.
In the recent past, several aircraft have disappeared without trace and have been found days,
weeks or even months later, following extensive search operations which have costs millions of Rands.
More importantly, given the time taken to find the accident site, any chance of survival has long passed.
It is generally-accepted that the best chance for survival is if rescuers can get to the accident site within
an hour (hence the term “the Golden Hour”).
In 1999, a Bell 206B-III helicopter disappeared en route from Pretoria to Knysna.
It was assumed it had gone down in the Knysna forest or had somehow strayed out to sea.
Despite weeks of searching, nothing was found. 7 years later, the wreckage was located,
purely by chance, in the Knysna forest.
In May 2007, a Boeing 737-800 took off from Douala, Cameroon, en route to Nairobi,
and disappeared shortly thereafter. It was 40 hours before the wreck was located.
In March 2008, a Beech 1900D disappeared whilst on a domestic flight in Nigeria.
Despite a major search, no sign of the aircraft was found. The wreckage was located,
6 months later, by a local forest hunter.
In September 2007, Steve Fossett, the American millionaire adventurer,
took off on a private flight from an airstrip in Nevada and disappeared.
One of the most extensive searches in history was mounted, using dozens of aircraft and helicopters,
as well as thousands of volunteers who examined satellite images of vast tracts of land.
Eight previously uncharted aircraft wrecks were found where they had crashed years before,
but no sign of Steve Fossett. His aircraft was eventually found by chance, just over one year
later by a hiker in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California. The aircraft had crashed just 130
kilometers from its departure point.
The estimated cost of the search for Steve Fossett was well over $2,600,000 making it the largest
and most expensive search and rescue effort ever conducted for a person within the USA. It was never
established whether Steve Fossett survived the crash.
Whilst aircraft accidents occur for a variety of reasons – and will continue to do so – the immediate
location of an accident site can significantly improve the chances of survival for those involved.
Furthermore, the expense of search and rescue operations can be reduced by as much as 95% if the aircraft
can be located immediately, relieving a burden on government agencies, air forces and others involved in such
search operations. Perhaps most importantly, the anguish and stress suffered by the families of those
involved can be substantially relieved, even in the event of fatalities, if the aircraft is found timeously,
allowing the bodies of the deceased to be recovered and returned to the families for proper burial.
Given the limited radar coverage in many parts of the world, as well as the number of flights undertaken
in light aircraft in uncontrolled airspace, a satellite tracking system becomes an essential piece of equipment.
By means of a permanently-installed, aviation-certified, satellite tracking system, the whereabouts of
an aircraft can be accurately tracked at all times, irrespective of the terrain or radar coverage.
The Indigo One system, manufactured and certificated in Australia and distributed by IndigoSat South
Africa, provides permanent, real-time tracking of an aircraft. The aircraft may be tracked by multiple
users, as well as the IndigoSat Control Centre.
An Alert function, easily activated by the crew, sends an immediate signal, via satellite, to pre-determined
recipients, whilst placing the unit into “alert” mode, and increasing the frequency of position
reports from the selected interval to a default “alert” internal of 30 seconds.
This means that the position of the aircraft can be accurately followed and, should the worse occur, the
location of the aircraft can be pinpointed to a very small, easily identified, search area.
In addition, the Indigo One features bi-directional communication between the aircraft and ground station,
allowing the crew to communicate the nature of the emergency, request information, receive instructions and
so forth.
In a recent incident in South Africa, an aircraft suffered a mechanical failure and was forced to land in a
remote area. It had been fitted with an Indigo One system. By using the tracking data, the operator was able
to pinpoint the location of the aircraft and, using the communication feature, the crew was able to describe
the problem and request the specific spare parts that were needed. Given the accurate knowledge of the
aircraft’s location, the operator was able to send another aircraft directly to the location, saving
time and fuel.
When fighting broke out in Abeche, Chad, 2 years ago, several aircraft which were en route to Abeche were
recalled, using the communication facility in the Indigo One, before they landed in hostile areas.
The Indigo One system offers many additional features which enable aircraft owners to accurately manage the
operation of their aircraft. Whilst tracking is important, additional benefits include:
- Knowing that the aircraft is not being used without authority
- Accurate recording of flight times and the ability to demonstrate actual flight paths in
the event of billing disputes
- Tracking of maintenance intervals and pre-maintenance preparation/planning
- Integration with back-office billing, crew duty time and other systems
- Feedback on how an aircraft is being operated, not just where – check cruise altitudes,
approach paths and flight routes in real time utilizing IndigoTrack software and
GoogleEarth in 3-D
- Bidirectional communication
The Indigo One hardware, coupled with IndigoTrack software, is a potent management tool for any aircraft
owner which, when fully utilized will result in improved flight efficiency, accurate recording of flight
times and reduced manual data-gathering as well as the obvious benefits of real-time tracking of the aircraft,
whether individually or as part of a large fleet operating throughout the world.
IndigoSat offices in South Africa and Australia may be contacted via www.indigosat.com
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