It all started in 1986 when SKYTRAC was launched as one of the first companies to provide aircraft tracking technology to aerial firefighting, air medical response, and law enforcement operations. Since then, it has pioneered the development, evolution and commercialization of flight following, flight data and communications technology.
Today, the company has evolved into an end-to-end connectivity partner that delivers mission critical capabilities to operators in all segments of aviation, including first responders, militaries, coast guards, aerial firefighting operators, business aviation, commercial airlines, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
A positive leap forward came in 2019 when SKYTRAC became a value-added manufacturer and service provider for the new Iridium Certus brand of high-speed satellite data capabilities. The company is developing best-in-class Iridium Certus satcom terminals that provide any type of aircraft with broadband connectivity while flying anywhere on the planet — including the poles.
“We aren’t simply an Iridium service provider or flight following solution — we leverage globally available connectivity to provide value to customers in key areas of safety and efficiency,” explained Jan Van der Heul, vice president of sales and marketing at SKYTRAC.
Just this year, that connectivity has generated three powerful opportunities.
Airbus selects SKYTRAC
Airbus Helicopters selected SKYTRAC’s SDL-700 satcom system to provide mission critical capabilities for the H160M Joint Light Helicopter French Armed Forces Program.
This state-of-the-art latest generation military helicopter is capable of missions ranging from commando infiltration to air intercept, fire support, and anti-ship warfare, supporting the requirements of all three branches of the French Armed Forces.
“It will be used for army, navy, and air force divisions, and the primary use is communication between themselves and ground-based elements,” Van der Heul said. “Iridium push-to-talk capabilities, aircraft tracking, aircraft data acquisition and forwarding, as well as advanced mission critical capabilities, will be enabled. The satcom system provides a high-speed data link, which is essentially a first for this aircraft. It will enable more data to be sent from the aircraft to the ground and vice versa. There are still some use cases we are unaware of as this is a first-of-its-kind capability for rotorcraft airframes.”
Van der Heul reckoned Airbus chose SKYTRAC due to its past and current work with the manufacturer.
“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Airbus across its fleet,” he said. “And across the helicopter field, SKYTRAC has the lion’s share when it comes to satellite communications.”
SKYTRAC acquires TrooTrax Mission
SKYTRAC also acquired Troo Corporation’s aviation division, including the TrooTrax flight following and Mission platform. The TrooTrax platform provides real-time map-based predictive flight following, mission monitoring, and location intelligence to operational control centers (OCCs) and flight departments around the world.
“TrooTrax was an important acquisition for us,” Van der Heul said. “It enhances our offerings of mission management software. What it does in addition to flight following is offer several overlays like weather and many others simultaneously. For example, operators can upload their flight plan, and even though the weather might be good initially, it offers predictive flight plan adjustments to ensure safe travel.”
Part of TrooTrax’s attractiveness is its seamless integration with SKYTRAC’s satcom systems, and its ability to integrate with third-party satellite communications hardware.
Medical data transmission and telemedicine arrives
As well, Alidaunia S.R.L., a leading Italian air ambulance, charter, and passenger services provider, has enabled SKYTRAC’s medical data transfer and telemedicine capability on board its fleet of Leonardo AW139 and AW169 helicopters.
SKYTRAC has been tracking this market for many years, explained Van der Heul. Patients’ vital signs are typically monitored during air medical flights.
“We are sending that data to the hospital they are flying to, so when they arrive, the physicians already have a complete image of a patient’s status,” Van der Heul said. “This ultimately reduces handover time from air medical crews to receiving centers, saving priceless seconds for what is likely a critical scenario.”
Additionally, Alidaunia has completed another helicopter first — Google Glass imagery so remote physicians can see what is happening in the cabin in real time. Aliduania is an official distributor and installer of SKYTRAC satcom hardware.
SKYTRAC looks ahead
SKYTRAC’s future looks bright as it continues to market in sync with the changing times — the foundation of its success for more than three decades.
“Developments have been accelerating over the past five years and they continue to accelerate,” Van der Heul said. “One of the most exciting is the capabilities provided by the Iridium Certus service — not just for military aircraft, other helicopters, and fixed-wing, but also for UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles].”
He said the company has already had successes in the UAV market with its DLS-100 and IMS-350 solutions.
“The market for that is relatively new, and we are one of the few that have provided the correct product/market customers are seeking,” Van der Heul continued. “Moreover, we’re expanding our capabilities with OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], and there are new opportunities with supersonic aircraft. More and more, a lot of new technology is becoming reality. We’re at a very exciting intersection of all these industries where we can offer what the customer wants, and importantly, continue to work with customers like Airbus and Alidaunia.”
