Investing in the safety of NZ pilots

Partnership heralds commitment to pilot safety

Aircraft tracking solutions company spidertracks has teamed up with Airways NZ and Lynne Erceg to support the safety of general aviation (GA) pilots in New Zealand. Together they are subsidising the purchase and subscription costs of spidertracks’ satellite tracking devices for owners of New Zealand-registered aircraft.

Spidertracks uses GPS positions points transmitted via the Iridum satellite network to create a track of an aircraft’s flight, which is viewed over the internet. The flight can be followed in real-time and ensures the whereabouts – position, altitude, direction and speed, of an aircraft is known at all times. The system can actively monitor flights acting as a flight following tool for all pilots.
The limited time special offer recognises the important role the latest aircraft tracking technology can play in pilot safety by providing a flight following capability.

“Airways has a clear mandate to support this initiative and that is safety,” says Airways programme manager, Rob Irwin. “It has never been Airways role to track GA aircraft on radar when they are operating outside controlled airspace. There’s been some confusion about that in the GA community. We’re trying to get the message out there that one of the best ways to guarantee someone knows where you are is to use a satellite tracking system and have the information available and displayed on a computer at home or at the office.”

Every month, Airways deals with an estimated 230 flight plans going overdue. The number of false alarms generated by pilots forgetting to amend or terminate their flight plan occupies resources that should be ready and waiting to help those in genuine need. In October 2008, Airways surveyed members of the GA community and found that more than two-thirds of respondents were interested in Airways providing a subsidy for the purchase and initial monitoring of a satellite tracking system.

“From the feedback we received and subsequent conversations, there was a general trend towards options that would enable the GA community to look after themselves and potentially enjoy a greater level of comfort than Airways currently provides,” says Mr Irwin. “We teamed up with spidertracks and they then approached Michael Erceg’s widow Lynne about the possibility of supporting an initiative that could save pilots lives, as well as saving the Rescue Coordination Centre thousands of man-hours in search time. What transpired was the subsidy scheme - a win-win situation for everyone.”

The offer will enable owners of ZK-registered aircraft to purchase a spidertracks satellite tracking device for only $1295 (plus GST) and receive a free keypad. The package is usually priced at $3300. Airways will support the purchase by way of covering the first six months subscription to the satellite network, which is normally approximately USD 19.95 per month.

“This is a significant incentive for the GA community to leverage the benefits of technology and equip their aircraft to ensure a greater level of pilot safety. The conditions and terrain in this country are some of the most challenging in the world and there’s no doubt that technology is the key to safety for aircraft operating in this environment.”

Spidertracks marketing manager Rachel Donald says the company is very excited to be able to make it’s world-leading aircraft tracking systems accessible to New Zealand pilots. “Spidertracks has clients in about 30 countries and most of our market is international.  But we are a proud New Zealand company – our tracking systems are makde here, and we want to make sure New Zealand pilots can access this safety tool. By partnering with Airways we have been able to reduce our price to a level we hope all NZ pilots will be able to take advantage of.

“Spidertracks takes the search out of search and rescue. The Rescue Coordination Centre is supportive of the technology because they can see how it could assist in loacating aircraft that are overdue quickly and easily,” says Ms Donald.

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Contact:

Rachel Donald
Spidertracks
021 873 774

Rob Irwin
Airways NZ
021 227 4808

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