Falcon - Aircraft Tracking Solution

Falcon is an automated tracking, crisis management and communications device designed for helicopters and aircraft: helping clients to track and communicate with their high-value assets and respond to any emergency. It offers significant improvements in efficiency and security for companies and organisations operating in hostile conditions and high risk environments.

Interfaced with the Track24 C4i platform, Falcon enables operations staff to monitor the position and status of flights, communicate with them as necessary and respond to incidents or emergencies.

Falcon is independent of the unreliable communications infrastructures of unstable regions or those affected by natural disasters, as it uses the Inmarsat global satellite network. Easy to install and use, the unit is lightweight, compact and requires minimum electrical power, making it suitable for installation even on the smallest aircraft.

Falcon is suitable for commercial, public service and military use. It is ideal for helicopter operators, especially those involved in Search and Rescue (SAR), Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), EMS, police, military and coast guard operations, peace keeping, and fire fighting.

Tracking & monitoring

Routine reports transmitted by Falcon detail the aircraft's GPS position and flight status. Other reporting is fully integrated, such as: engine ignition; undercarriage status; landing and takeoff alerts.

This information is displayed on the Track24 C4i platform, affording users complete visibility over multiple airborne assets and an increased capacity for flight planning, fleet coordination and the generation of accurate flight times and ETAs. This minimises wasted time on the ground, as well as flight times. Data is archived, allowing flight analysis for identifying evidence in case of suspected border incursions or unauthorised low flying.

Communication & Control

The benefits of tracking and monitoring are further augmented by the direct communication functions of the system. Two-way messaging via a PDA device gives operations staff greater control over aircraft and an improved capability to react. Combined with C4i visibility, this enhanced level of control will raise an organisation's operational effectiveness. Users can, for example:

Re-task aircraft in flight or on the ground
Deploy those assets likely to be most effective in a situation
Revise and submit flight plans
Transmit accurate clearances to crew.
Security and crisis management
Incident prevention

As a crisis management tool, Falcon is designed to reduce risk and thereby improve passenger safety and the security of assets. Operations staff can:

Transmit warnings of hostile areas, meteorological warnings, flight clearances and other urgent information to the flight crew

Plan diversions more effectively; plan for necessary ground support ahead of arrival
Gain information from discrete sensors (gear, engine, weight on wheels, winch operation) as a precaution against damage or sabotage.

Emergency response

If an incident does occur, an alert sent from Falcon to the C4i system will contain the information necessary to respond to a distress, urgency or security threat in a timely and effective manner. These alerts can be relayed via email, or by mobile phones via SMS, ensuring that all relevant personnel are informed within seconds that an incident is occurring.