A software made by Leonardo will help pilots who lose their way in British airspace

(To Leonardo)
22/08/19

Leonardo's auto-triangulation software is now operational at the emergency and rescue unit of NATS ("Distress and Diversion cell"), the British air navigation service provider. The operating unit is managed by RAF 24 staff hours a day every day and is the only control center dedicated to aeronautical emergencies in the world. Operators continuously monitor the international aeronautical frequencies dedicated to rescue requests and are ready to react instantly. All emergencies occurring in British airspace are controlled and supervised by this center that deals with civil, military and private aviation throughout the United Kingdom.

The mapping carried out with auto-triangulation is used to locate the aircraft whose pilots have lost their route. The controllers can therefore provide useful information to the pilots by allowing the aircraft to return to the airways and safely reach their destinations. Leonardo has also planned a support service for 15 years, to periodically update the maps, evaluate security and manage product obsolescence.

The software works by receiving transmissions on military or civil emergency frequencies and geo-locating the signal and its direction on a map of the United Kingdom Airspace. Operators can thus contact pilots and use the map, detailed up to street level, to provide directions using a common reference. To guarantee always up-to-date maps the software can import data from different sources that use standard cartography present on the network, widely used, so as to ensure that operators can view the aircraft in relation to any new urban and road developments or details such as power lines, antennas and other recognizable elements such as solar parks.