Advanced piloting technology enhances ATM radar training systems

Air traffic control training through Airways New Zealand has become significantly more realistic with the addition of a high fidelity Radar Gateway system to the organisation’s Total Control simulator technology.

The system accurately captures how aircraft fly in the airspace by providing actual Astrix tracks to emulate radar surveillance rather than plot points. It uses realistic graphics which cover the entire Flight Information Region, and models flights that cover the entire globe. Previous technology struggled to provide the level of fidelity needed in the terminal airspace, which makes a crucial difference for radar controllers.

Sharon Cooke, Head of Training at Airways, says the advanced technology brings ATC training even further into the real world, by overlaying radar technology to create a more realistic piloting environment.

“During our extensive testing with ATC instructors, we’ve been told by many that the functionality and realism of this system is better than anything they have seen,” she says. “By taking data from actual ATM systems, we can ensure the profile matches what an aircraft does in a real environment, which is a huge step forward in ATC simulator capabilities.”

“Airways stands out in the simulator market because we’ve approached the development of this technology in an entirely different way,” says Ms Cooke. “We started with the philosophy of simplifying ATC training so that it replicates a real world situation, both in visuals and technology, and this provides trainees with a level of fidelity never seen before.”

The radar gateway system connects to the Total Control simulator on a single platform, and allows exercises to be run on the real ATM system or the emulated (simulated) system – or a mixture of both. Using Total Control advanced simulator technology, 4D exercises complete with highly realistic weather graphics can be built in a matter of minutes.

The Radar Gateway system will be available as part of Airways’ Total Control simulator suite from next month.

Air traffic control training through Airways New Zealand has become significantly more realistic with the addition of a high fidelity Radar Gateway system to the organisation’s Total Control simulator technology.

The system accurately captures how aircraft fly in the airspace by providing actual Astrix tracks to emulate radar surveillance rather than plot points. It uses realistic graphics which cover the entire Flight Information Region, and models flights that cover the entire globe. Previous technology struggled to provide the level of fidelity needed in the terminal airspace, which makes a crucial difference for radar controllers.

Sharon Cooke, Head of Training at Airways, says the advanced technology brings ATC training even further into the real world, by overlaying radar technology to create a more realistic piloting environment.

“During our extensive testing with ATC instructors, we’ve been told by many that the functionality and realism of this system is better than anything they have seen,” she says. “By taking data from actual ATM systems, we can ensure the profile matches what an aircraft does in a real environment, which is a huge step forward in ATC simulator capabilities.”

“Airways stands out in the simulator market because we’ve approached the development of this technology in an entirely different way,” says Ms Cooke. “We started with the philosophy of simplifying ATC training so that it replicates a real world situation, both in visuals and technology, and this provides trainees with a level of fidelity never seen before.”

The radar gateway system connects to the Total Control simulator on a single platform, and allows exercises to be run on the real ATM system or the emulated (simulated) system – or a mixture of both. Using Total Control advanced simulator technology, 4D exercises complete with highly realistic weather graphics can be built in a matter of minutes.

The Radar Gateway system will be available as part of Airways’ Total Control simulator suite from next month.