Altitude Angel to premiere ‘new generation’ of airspace simulation at Airspace World

Virtual Reality demonstration gives unique and never before seen view of tomorrow’s skies, enabled by Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM and ARROW technologies

London, UK: Altitude Angel, the world’s most trusted UTM (Unified Traffic Management) technology provider, has chosen industry expo Airspace World as the venue to premiere a new generation of simulation modelling which puts the airspace manager at the very heart of the flight.

A year in the making, the simulation is a ‘first of its kind’ for the UTM/ATM industry and will give ANSPs, U-Space regulators, and airspace managers a ‘virtual insight’ into what future airspace – one where crewed and uncrewed aircraft share the same skies safely and securely – and its digital management, enabled through Altitude Angel’s technology and platform, looks like.

Using a real-world use case of a Skyfarer drone making a critical delivery between two UK hospitals as its backdrop, the simulation is a digital twin of what the future will look like when Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM platform and its ARROW ground-based DAA (Detect-and-Avoid) technology – which is the foundation technology behind the Skyway drone superhighway– is fused with real-world airspace data in real-time, which can be experienced through a virtual reality headset and 3D.

Before getting airborne, the passenger will have the ability to see the flight being planned and the operation submitted, via the GuardianUTM platform Approval Services and Strategic Deconfliction functions.  Once in flight, the simulated environment fuses airspace data with real-time flight plans, managed by GuardianUTM, which performs real-time tactical deconfliction on simulated drones, just as it would in real life.

Passengers experiencing the simulation will be able to choose from which aspect of the scenario they wish to experience; that of a delivery drone, as a pilot in a GA aircraft or HEMS/blue light helicopter responding to an emergency, or in a UAM eVTOL craft flying alongside the delivery drone.

Richard Parker, Altitude Angel, CEO and founder, said: “Our immersive simulator is a first for the UTM/ATM industry. We’re taking airspace managers out of the control tower and placing them right in the heart of the flight.  From here, they’ll be able to look out of a cockpit window and see tactical deconfliction of a drone flight in real-time or even experience the flight from the drone’s perspective. The experience will also give airspace regulators a unique opportunity to see and understand what tomorrow’s skies will look like, which we hope will allow them to realise what can be achieved within current regulation as well as help inform and shape future regulation.”

Anyone wanting to experience Altitude Angel’s new-gen flight simulator can request a demonstration by clicking here. 

Airspace World takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, 8-10 March, 2023.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Stephen Farmer, Head of Corporate Communications & PR, Altitude Angel

stephen@altitudeangel.com

Notes to editors  

About Altitude Angel

Altitude Angel is an award-winning provider of UTM (Unified Traffic Management) software, enabling those planning to operate, or develop UTM/U-Space solutions, to quickly integrate robust data and services with minimum effort.

Today, Altitude Angel’s market-defining technology is providing a critical, enabling service on which the future of UTM will be built across the globe. Altitude Angel is leading a consortium of businesses to build and develop 165 miles (265km) of ‘drone superhighways’ connecting airspace above Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry, and Rugby over the next two years. The Skyway superhighway network, enabled using Altitude Angel’s patented ARROW technology, will unlock the huge potential offered by unmanned aerial vehicles and be a catalyst to enable growth in the urban air mobility industry.

Altitude Angel’s first party solutions also power some of the world’s leading ANSPs, aviation authorities and Enterprises, including LVNL (Netherlands) and Avinor (Norway), empowering them with new capabilities to safely manage and integrate drone traffic into national operations.

By unlocking the potential of drones and helping national aviation authorities, ANSPs, developers and enterprise organisations, Altitude Angel is establishing new services to support the growth in the drone industry. 

Altitude Angel was founded by Richard Parker in 2014 and is headquartered in Reading, UK. 

Altitude Angel’s developer platform is open and available to all at https://developers.altitudeangel.com

Former COO of FAA Air Traffic Organization Teri Bristol Joins UFA’s Board

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 1, 2023 — UFA, Inc., a leading provider of mission-critical air traffic control (ATC) simulation and training software solutions to the world’s air navigation service providers, militaries, universities, airports, and major commercial integrators, has announced that Teri Bristol has joined UFA’s board of directors.

Ms. Bristol brings over 30 years of global executive leadership experience in aviation and federal government to UFA. She most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Organization (ATO) for over 8 years until her retirement in 2022. As COO, Ms. Bristol oversaw the delivery of air traffic services and operational support for nearly 30M square miles of airspace covering the entire U.S. and certain international territories, led a workforce of over 30,000 employees, executed annual budgets exceeding $10B, improved safety, and reduced operating costs.

Since joining the FAA in 1992, Ms. Bristol has also served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer (ensuring the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system) and VP, Technical Operations Services (responsible for maintaining more than 66,000 pieces of equipment and systems 24/7/365 at over 6,000 facilities, and ensuring compliance with Federal cyber security guidelines), and provided Congressional testimonies. Additionally, she has held board and executive leadership roles for the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), FAA NextGen, Mitre Corporation, and Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), and is the recipient of a National Safety Foundation award and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)’s James L. Oberstar Sentinel of Safety Award. Ms. Bristol is a graduate of the University of Maryland and completed advanced leadership and management programs with the Federal Executive Institute and Program Management Institute.

“As a highly respected and accomplished leader, Teri has a long successful track-record of delivering safety and operational improvements to the global aviation industry,” said David Wolff, Chairman and CEO of UFA. “We’re excited to welcome her to UFA and look forward to leveraging her experience, knowledge, and expertise to make civilian and government aviation safer and more efficient by modernizing and enhancing ATC simulation and training.”

“My tenure at the FAA has given me a strong appreciation for the challenges, inefficiencies, and costs that plague the aviation industry, due to workforce limitations, aging air traffic infrastructure and technology, and legacy labor-intensive processes,” said Teri Bristol. “I have also seen, firsthand, how effective UFA’s innovative training and simulation offerings can be in addressing these issues, as the company has been a trusted and key supplier and partner for the FAA for decades. I look forward to helping the UFA team deliver additional cost savings, automation, safety enhancements, and efficiency gains to the FAA, US Department of Defense, and other air

navigation service providers, airlines and operators, governments, airports, training academies, and defense organizations around the world.”

ABOUT UFA

UFA, Inc. is a leading provider of mission-critical air traffic control (ATC) simulation and training software solutions to the world’s air navigation service providers (ANSPs), militaries, universities and major commercial integrators. Covering a global footprint of nearly 400 air traffic control centers, airports, military bases, and training academies, UFA’s customers include the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. Military, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung, NAV CANADA, skyguide, CAA Singapore, numerous NATO militaries, and major universities such as Kent State University, University of North Dakota, and University of Massachusetts. UFA operates out of Washington, D.C. and Boston, MA, with wholly owned subsidiaries in Germany (ATCSim GmbH), Canada and Singapore.

Former COO of FAA Air Traffic Organization Teri Bristol Joins UFA’s Board

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 1, 2023 — UFA, Inc., a leading provider of mission-critical air traffic control (ATC) simulation and training software solutions to the world’s air navigation service providers, militaries, universities, airports, and major commercial integrators, has announced that Teri Bristol has joined UFA’s board of directors.

Ms. Bristol brings over 30 years of global executive leadership experience in aviation and federal government to UFA. She most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Organization (ATO) for over 8 years until her retirement in 2022. As COO, Ms. Bristol oversaw the delivery of air traffic services and operational support for nearly 30M square miles of airspace covering the entire U.S. and certain international territories, led a workforce of over 30,000 employees, executed annual budgets exceeding $10B, improved safety, and reduced operating costs.

Since joining the FAA in 1992, Ms. Bristol has also served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer (ensuring the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system) and VP, Technical Operations Services (responsible for maintaining more than 66,000 pieces of equipment and systems 24/7/365 at over 6,000 facilities, and ensuring compliance with Federal cyber security guidelines), and provided Congressional testimonies. Additionally, she has held board and executive leadership roles for the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), FAA NextGen, Mitre Corporation, and Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), and is the recipient of a National Safety Foundation award and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)’s James L. Oberstar Sentinel of Safety Award. Ms. Bristol is a graduate of the University of Maryland and completed advanced leadership and management programs with the Federal Executive Institute and Program Management Institute.

“As a highly respected and accomplished leader, Teri has a long successful track-record of delivering safety and operational improvements to the global aviation industry,” said David Wolff, Chairman and CEO of UFA. “We’re excited to welcome her to UFA and look forward to leveraging her experience, knowledge, and expertise to make civilian and government aviation safer and more efficient by modernizing and enhancing ATC simulation and training.”

“My tenure at the FAA has given me a strong appreciation for the challenges, inefficiencies, and costs that plague the aviation industry, due to workforce limitations, aging air traffic infrastructure and technology, and legacy labor-intensive processes,” said Teri Bristol. “I have also seen, firsthand, how effective UFA’s innovative training and simulation offerings can be in addressing these issues, as the company has been a trusted and key supplier and partner for the FAA for decades. I look forward to helping the UFA team deliver additional cost savings, automation, safety enhancements, and efficiency gains to the FAA, US Department of Defense, and other air

navigation service providers, airlines and operators, governments, airports, training academies, and defense organizations around the world.”

ABOUT UFA

UFA, Inc. is a leading provider of mission-critical air traffic control (ATC) simulation and training software solutions to the world’s air navigation service providers (ANSPs), militaries, universities and major commercial integrators. Covering a global footprint of nearly 400 air traffic control centers, airports, military bases, and training academies, UFA’s customers include the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. Military, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung, NAV CANADA, skyguide, CAA Singapore, numerous NATO militaries, and major universities such as Kent State University, University of North Dakota, and University of Massachusetts. UFA operates out of Washington, D.C. and Boston, MA, with wholly owned subsidiaries in Germany (ATCSim GmbH), Canada and Singapore.

Europe for Aviation

As part of the ‘Europe for Aviation’ team, we are delighted to be joining the wider aviation community at the first edition of Airspace World in Geneva. Over the three days, we will be showcasing with our partners how we are working together to drive forward the modernisation, safety and sustainability of European aviation.

The “Europe for Aviation” stand & theatre (#H22) will host an impressive agenda featuring demos & exhibits on the latest ATM developments, as well as briefings & panel discussions with top playersand experts from across the industry. We will be talking about the hottest topics affecting aviation, including decarbonisation, artificial intelligence, air-ground connectivity, drones, innovation, ATM network operations, civil-military cooperation, space and ATM, and many more.

On 8 March, make sure to take a seat in our theatre for the session on decarbonising aviation, starting at 11:30 with a keynote speech by ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano, followed by a one-to-one interview with Henrik Hololei, Director General DG MOVE at the European Commission. His intervention will be followed by a panel introduced by EUROCONTROL Director General Raúl Medina and focused on concrete contributions to sustainability with the perspective of research-deployment-operations.

At 12.30 join the official stand opening ceremony, which will be followed by a reception.Don’t miss the opportunity to catch up with EUROCONTROL experts and learn more about the latest developments including:how the EUROCONTROL Network Manager is preparing to deal with increasing traffic in the European network over the summer, which is expected to be up to 15% above the already saturated traffic levels of 2022. Briefing in our theatre on 9 March, at 10:15-10:45the range of innovative projects driven by our Innovation Hub – on the exhibit part of the stand, and a panel discussion in our theatre on how to drive innovation forward on 9 March, at 13:00-13:45the latest technological developments at our Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre, including a presentation on ADS-C at our pod over the three days, and a briefing in our theatre on the ATC automation project ARGOS, on 8 March, 10:45-11:15briefings on trajectory-based operations, surveillance monitoring and air traffic flow management in the exhibit part of the stand civil-military airspace user performance tools (LARA, PRISMIL), which will be showcased on the exhibit part over the three days, and a panel debate on civil-military collaboration in our theatre on 9 March, 11:00-12:00and a lot more!

Airport Simulation platform

If you have an ATC operational background, sign up for our airport simulation platform to test first-hand the runway solutions we have developed to optimise aircraft spacing buffers and separation minima on final approaches.

Reserve your seat now

ATC technology leadership in real time: Rohde and Schwarz at Airspace World 2023

At Airspace World 2023, Rohde & Schwarz will once again set new, forward-looking market trends for civil air traffic control operations. The company will showcase the comprehensive CERTIUM portfolio and further innovative solutions that will shape the future of ATC.

Geneva/Munich, March 6, 2023 – Rohde & Schwarz is a trusted partner for secure air traffic communications from the radio to the antenna. With the theme “Trusted – Trendsetting – Sustainable”, Rohde & Schwarz will present the complete CERTIUM portfolio and further innovative solutions at Airspace World 2023 at the Palexpo Exhibition Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, booth E13, from March 8 to 10. This includes:

CERTIUM, the Rohde & Schwarz advanced air traffic control (ATC) communications suite from the microphone to the antenna, backed by extensive expertise in providing turnkey solutions and setting market standards.

The complete portfolio of CERTIUM RADIOS includes the R&S Series5200 radio that features an innovative security-by-design architecture, a cost-efficient maintenance concept and outstanding RF performance. The radio covers the entire ATC range from VHF to UHF.

The fully IP based CERTIUM VCS solution for modern ATC networks utilizes all the advantages of IP technology and provide strong security, innovative resilience, quad redundancy and easy administration.

At this year’s airspace and near-space management event, Rohde & Schwarz will also launch the new R&S EVSD1000 VHF/UHF nav/drone analyzer. This is a signal level and modulation analyzer for use aboard medium-sized drones for performing measurements on instrument landing systems (ILS), ground based augmentation systems (GBAS) and VHF omnirange (VOR) ground stations during startup, maintenance and servicing. The R&S EVSD1000 also analyzes ATC communications signals.

At Airspace World 2023, Rohde & Schwarz is also proud to present the following trendsetting ATC solutions:

• High-power HF transmitter with a small footprint and low power consumption
• R&S AVQA, a non-invasive voice assurance system with a variety of integrated monitoring functions for ATC communication systems
• Reliable identification and localization of calling aircraft on the radar screen
• Effective detection and countering of non-cooperative drones and their pilots
• SIA-AIR – big data analytics to improve situational awareness and enable complex event predictions
• L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS), the trendsetting digital aeronautical communications standard for the next generation of air-to-ground communications

Rohde & Schwarz will round off the package with highly informative expert talks. The established event format covers specific topics, with technical deep dives and insightful dialogs on future trends in air communications. This focus of this year’s Rohde & Schwarz panel discussion is resilient infrastructure to deliver an integrated airspace for the future.

Caption: Trusted – Trendsetting – Sustainable: CERTIUM from Rohde & Schwarz. (Image: Rohde & Schwarz)

KVM expertise for Towers, Digital Towers and Air Traffic Control Centers

G&D to exhibit powerful concepts for flexible and fail-safe IT access in ATC control rooms at Airspace World in Geneva, Switzerland.

KVM manufacturers Guntermann & Drunck will be presenting their extensive portfolio of KVM solutions for ANSPs at the Airspace World in Geneva, 08 – 10 March 2023, at booth H17, where they will also provide in-depth expertise to individual projects of customers and partners.

KVM systems have long been well-established in the IT infrastructures of ATC control room applications. Whether tower, remote tower or air traffic control center – G&D’s KVM equipment enables flexible IT access, comprehensive redundancy concepts, fail-safety, and increase cyber security. KVM systems extend and distribute computer signals, thus allowing the remote operation of computers without any latency and at best video quality. The computers can still be accessed in real-time from control rooms, air traffic control centers or remote towers. It is hard to imagine mission-critical sectors such as airspace surveillance without KVM. Here, G&D systems optimize the IT infrastructure and create ideal working conditions for both Air Traffic Controllers and technicians. It enables the physical separation of teams, but facilitates the collaboration between individual team members while also supporting multiple-shift models.

In Genf, the German manufacturer will present the broadest, combinable and compatible KVM product portfolio at the market. 

From multi-monitor workplace to adaptable solution

With its KVM systems, G&D also respond to the trend towards multiviewing consoles in ATC control rooms. Therefore, the company will be presenting the PersonalWorkplace-Controller at WATM that facilitates the work of controllers. Using a separate monitor for each process is now a thing of the past. The PersonalWorkplace-Controller makes it is possible to easily display, arrange and operate multiple video signals on just one large monitor or multiple displays. This gives ATCOs the option of individually configuring their workspace with different computer sources. The modified arrangements, which can be saved and called up as layouts, create optimized and adaptable controller working positions.

In addition to getting a clearly arranged overview of all processes on just one monitor, Air Traffic Controllers also have simultaneous integrated and flexible access to the data they need. Displaying multiple computer sources in real time on one large monitor, and thus providing latency-free operation of multiple computers from a single console, facilitates work in towers, digital towers or ATC rooms. In addition, the high image quality and unlimited flexibility in arranging sources provide great added value. This allows active work areas and monitoring areas to be ergonomically set up on larger screens. 

Digital towers with systems from G&D

Since digitizing towers is on the rise, the KVM experts also offer solutions fitting these critical applications. Redundancy concepts for the computers providing the live images from the surveillance cameras, for example, can be mapped with a switch. If one computer fails, the system connects to the second, redundant computer without interrupting the controller’s work.

In almost all variants of the Digital Tower, video screens are implemented and crucial for the work of air traffic controllers. As the view out of the window is not possible in a remote tower, displaying the outside view with a reliable system is crucial for operation. Here, too, G&D has a suitable solution with the PersonalWorkplace-Controller. The device can be used to manage a video wall and to display up to 26 physical video inputs on one or multiple monitors. This ensures the important panoramic view on the video wall.  

KVM solutions tailored for Air Traffic Control

Thanks to many years of working closely with air traffic controls around the world, the portfolio of the German manufacturer includes numerous classic KVM products supporting 4K resolutions and specially tailored to the requirements of ANSPs. A prime example of this commitment is the high-performance KVM switch DP1.2-MUX3-ATC, which lets ATCOs operate up to three computers from one console. With its instant switching technology, the system enables extremely fast switching and thus seamlessly changing between primary and fallback systems.

The manufacturer also meets the demand for uncompressed KVM systems. The powerful KVM extender system DP1.2-VisionXG extends computer signals via optical fibers at a distance of up to 10,000 m and provides uncompressed, loss-free and latency-free data transfer – pixel by pixel for best hand-eye coordination. The dedicated transmission offers sufficient bandwidth for an uncompressed and pixel-perfect transmission of 4K and 8K videos at 60Hz refresh rate.

The company offers in-depth expertise in building KVM infrastructures for mission-critical applications. At the Airspace World from 08 – 10 March 2023, interested ANSPs and integrators will be able to get personal advice on their individual IT solutions at booth H17. More information on G&D’s KVM equipment is available on https://www.gdsys.com.

More information:

Guntermann & Drunck GmbH

Obere Leimbach 9

D-57074 Siegen

Phone: +49 (0) 271 / 2 38 72 – 100

Fax: +49 (0) 271 / 2 38 72 – 120

https://www.gdsys.com

E-mail: sales@gdsys.com