Robin Hood Airport monitors and records air traffic communication with AudioSoft
In partnership with air traffic engineering specialists Avionic Services Plc, AudioSoft has delivered its AudioPC–1000 voice and data recording equipment to Robin Hood Airport – Doncaster Sheffield.
Following a rigorous period of commissioning tests supervised by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, Robin Hood will begin its commercial flight program in March 2005. There are also plans to expand services to transatlantic flights as well as domestic and European.
Operating in a previously underserved flight region of the UK, it will meet latent demand in the same way as Liverpool’s John Lennon (also AudioSoft clients – along with the National Air Traffic Service at West Drayton) which according to the ACI last year saw the highest rate of growth of all air destinations in Europe.
Against this background, it was therefore crucial that AudioSoft were able to assure Avionic Services and Robin Hood’s parent company, Peel Airports, a superior level of scalability and reliability required above those of their competitors. Audiosoft’s ability to combine exacting software development with modular, scalable off the shelf hardware met this requirement.
Taking delivery of the system for Avionic Services, David Bartlett said …
“The AudioSoft multi–channel recorder has been selected by Avionic Services Plc as part of our design and build contract to equip both the runway and the tower with modern avionics equipment. This work package has been identified as the critical path for the achievement of licensed civil operations at the Airport.
The aim is to establish a licensed facility for use by commercial air traffic by March 2005. To this end, it is essential that all the equipment be installed and commissioned, in accordance with the latest UK Civil Aviation Authority Safety Regulation Group’s (SRG) requirements.
The tower avionics comprises a number of specialist sub–systems that will be assessed by SRG as an integrated ATC system for the provision of Air traffic Services at Robin Hood Airport. Initially, the ATS function will be limited to the provision of a procedural approach and aerodrome control operations. However, it is envisaged that the ATS will be upgraded to support radar recording operations in the near future and therefore all the avionics equipment supplied is designed to be expandable by means of additional interface cards and operator positional equipment only”.
The initial system’s functional requirements are:
- The ability to simultaneously record 32 voice channels with expansion available to accommodate 64 channels.
- Voice channel replay facility at the recorder server
- Potential for radar recording at a future time with synchronized voice and radar play back.
- Expandable archive facility for recordings over networks
- Synchronization to the Air Traffic Control master clock system
- Remote Alarm Unit
About Ultra Elecronics AudioSoft
Ultra Electronics AudioSoft, one of the leading software systems integration companies for speech and telephony applications in the UK, is at the forefront of the development of digital voice and data recording technology. Markets include Air Traffic Control, Courtroom, Defence, Emergency Services, Law Enforcement and National Security.
AudioSoft’s range of PC based recording, audio analytics and visualise products include AudioPC, Medirva™, AudioPC-CR, AudioPC-IR, AudioPC-LE, AudioPC-HS and SonarPC.
Typical applications include, digital data recorders, conference recorders, interview recorders and surveillance recording.
Satisfied customers include HM Government, The Bank of England, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Dutch Navy, Local Government, Public Authorities, International Airports and Commercial organisations.
Based in Cirencester, AudioSoft was recently named (for the third year) as one of the Top 10 fastest growing technology companies in the South West and Wales by Deloitte and Touche.