A new, advanced satellite navigation system aimed at improving safety and efficiency at regional and rural airports has been successfully trialled by Airservices Australia.
The trial demonstrated that Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) technology was suitable for the needs of Australia’s non-metropolitan airports, using avionics that are already prevalent in regional and general aviation aircraft.
Chief Executive of Airservices Australia, Jason Harfield said the Agency worked with Air Affairs Australia to conduct a number of SBAS-enabled instrument flight procedures over two days at Mount Hotham, Benalla, Wagga Wagga and Canberra airports, with impressive results.
“Australia is now one step closer to joining jurisdictions such as the United States, European Union, China, India and Japan, which are already using SBAS technology,” Mr Harfield said.
“This qualitative testing is vital for us to assess SBAS against other systems and provides pilots with the chance to see the benefits of this technology firsthand.”
He said SBAS technology allowed for greater accuracy when flying into rural and regional aerodromes, especially during bad weather.
Mr Harfield said when operational, it would benefit aeromedical operators and commercial regional airlines.
He said the trial is part of an SBAS test-bed led by Geoscience Australia in partnership with Land Information New Zealand and FrontierSI (previously the Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information).
Mr Harfield said more than 30 organisations and businesses from 10 industry sectors are involved in the test-bed.
