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New eyes on the sky: Nav Canada moving forward with digital air traffic services. Nav Canada is ushering in a new era that will see the implementation of digital air traffic services at airports across the country — as has already been demonstrated by numerous European air navigation service providers. In October 2015, aviation history was made in northern Sweden when Örnsköldsvik Airport became the world’s first remotely controlled airport managed by a controller at a workstation 140 kilometers (87 miles) away at the Sundsvall remote tower center. The brick-and-mortar air traffic control (ATC) tower has been an iconic airport landmark since the world’s first tower opened at Croydon Airport near London, England, in early 1920. The concept of using a tower or elevated structure to provide an out-the-window view to manage air traffic at airports has remained largely unchanged for the past 100 years. During the past seven years, however, a new paradigm in airport air traffic services (ATS) has started to take root. This is known as the “remote tower” or “digital tower” concept invented by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in 2002. The concept uses optical sensors, microphones, video screens, and other digital technology to allow ATS operators to provide safe and efficient service from a location independent from the airport site. Source: skiesmag.com/features |