Sky Way Premiers Its In-Flight Security And Communications Technology In Louisville (KY)

SkyWay Communications says its merger partner, Sky Way Aircraft, Inc., demonstrated its new in-flight communications technology in Louisville (KY) over the weekend. 

Sky Way Aircraft, a company developing a unique ground to in-flight aircraft communications network that will facilitate homeland security and in-flight entertainment services, showed off its anti-terrorism and in-flight communications technology at the Signature General Aviation Business Office at the Louisville Airport. Sky Way Aircraft expects to demonstrate the ability of its network to enable in-flight surveillance and monitoring services of the internal areas of the aircraft including the cockpit and general cabin spaces as well as their in-flight entertainment system.

Finding A Market To Address 9/11

The September 11th hijacking has generated industry-wide interest in airline safety, security and surveillance. Manufacturers that transmit images are developing systems, including hidden cameras that transmit images to the cockpit and tiny hand-held screens that air marshals can view without blowing their cover. The Department of Transportation, with the support of Capital Hill, is considering mandatory passenger cabin video cameras that will provide surveillance images of passengers. Aircraft manufacturers play a key role in establishing industry quality standards, under guidance of the FAA and other airworthiness authorities, which ensures the safe operation of the In-Flight Security and Surveillance (IFSS) equipped aircraft.

Sky Way Aircraft has taken surveillance and monitoring one step further in transferring this information to a National Ground Monitoring Network where government agencies may observe and review each emergency in real-time or close to real time so they can provide guidance and support to flight and ground crews. IFSS systems are produced in strict accordance with guidelines set forth by the FAA and other National airworthiness authorities, such as the UK’s CAA and Japan’s JCAB.

Sky Way Aircraft’s planned international wireless network consisting of 162 sites in the US and Canada, will provide applications used to enhance the communication links in responding to anti-terrorism issues within the homeland security program. These value added applications include, upgraded surveillance protection for the airports, sea ports, cargo containers, national coastlines, borders, nuclear power plants, oil and gas pipelines, establishment of emergency communications, chemical, biological, radiological detectors, tele-medicine support, and wireless networks to be used in the operation of remote early warning emergency devices.

“We have the only anti-terrorism system that utilizes ground-based, high-speed broadband services to secure the 7,500 mile American border, in the sky, at sea and on the ground with the availability of additional coverage to include Canada, Mexico and the Virgin Islands. The data transmission is in real time with the availability of up to 15 megabits to and from the aircraft with connections to selected ground monitoring facilities,” said Brent C. Kovar, President of Sky Way Aircraft.

Reactivitating The AirOne Network

The former AirOne communications network consisted of an aircraft to ground telephone connection to approximately 2,500 commercial airliners and private aircraft. This network, when re-activated, will permit the initiation of telephone and data communications and subsequent security services which will consist of live video monitoring and facial recognition applications to and from the aircraft. Each airplane can be equipped with up to 16 live cameras working at 15 to 30 frames per second.

“Having the availability of telephone and ground network located across the United States, Canada and Mexico, consisting of up to 164 15 x 20 bunkers with internal patented electronics and towers enabled to receive both data and video, advances our efforts dramatically,” said Kovar in a release to ANN.

“This is the only system which will provide an in-plane security surveillance system thus allowing for more secure travel. This will also furnish advanced real-time data transfer of the avionics infrastructure to both the pilot and the aircraft manufacturers and, as an added bonus, could bring high speed in-flight entertainment services, including internet, to the passengers,” said Jim Kent, chief Executive Officer.

What's Old Is New Again

Homeland security is the primary purpose that Sky Way Aircraft has re-launched the network. With their many other anti-terrorism applications available, Sky Way Aircraft is also planning to utilize the ground network to support the detection of the contents of shipping containers at sea which might contain nuclear devices, explosives or illegal personnel coming into the country.

FMI: www.skywayaircraftsecurity.com