NATS, the UK’s air navigation service provider, says standard TV signals could one day be used for tracking aircraft, following a proof-of-concept trial held in conjunction with Thales ATM UK and Roke Manor. The two-year trial, partially funded by Innovate UK, was carried out primarily over London with a Thales concept demonstrator using signals from the Crystal Palace transmitter that were validated by Roke Manor. Up to 30 aircraft were tracked at any one time at altitudes of up to 10,000 feet, although the researchers said more could have been tracked had additional equipment been used.
The results demonstrate that not only can TV transmissions be used to locate aircraft, but also that the signals can pinpoint aircraft accurately enough to meet the standard ATC separation requirements. NATS counts a much-reduced cost of ground-based infrastructure among the benefits of such a system.
A second phase of the trial in Liverpool also demonstrated the signals were seemingly less susceptible to the interference wind turbines cause traditional radar, an issue that has affected the renewables industry in recent years. NATS said there is still much work to be completed before such a TV-based system becomes operational.