Avidyne Unveils SkyTrax 3000 Dual-Band ADS-B In System

Avidyne is unveiling its SkyTrax 3000, a TSO-certified dual-band ADS-B In system, this week at NBAA-BACE 2025. It is engineered to provide Part 25 aircraft with enhanced traffic alerting and weather capabilities without requiring modifications to existing TCAS II avionics or cockpit displays. An initial STC is planned for the Hawker 800XP/850XP/900XP series, with discussions underway with STC partners for additional aircraft models and avionics configurations.

The system integrates TCAS II and TIS-B ADS-B In traffic data with ATAS (ADS-B-based traffic alerting) algorithms and FIS-B weather information, delivering what the company characterizes as a comprehensive situational awareness solution for operators seeking to modernize surveillance capabilities.

“Part 25 aircraft owners and operators have long awaited a cost-effective dual-band ADS-B In solution,” said Avidyne president Fabrice Kunzi. “The SkyTrax 3000 provides pilots with a complete traffic picture based on TCAS surveillance as well as 1090 MHz and UAT ADS-B In.”

The dual-band architecture enables the system to receive ADS-B position data from both 1090 and 978 MHz (UAT) frequencies, providing coverage of approximately 38,000 aircraft operating on UAT that would otherwise be invisible to single-band systems. The capability addresses coverage gaps inherent in the FAA’s ADS-R rebroadcast service, particularly at lower altitudes where ground station visibility is limited.

A key differentiator of the SkyTrax 3000 is its implementation of ATAS alerting, which uses the enhanced data quality of ADS-B transmissions to generate more precise traffic advisories than legacy TCAS II systems. The technology provides detailed aural annunciations specifying traffic bearing, altitude relationship, and distance—replacing generic “Traffic, Traffic” alerts with callouts such as “Traffic! Twelve o’clock, Same altitude, 2 miles.”

By extending alerting capability below TCAS II’s minimum alerting altitude of 500 feet agl, the system uses both direct ADS-B reception and TIS-B uplink data from FAA ground stations. This enables continued traffic awareness during critical phases of flight where conventional TCAS II systems suppress alerts.

The UAT receiver component provides access to FIS-B weather and aeronautical data, including metars, Nexrad radar imagery, airmets, sigmets, notams, pireps, and winds aloft information—data products that are unavailable to aircraft equipped with only 1090 MHz ADS-B systems.

“The SkyTrax 3000 has been specifically designed to support future software enhancement for ADS-B In applications including SURF, FIM, and CAVS,” said Avidyne CEO Dan Schwinn. The company has fielded more than 25,000 surveillance products across its product family.

Kunzi, who recently testified at the NTSB investigative hearing into the DCA midair collision, noted that “recent events and industry proposals underscore the importance of a robust, future-proof surveillance and alerting system to ensure the safety of the flying public.”

Designed as a lightweight, low-power installation, the system integrates alongside existing equipment without cockpit overhauls. Antenna diversity capability ensures that performance requirements are met on larger aircraft platforms.