North Sea helicopter tracking system launched

Previously, helicopters would be lost to shore-based radars 80 miles from land. The new multilateration system enables helicopter position to be displayed to air-traffic controllers on their radar display for the entirety of flights, reducing the risk of collisions with other aircraft and providing details of location in the event of an accident.

‘This is a major step forward for safety, as we can offer a traffic service to aircraft in the North Sea and pinpoint helicopters in emergency situations,’ said John Mayhew, general manager of NATS, which provides the UK’s air-navigation service.

The improved safety measures come in the wake of a fatal accident last April, in which all 16 passengers died after a helicopter went down 35 miles off the Aberdeenshire coast. The now-disbanded Helicopter Task Group was formed to address industry issues around helicopter safety resulting from that incident and others, helping to expedite the delivery of the multilateration system.