"These tower systems could significantly increase the safety and efficiency of airport operations in locations that either don't have towers today or have towers that need expensive renovations," said Matt Gilligan, Raytheon Intelligence, Information, and Services vice president. "Remote virtual towers could also help boost local economies by allowing smaller civilian airports to extend their hours and expand their range of services."
RVTs give air traffic controllers the ability to offer equivalent control tower services from an off-airport location, potentially supporting multiple airports from a single, central location. The towers can accommodate a mixed fleet of aircraft and different airport configurations with varying traffic levels and weather conditions.
"Remote virtual towers are more than an emerging trend," said Leonard Swiontek, president of Frequentis USA, Inc. "They will help optimize facilities and resources, which means safer, better, and more affordable air traffic services across the U.S."
Remote Virtual Towers:
- Offer customizable frameworks that work within a wide range of operating needs and budgets
- Receive live video feeds from cameras positioned around remote airfields
- Use 360° high-resolution cameras to produce images that are stitched together and displayed along several monitors to create panoramic views of airport runways and taxiways
- Provide an enhanced out-of-window view for controllers to observe and manage air traffic
- Enable air navigation service providers to deliver air traffic control and information services to safely manage single or multiple airports