Blue Sky Network (Booth C7726) is here introducing the HawkEye 7200A satellite communications system, its most advanced Iridium satellite tracking system to date. The HawkEye 7200A meets or exceeds performance criteria of the Global Aeronautical Distress Safety System (GADSS) that ICAO recommends for continuous aircraft tracking beginning in 2017.

“We want to make sure that we’re the system that’s ahead of the curve by releasing it now,” said Nick Tucky, Blue Sky Network director of sales. “So operators know that the system is readily available and they can start outfitting their fleet to meet the requirement by 2017.”

The HawkEye 7200A leverages the latest technology to produce a much smaller and lighter satcom compared to the D1000A system it succeeds. “The new modem in this is 90 percent more compact than the previous model, therefore allowing us to exploit technology and design a system that weighs one pound versus six pounds, because dry weight is very important to an aircraft operator,” Tucky said. “It’s the smallest, lightest, most advanced voice and data satellite transceiver module ever.”

The HawkEye 7200A has approved model list supplemental type certification from the FAA, allowing it to be used on multiple fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft types. A Tier 1 Iridium provider, Blue Sky Network offers a turnkey tracking solution through its SkyRouter cloud-based web portal, and it provides 24/7 technical support from its headquarters in La Jolla, Calif.

The satcom device provides precise tracking using a GNSS receiver at reporting rates based on time, location or events the operator can customize “from 30 seconds on up,” Tucky said. The company is also featuring the Hawkeye 100A accessory option, which adds capability for Iridium phone calls and messaging.

Following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in March 2014, ICAO has recommended that aircraft report their position at 15-minute intervals as a first step toward implementing a more comprehensive GADSS system that will support position reporting for abnormal or distress events.

“We are tremendously proud to have participated in ICAO discussions regarding the future of aviation tracking,” said Jon Gilbert, Blue Sky Network president and CEO. “Drawing on this vision of GADSS, we have developed a new generation of hardware that is physically efficient and concurrently cost-effective.”

This year’s NBAA conference is the satcom system’s business aviation debut. Blue Sky Network unveiled the HawkEye 7200A to the international helicopter community at Helitech International in London in October.