Thales Tracs, the world leader in telemetry, tracking and positioning solutions, has joined the Windjet team as Technical Partner for Tracking and Speed Measurement

Thales have provided the Windjet team with their Tracs-TDMA equipment, an intelligent radio data network which integrates advanced UHF/VHF communications with differential GPS technology. Tracs-TDMA is a very high accuracy, positioning and tracking product for use in localised areas. This enables any one of the Windjet vehicles to be located, in a 15 mile radius, with a positional accuracy of better than one meter and a velocity accuracy of 0.1 mph.

The equipment uses the GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites with corrections from the Thales LandStar professional Differential GPS service to provide accurate speed of the craft five times every second. This information is not only stored onboard the craft but also relayed once per second, via a radio link, to the Control Station. For increased safety, additional units have been installed in the support vehicles to provide the base station computer with additional information regarding the speed and location of all support units.

"Thales' involvement is invaluable as this equipment will provide the primary speed measurement system," said James Fitch, Windjet's Support Team Manager. "It is important for safety to be able to locate the Windjet craft and all support vehicles at any point in time and the Thales system enables us to do just that."

The equipment underwent its first full test on Wednesday, 20th February, recording the Windjet land craft at a speed of 99.7 mph in only 15 to 20 knots of wind.