Gallium Says Its Software Contributing to SAATS Success

Gallium says the continuing success of the common ATC flight data processing and display technology being used by oceanic controllers in Canada and the U.K. is due partly because of its software that makes it easier to include user inputs, assess prototyping, and evaluate results.

The common display and processing is part of the new SAATS (Shanwick automated air traffic system), which NATS controllers began using last November, which was based on the same GAATS (Gander automated air traffic system) technology used by Nav Canada controllers.

Still, while they used a common flight data processing and display technology, SAATS and GAATS needed to be adapted to meet the requirements of both Canada and the U.K.  According to Gallium, significant input from controllers, including the evolution of a common display through prototyping and peer evaluations was an important part of this process, and the InterMAPhics software that was used in Gander and delivered as part of the common SAATS baseline, was key to the program's success.

François Gélinas, Gallium's vice president of operations, noted that several NATS Controllers were involved in the definition of operational requirements and the review of the system design from the program's onset, and worked closely with software engineers at Nav Canada to specify key components of the SAATS workstation display that were prototyped using InterMAPhics and other COTS (commercial off the shelf) software.

The result was new flight data display specific to the needs of oceanic controllers, including a key electronic flight strip window, which provides a graphical view of traffic in oceanic airspace, Mr. Gélinas said.  06-30-2007.

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