Since 1986 Harry Weisberger has been a contributor to Aviation International News and a regular member of its HAI and NBAA convention news editorial staff. He was previously a marketing communications specialist for Sperry Flight Systems in Phoenix, providing information involving the general aviation, airline, defense and space market segments. His aviation journalism activity has also included writing and editing for Flight Training, Business Aviation Safety Journal, Private Pilot and Arizona Flyways (for whom he interviewed Barry Goldwater and Paul Tibbets. He has also contributed to Smithsonian Air &amp; Space and Aero magazines. He served 5-1/2 years on active duty with the U.S. Navy as a radar intercept officer in F4 Phantom jet fighters, followed by Naval Air Reserve duty as a patrol plane navigator. Weisberger’s journalism career began at the Santa Ana Register (now Orange County Register) where he was a beat reporter and copy desk editor. He holds a commercial pilot license with instrument rating, has logged 1,980 pilot hours and has owned or been a partner in five general aviation aircraft.

Contributor

Harry Weisberger

Recently launched Wingspan Systems of Mission, Kan., is in Orlando this week (Booth 1637) for the debut of its new RampTrack ground accident avoidance warning system. As the name suggests, RampTrack is a ground-based technology to help FBOs and ground-handling personnel avoid aircraft accidents. 
Employing its “sensor fusion software,” RampTrack places multiple types of sensors inside hangars and on ramps to detect problems and alert ground crews to the potential for an accident in time to plan for avoidance, both for aircraft being moved and those that are parked. 
RampTrack also helps with security and asset tracking in addition to its primary role of accident avoidance, according to WingSpan Systems. It creates invisible “safety zones” or protected bubbles around aircraft, enabling the prediction and mitigation of potential hazards before damage can occur.
The system is designed to work with both wired and wireless portable multi-sensor proximity devices, and these are networked with accelerometer-based movement detectors and surveillance cameras. All of the data gathered is sent to RampTrack’s “fusion” server, which merges the data to create a “protection envelope” around the aircraft. The system can track the protected aircraft in real-time and offers hazard alert capabilities, too. RampTrack can accept input from other types of sensors such as GPS, motion, spatial, tampering, radiation and volatile organic compound detectors.
RampTrack was designed to address all the typical types of ground incidents, including towing, ground service vehicle impact, hangar damage and other ramp movement. All of these, according to the Flight Safety Foundation, result in some $7 billion worth of damage annually. The WingSpan engineering team began proof-of-concept testing of its multi-sensor system in mid-September with Banyan Air Service in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Wingspan Systems is also introducing two other RampTrack products at NBAA 2014. The first is a simpler, tactical version of the main system, tentatively called the RampTrack aircraft repositioning system, which uses the fusion server, three mobile cones and a tug relay warning device to assist smaller operations in moving aircraft in the hangar or on the ramp. The second is a portable security system derived from RampTrack technology, aimed at aircraft owners and operators that wish to insure the security of their parked aircraft. This system is a compact mobile security system that can be easily deployed when aircraft are away from home base and left unattended at remote airports.

RampTrack Helps Prevent Hangar Rash

System creates a protected bubble around the aircraft to help prevent ground-handling damage.

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