Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Avinor Air Navigation Services on October 19 successfully guided its first commercial passenger flight­—aboard a Wideroe Dash 8-100 turboprop—to the Arctic airport of Røst in Norway using its remote tower technology. A collaboration among the airport, state-owned Avinor, and the technology companies Kongsberg Defence &amp; Aerospace and Indra, the remote tower project allows for one person to control traffic at multiple airports from the same location, thereby improving efficiency and reducing costs as many of the control towers in Norway come due for refurbishment or replacement.

 


The project calls for the introduction of certified remote tower services from Bodø, Norway, by the second half of next year and for the system to control 15 airports by 2022. Plans call for the Norwegian airports of Røst, Vardø, Hasvik, Berlevåg, and Meham to become the first five facilities to use the remote service.

 


“While we are still technically in a test mode, the first commercial passenger flight completed marks an important milestone for us,” said Jan Østby, project director for remote towers at Avinor Air Navigation Services. “We had good contact and visuals with the aircraft during the entire approach and landing. The remote tower system functioned optimally in this operation. We have had a close dialogue with the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authorities since the beginning of this project, which has been important when introducing new technology into such a safety orientated industry.”

 


At Røst, the project partners have installed cameras, microphones, and other equipment that provide detailed information about weather and activities at the facility at all times. Equipped with only a camera mast, the airport will now receive ATC services from staff located in Bodø. Pilots flying the airplanes will not need to learn new procedures; they will continue to talk to tower personnel on the radio, as normal.

 


A camera at the airport takes a 360-degree image of the airport and features an infrared setting that allows for night vision. Every airport gets connected to the tower center via redundant networks. If one network should fail, the other can connect to the tower center, said Avinor. The high-grade aviation networks involve the use of both fiberoptic cables and radio transmissions.

News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

Remote Tower in Norway Guides Its First Commercial Flight 

Avinor expects its remote tower project to begin serving Røst, Norway, in the second-half of 2022.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

Hanneke Weitering

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Honeywell-led consortium to consider advanced air mobility integration

Verti-Go Initiative to Lead European Airspace Update

NASA controllers used existing tools to manage simulated autonomous traffic

Wisk Tests 1:3 Supervisor Ratio for Autonomous Flight

Amy Wilder

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

More In ATC

FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Verti-Go Initiative to Lead European Airspace Update

Honeywell-led consortium to consider advanced air mobility integration

Wisk Tests 1:3 Supervisor Ratio for Autonomous Flight

NASA controllers used existing tools to manage simulated autonomous traffic

Modern Skies Coalition Urges $20B More for ATC Upgrades

Funds would build on $12.5 billion approved last year

FAA Taps L3Harris To Modernize Surveillance Network

Contract covers more than 700 ground stations nationwide

FAA’s Wilbur To Improve Flight Delay Data Efficiencies

FAA completed an audit to strengthen NAS operations related to flight delays and cancellations

FAA Commissions First of New Indra Radars

The initial radar is installed in Putnam, Oklahoma

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN