Controls

Sky Dragon is proud to be a Business Partner with Giffels Aviation Systems and Safegate International ~ two of the worlds leading AGL controls authorities.

From Design Engineering, Software Development, System Integration, Factory Acceptance Testing, Commissioning, Site Acceptance Testing and Warranty Services, we are able to meet any need for AGL controls.

Giffels HMI / CMS Control Systems

Giffels have been providing the conceptual design and engineering services for the advanced control system of the airfield ground lighting (AGL) at Hong Kong’s International Airport since 1995. In December 2000, Giffels undertook full responsibility for a major upgrade of the Control and Monitoring System for the North Runway. The upgrade included Category III runway controls, a dedicated sensor communication system delivering verified sub-second incursion detection, automated taxi-way routing, automatic category serviceability calculation, and enhanced maintenance diagnostics.

The system architecture integrates touch screen workstations in the ATC tower, ATC back-up tower, and the airfield maintenance base with redundant PLC controls and workstations in the airfield electrical vaults on a high speed dedicated LAN. Constant current regulators, circuit selector switches and field sensors are integrated on robust dedicated field networks under PLC control.

Working closely with Sky Dragon, Giffels continue to provide full software and hardware engineering, system integration, on-site commissioning and acceptance testing services for the upgrades of the HMI / CMS system as the airport continues to expand its services.

Safegate ASP - Airfield Smart Power

The Safegate ASP® system makes ground movement safer and faster while visually complementing the verbal communication between tower and pilots. The system makes individual monitoring and selective switching of airfield lights possible, without separate cables. It allows handling an increasing traffic volume at the airport even in low visibility. Red stop bars and green taxiway lights give the pilot comprehensive signals about which direction to follow and whether a stop is necessary. At the same time, the tower gets feedback about the aircraft's position from strategically located sensors.

Fast and cost effective installation and maintenance

ASP can be installed within the airfield's existing lighting system without the need for separate cables, making installation fast and cost effective. Maintenance can be kept to a minimum due to the carefully designed system with detailed real time feedback of system status, down to single unit level.

Using existing power circuits

New installations require fewer series power circuits and CCR's. When added to a conventional system, ASP can use the existing power circuit.

Savings

ASP uses less power than traditional systems as it controls each light individually; only the lights required for safe surface movement need to be lit. Even turned off lamps are monitored if the circuit is energized. This means that it is possible to check all lights needed for CAT II or III conditions without turning them on.

ASP is one of the essential building blocks of an Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS).

Benefits of using ASP:

• safer operations, through individual control and monitoring of airfield lights
• increased capacity with reduced queues and increased punctuality, through efficient ground movements in all weather conditions
• reduced installation cost, through the use of existing power circuits
• reduced operating cost as only the lights needed are lit
• reduced maintenance cost through system status feedback down to single unit level