Blue Sky Network Tracks Longest International Flight of a New Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet
Blue Sky Network Tracks Longest International Flight of a New Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet
BSN’s portable in-flight equipment will monitor flight across 18,000 miles and 18 countries
La Jolla, Calif, February 6, 2008 – Blue Sky Network, the global logistics solution provider for two-way linking and managing transportation assets via satellite, today announced that it will provide online tracking for the longest known international flight of a new Eclipse 500 jet. Blue Sky Network’s portable in-flight D2000A will enable remote flight monitoring visibility via near real-time location updates, sent throughout the journey to Blue Sky Network’s online asset management portal, SkyRouter.
The Eclipse 500, a twin-engine very light jet (VLJ), is installed with the D2000A, utilizing an Iridium Satellite transceiver, a satcom solution that is ideally suited for a flight of this nature. This on-board unit works in conjunction with Blue Sky Network’s SkyRouter asset management portal to enable two-way text messaging between pilot and ground crew, position reporting and telemetry data reporting. For all of the scheduled stops across 18 countries, the D2000A and SkyRouter pair will automatically deliver take-off, landing and flight progress details to the Blue Sky Network website.
Departing today from Eclipse headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Australian pilot Michael Cooke will ferry and operate the Eclipse 500 for the new owners, Wanless Wastecorp located in Brisbane, Australia. This marks the third time that Blue Sky Network will be accompanying a record-setting international flight. In 2006 and 2007, Blue Sky Network provided online tracking updates for the record-breaking, around-the-globe flights of Steve Fossett’s GlobalFlyer and Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodil of Polar First.
“Blue Sky Network’s voice and tracking solutions make flying the Eclipse 500 VLJ across the globe much safer,” said Michael Cooke, pilot of the Eclipse 500. “Blue Sky Network’s equipment gives me constant access to ground resources, while on-ground teams are using SkyRouter for automatic flight following and text messaging.” Once the aircraft arrives in Australia, it will continue using the equipment on flights in Australia and to Fiji and New Zealand.
“Deploying our products on a VLJ like the Eclipse 500 further demonstrates that our light and very effective solutions are a perfect fit for the VLJ market,” said Jon Gilbert, president and CEO of Blue Sky Network. “We are excited to be a part of this journey with Wanless Wastecorp and Michael, and look forward to following every step of the journey together.”
Progress of Michael Cooke’s Eclipse 500 flight can be publicly accessed through Blue Sky Network’s website, www.blueskynetwork.com, which will provide near real-time GPS tracking of the flight utilizing Google Maps and Google Earth integration.
About Blue Sky Network
Blue Sky Network is the leading provider of global logistics solutions for two-way linking and managing remote transportation assets via satellite. Using its interactive Web portal, SkyRouter, with detailed mapping and integration with Google Earth, Blue Sky Network links enterprises to personnel and assets anywhere on earth over the Iridium satellite network. FAA-certified data and voice products enable users to customize features including safety and event reporting. Blue Sky Network’s exceptional customer service and management team make it the perfect partner for adding true global communication to your transport network. For more information, please visit www.blueskynetwork.com.
Press Contact:
Staci Grubaugh
PR@vantage for Blue Sky Network
415-984-1970 x108
[email protected]