News

Newly released, New Southern Sky’s benefits evaluation report

We're delighted to announce the release of the New Southern Sky - Benefits Evaluation 2023 report, a testament to the success and impact of New Zealand's ambitious New Southern Sky (NSS) programme.

Launched in 2014 as a collaborative effor…

New Southern Sky Stakeholders’ Showcase recap

The New Southern Sky Stakeholders’ Showcase was held on Thursday, March 21 in Wellington, with heartfelt thanks to all participants. A special thank you to MetService for hosting the post-event reception.

The event was opened by Director C…

New Southern Sky Programme Stakeholders’ Showcase agenda

Showcase details
Location: Level 28, Majestic Centre, 100 Willis Street, Wellington

Date and time: Thursday 21 March 2024, 8:45am to 5:00pm

Haven't registered yet? Register your participation here

The agenda below is subject to change.

…

Upcoming New Southern Sky Programme Stakeholders’ Showcase speakers

The New Southern Sky (NSS) Programme Stakeholders’ Showcase is only a few days away on Thursday 21 March and we are delighted to share with you some of our fantastic speakers.

Seats are limited – register your participation here

The theme…

Four weeks until New Southern Sky Programme Stakeholders’ Showcase

Only 4 weeks to go until the New Southern Sky Programme Stakeholders’ Showcase! Don’t hesitate to secure your spot – register below:

New Southern Sky Stakeholders' Showcase Event

We're highlighting the incredible achievements of our stake…

New Southern Sky Programme Stakeholders’ Showcase

Join the New Southern Sky (NSS) Team for a day of celebration at the New Southern Sky Programme Stakeholders’ Showcase! We're highlighting the incredible achievements of our stakeholders who have played a crucial role in shaping the future …

New Southern Sky programme coming to a close

The New Southern Sky programme has successfully delivered the bulk of the National Airspace and Air Navigation Plan (2014) and, in doing so, modernised the New Zealand aviation system. The programme will therefore close formally on 31 Decem…

The ADS-B Grant Scheme Ends This Week

With less than a week remaining before the ADS-B Grant Scheme comes to an end, these are the final days for eligible applicants to submit a claim before the 30th of June 2023 deadline. Time is quickly running out, so complete your claims no…

NSS Working Group 45 Key Messages

The 45th New Southern Sky Working Group meeting was held at the Willeston Conference Centre, and online, on 14 June 2023. 

The Key Messages from the meeting can be found here. 

Less Than Four Weeks Until the Scheme Ends

After more than three years and over $6M distributed, the ADS-B Grant Scheme is now entering its final days. There is less than four weeks left until the ADS-B Grant Scheme ends on the 30th of June 2023. Time is rapidly running out, so appl…

Less than Two Months to Claim an ADS-B Grant

After more than three years and over $6M distributed, the ADS-B Grant Scheme is now entering its final days. There is less than two months left until the ADS-B Grant Scheme ends on the 30th of June 2023. Time is rapidly running out, so appl…

Just Under Three Months Until the ADS-B Grant Scheme Ends

There is just under three months until the ADS-B Grant Scheme finishes on the 30th of June 2023. The time remaining to apply is rapidly dwindling, so better sooner rather than later. To be eligible for a grant you need to complete your ADS-…

Last Call for ADS-B Grant Scheme

The ADS-B Grant Scheme is still running in 2023, although it wraps up on the 30th of June. There is still plenty of time to apply, but you will need to complete the installation, be detected transmitting acceptable ADS-B data by Airways and…

NSS Working Group 44 Key Messages

Key Aviation stakeholders were in attendance for the 44th New Southern Sky Working Group meeting, held at the Willeston Conference Centre on 25 November 2022. 

The Key Messages can be found here. 

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News from the SouthPAN programme

NSS Working Group member Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has announced a joint Trans-Tasman partnership with Geoscience Australia which will provide Australasia with world-leading satellite positioning services that are up to 50 times m…

NSS Working Group 43 Key Messages

Key Aviation stakeholders were in attendance for the 43rd New Southern Sky Working Group meeting, held at the Willeston Conference Centre on 22 July 2022. 

The Key Messages can be found here. 

NTC91.258 Revision 3 released

On 16 August 2022 the CAA released Revision 3 of NTC91.258 - ADS-B Systems Notice of Requirement. 

The primary purpose of the latest revision is to allow glider maintenance engineers (authorised under Part 149 by a gliding organisation) to…

ADS-B Installation and Grant Scheme Update

ADS-B installations on NZ registered aircraft hit the 2000 mark at the end of April 2022, with 2039 aircraft in total now equipped. That’s approximately 41% of the 4966 aircraft on the Civil Aircraft Register.

With the ADS-B mandate of 31 …

Acknowledging contributors to the foundation of the New Southern Sky Programme

Last May, the New Southern Sky (NSS) programme published a report, the ‘NSS Benefits Assessment’, authored by Mahino, which reviewed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the delivery of NSS benefits.

For many of us, the NSS story began w…

Safety First – recognising James Black’s ongoing commitment to aviation safety

Copied, with permission, from Airways 'Value Awards 2021' Announcement 

Safety is our number one priority at Airways and everyone has a role to play in creating a safe environment for our people, customers and the community.

The Safety Fi…

NSS - Collaborating to reduce Emissions from Aviation report released

New Southern Sky is pleased to announce the release of the ‘NSS - Collaborating to Reduce Emissions from Aviation’ report. 

With the ever increasing need to reduce emissions, the report identifies enhancements to the current aviation syste…

Performance Based Navigation Rules and Advisory Circular released

Performance Based Navigation Rules and Advisory Circular released

New Southern Sky is excited to announce that, after many years of hard work and collaboration with industry, the CAA has released the rules and associated Advisory Circular …

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AC3-19 for ADS-B installations in Gliders released

After many months of hard work, we are pleased to announce that the CAA has now approved AC3-19 for the installation of specific ADS-B equipment into Gliders. This AC provides the necessary Acceptable Technical Data (ATD) required for Stand…

ADS-B Grant Scheme criteria updated

ADS-B Grant Scheme eligibility criteria updated

Minor amendments and clarifications have been made to the ADS-B Grant Scheme eligibility criteria. 

To view these changes, see here. 

As of 3 August 2021, over 1430 applications and 1090 cl…

NSS System Assessment and Benefits Evaluation Reports

NSS System Assessment and Benefits Evaluation Reports

A project was undertaken prior to the stand-down of the New Southern Sky team on 30 June, to test the planned 2023 aviation system.

The purpose of this project was to understand if t…

NSS Working Group 41 Key Messages

NSS Working Group 41 Key Messages

 

Key Aviation stakeholders were in attendance for the 41st New Southern Sky Working Group meeting, held at the CAA in Wellington on 11 June. The 41st meeting was the final meeting with the full NSS Progr…

EASA Space Weather Bulletins

The European Aviation Safety Authority EASA has issued two very interesting Safety Information Bulletins on the effects of Space Weather on Aviation.  Please see the EASA Website or view the bulletins below: 

 

 

EASA-SIB-2012-10R1-1.pdf…

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NSS Working Group 40 Key Messages

Aviation stakeholders once again came together for the bi-monthly New Southern Sky Working Group meeting held at the CAA in Wellington on 16 April 2021.  

Key discussions included;

NSS Transision Plan

UAV / Drone Integration

Environment…

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NSS 2023 - What We Delivered and What We Learned

The NSS Team travelled the length of New Zealand in March to deliver New Southern Sky 2023 presentations. 

To view the presentation, please click here

The key messages from the visits are as follows:

The aviation community is realising t…

ADS-B Already Improving Aviation Safety in New Zealand

The transition to ADS-B as New Zealand’s primary aviation surveillance system is well under way with new installations occurring month-on-month.  The proportion of registered aircraft in New Zealand equipped with ADS-B continues to rise, an…

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NSS Working Group 39 Key Messages

Aviation stakeholders once again came together for the bi-monthly New Southern Sky Working Group meeting held at the CAA in Wellington on 01 February 2021.  

Key discussions included;

NSS 2023 NZ Tour

Performance Based Navigation Regulat…

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ADS-B rule signed with December 2022 deadline

The Minister of Transport has signed an updated Civil Aviation Rule which will improve aviation safety in New Zealand’s controlled airspace.

Acting Director of Civil Aviation Shelley Turner said the rule, signed by Minister of Transport Ho…

Otago Weather Radar now Live

The new MetService Otago real-time weather radar became operational on 11 Dec 2020. 

As an important stakeholder the New Southern Skys programme we are delighted for MetService to have reached this milestone. 

The $3m radar is the tenth i…

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ADS-B Notice of Requirement revision 2 and Draft AC91-24 revision 1 released

The NSS team is pleased to announce that the highly anticipated revision to Notice of Requirement NTC91.258 regarding ADS-B has now been released by the CAA.

The revision contains several updates and clarifications. The three main changes …

NSS Working Group Key Messages - 12 October 2020

Aviation stakeholders once again came together for the bi-monthly New Southern Sky Working Group meeting held at the CAA in Wellington on 12 October 2020.  

Key discussions included;

ADS-B Uptake and Grant Scheme

SBAS - Southern Position…

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ADS-B Grant Scheme payments hit $1m

 The NSS team is delighted to announce that the ADS-B Grant Scheme has now approved over $1m worth of claims, providing Covid-19 affected operators with some welcome financial relief.

Over 720 applications have been received to enter the s…

NSS Working Group Key Messages 14 August 2020

Aviation stakeholders once again came together for the bi-monthly New Southern Sky Working Group meeting held via Skype on 14 August 2020.  

Key discussions included;

ADS-B Grant Scheme

SBAS - Southern Positioning Augmentation Network 

…

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NSS AIMS CONOPS Released

Powered by the dedication of industry, the NSS Programme recently completed its project to produce an Aeronautical Information management Systems (AIMS) Concept of Operations document (CONOPS). As directed by the National Airspace and Air N…

NSS Working Group Key Messages 15 June 2020

Aviation stakeholders once again came together for the bi-monthly New Southern Sky Working Group meeting held via Skype on 15 June 2020.  

Key discussions included the ADS-B Grant Scheme, updates from Airways, MetService, SBAS Southern Pos…

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Important ADS-B Grant Scheme Guidance

 The ADS-B Grant Scheme has hit the ground running, receiving almost 500 applications already and will have released over $312,000 in claims by the end of June. ADS-B equipage has now reached 814, with 68 new aircraft detected in the month …

ADS-B Notice of Requirement Revision Released by CAA for Consultation

The Revised Notice of Requirement (NTC91.258) is now open for public consultation. Please take the time to read this carefully.  The CAA invites everyone to respond and provide their input.

NTC91.258 Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broa…

ADS-B Grant Scheme pays out $46k in March

The ADS-B Grant Scheme, which was launched on March 23, has already received over 270 applications and paid out $46k (plus GST) for just 18 claims.

The Government supported ADS-B Transponder Grant is open to applications from owners of NZ …

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NSS Key Messages and Covid-19 Update

Please find the NSSWG Key Messages here from the last NSSWG meeting held on 17 February.

Due to the upheaval caused by Covid-19 we have only just been able to place the key messages on the NSS website.  Getting the ADS-B Grant Scheme under…

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ADS-B Grant Scheme now welcoming applications

The NSS team is delighted to announce that the CAA has opened the ADS-B Grant Scheme, and aircraft owners who meet the eligibility criteria can now submit applications to claim up to $3000 + GST for their ADS-B installations.

Information o…

NSS Working Group Key Messages February 2020

Aviation stakeholders once again came together for the bi-monthly New Southern Sky Working Group meeting held at the Civil Aviation Authority in Wellington on 17th February 2020.  

Key discussions included the ADS-B grant administration sc…

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ADS-B draft rule marks further significant NSS milestone

On 19 December 2019, the Civil Aviation Authority released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) relating to the requirement to operate ADS-B in all controlled airspace from 31 December 2021. This is the latest milestone surrounding ADS-B…

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A year of ADS-B milestones

Don’t forget to book your ADS-B installationIf you own a New Zealand-registered aircraft with a MCTOW of less than 7,500kg, you may qualify for financial support to help you equip with ADS-B.

In October the Government announced a $12.5 mil…

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PBN Regulatory Framework Project - how we're tracking

As outlined in the National Airspace and Air Navigation Plan 2017 (NAANP); New Zealand is to move to a full PBN environment, with some system redundancy by 2023. The Civil Aviation Rules are outdated and prescriptive. They do not support th…

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Eligibility criteria for ADS-B grant released

If you own a New Zealand-registered aircraft with a MCTOW of less than 7,500kg, you may qualify for financial support to help you equip with ADS-B.

In October the Government announced a $12.5 million ADS-B Grant programme, to support the u…

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Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) Trials Outcomes

In early 2017, the New Southern Sky (NSS) programme contracted BECA to conduct a Feasibility Study to determine the suitability of ADS-B Transponder and GNSS position source equipment that were not certified as per the applicable TSOs liste…

Boost to New Southern Sky Programme - ADS-B grant announced for GA

GA Fliers may be eligible for financial support to help them equip with ADS-B as part of a new $12.5 million ADS-B Transponder Grant announced by the Government today.

Owners of New Zealand-registered general aviation aircraft who install …

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MetService Improves Access to Weather Information for the Aviation Industry

MetOps Display Provides Improved Situational Awareness for AviationMetService are unveiling a new product created to help the aviation industry stay connected and aware of weather conditions on the ground and in the air.

MetOps Display is …

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Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) Benefits Prove Hard to Ignore

New Southern Sky Study Suggests Big Benefits to be Realised by A-CDMA study commissioned by NSS has produced some encouraging information on the benefits that may be harvested from the deployment of  Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A…

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Christchurch PBN Flight Paths Final Report Released

Report Confirms Performance Based Navigation Benefits Are Being DeliveredA 12-month PBN flight path trial for some arrivals into Christchurch Airport ended on 9 November 2018. The trial was delivered in conjunction with Airways New Zealand,…

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SBAS Trial Economic Benefits Analysis Report Released

We are happy to inform you that today in Australia, the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, the Hon Matt Canavan publicly announced the release of the Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) Trial economic benefits analysis re…

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New Southern Sky visits the US NextGen Programme

In early June, New Southern Sky director Steve Smyth travelled to Washington DC to meet with counterparts from the United States’ equivalent of the NSS programme.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s NextGen is a $40 billion program to mo…

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Budget investment in GPS technology will help save lives

New Zealand Government commits $2.0M to as shared Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS)An announcement from the Beehive on Sunday 23rd June confirmed New Zealand would be committing money towards the development of an Australasian SBAS…

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Watch stakeholders share their thoughts on PBN at Approach 19

From commercial operators to Avionics LAMES, air traffic controllers, and procedure designer’s, in this short video hear members of the aviation sector talk about their experiences with PBN, including the importance of engagement and why th…

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Approach 19 Presentations slides now available

Approach 19 PBN Forum Presentations Presentation slides from Approach 19 Australasian PBN Forum which was held on 2/3rd April 2019 are now available online for viewing. If you have any questions relating to the content of the slides, please…

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CAA releases SOPs guidance material to support PBN transition

The CAA is pleased to announce the release of Performance Based Navigation standard operating procedures guidance material. The document has been released as part of a New Southern Sky (NSS) initiative to help smooth the pathway for operato…

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Looking Ahead in New Zealand

IATA Highlights New Zealand's Positioning on the Global Stage The International Air Transport Association (IATA) supports aviation with global standards for airline safety, security, efficiency and sustainability. In the following article, …

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Is New Zealand Aviation Ready for the Future?

The Royal Aeronautical Society Wellington presents “Is New Zealand Aviation Ready for the Future?” at ‘Wings Over Wairarapa’.

This is an outstanding opportunity to hear speakers including the RNZAF, CAA, and the Honorable Company of Air Pi…

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CAA release PBN Operational End-State 2023 document

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is pleased to announce the release of the Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Operational End-State 2023: A Regulatory View document.

The document provides operators with a regulatory view of the future PB…

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Part 91 and Part 135 operators share their advice on PBN

RidgeAir with support from NSS hit the road in November to talk about PBN with Part 91 and Part 135 IFR operators.
Hear advice from operators who attended the discussions. Questions covered in this video are:

1. What was the most valuable …

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Practical tips and information to help you equip for ADS-B

Don't get left in the hangar... equip with ADS-B to keep flyingThe Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is proposing to mandate ADS-B OUT in all transponder mandatory controlled airspace from 31 December 2021. As the New Zealand aviation system m…

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South Island operators get on board with PBN

A large number of South Island operators have literally got on board with PBN this week, getting to see how the system works from the cockpit of a PBN-equipped aircraft.

Ridge Air chief pilot Ross McCullum and one of his company’s aircraft…

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Satellite Navigation Made Better

Most aircraft owners and pilots already understand the benefits of GPS as a primary means of navigation and the improved surveillance coverage Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) provides. However, less is known about the ben…

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MILESTONE ACHIEVED: Rules and Guidance for ADS-B OUT in the NZFIR

Major Milestone AchievedThe first major regulatory milestone has been reached in the last month with the signing of the Rule, Notice and publishing of the AC with regard to ADS-B above FL245. The Future Surveillance project team has worked …

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Making the Most of ADS-B in General Aviation - an Australian example

Former AOPA Australia president talks ADS-B benefits for General AviationAt the recent 2018 New Southern Sky Conference, Andrew Andersen, former president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Australia and GA pilot, shared h…

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General ADS-B Information Released

CAA releases general ADS-B Information for Aircraft Owners and Operators in the NZFIRNew Zealand is implementing Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) as its main source of surveillance data for air traffic management. With t…

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Provisional schedule for the delivery of PBN regulatory change released!

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), under the New Southern Sky (NSS) programme, is pleased to announce the release of a provisional schedule for the delivery of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) regulatory changes.

 The schedule for regul…

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Interim PBN Flight Paths Trial Report Released

In November 2017, Christchurch International Airport and its partners, embarked on a 12-month Performance Based Navigation (PBN) trial to determine the safety, environmental, economic and social benefits it could provide to travelers, the a…

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Ground Based Navigation Aid Report

The report produced by the Ground Based Navigation Aid Review Panel (GBNA RP) is now available on the New Southern Sky website. 

The full report can be accessed by clicking here. 

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Wellington Airport Announces Flight Path Trial

Wellington Airport has announced its plans for a Performance Based Navigation (PBN) trial beginning in September 2018. 

The Performance Based Navigation (PBN) trial will see aircraft use their Global Positioning System (GPS) to follow opti…

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Aeropath AIS-AIM Partnership

Aeropath Signs Deal with Snowflake SoftwareToday it was announced that Snowflake Software, a provider of cloud and on-premise software solutions for the aviation industry, is working with Aeropath to deliver an Aeronautical Information Exch…

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Planned testing of non-certified / low powered ADS-B equipment

The 2017 NSS Roadshow highlighted interest from the sector around alternative low-power and non-certified ADS-B solutions. In response to this feedback, the NSS Programme is looking to conduct tests of non-certified/low-powered ADS-B equipm…

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Ground Based Navigation Aids - Recommendations Released

GROUND BASED NAVIGATION AIDS 

In taking advantage of the availability of the Global Positioning System (GPS), many countries have taken the opportunity to reduce the number of ground based navigation aids (GBNA) (beacons).

In New Zealand,…

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New Zealand PBN Implementation Plan - Revised 2017 Released!

The second edition of the New Zealand Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Implementation Plan is now available.

The Plan, delivered under the New Southern Sky programme in consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders, aims to have a…

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VIDEO: PBN in New Zealand – Advice from a PART 135 Operator

Massey LynchMassey is the Pilot/Training Standards Manager at Westpac Air Ambulance in Hamilton, part of the Philips Search and Rescue Trust.  You can find out more about this organisation and the great work it does here. We have reproduced…

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Workshop Capacity Survey highlights the need to equip with ADS-B OUT sooner rather than later

The New Southern Sky team has released a report that clearly highlights the finite capacity of Avionics Workshops around New Zealand, and reiterates the need to get equipped (or at least booked in to a workshop) as soon as possible.

The su…

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ADS-B FAQ document updated for 2020

The ADS-B FAQ document has now been updated for 2020 and can be found here. The document now includes a section relating to the ADS-B Grant Scheme.

For further information see the Surveillance Workstream page, or email adsb@caa.govt.nz

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NSS Conference Webinar Series "Making ADS-B Work" has lift off

The NSS Conference Webinar Series “Making ADS-B Work” successfully kicked off on Tues 03 Nov with over 60 attendees logging in to hear Dan Hicok of the FAA give a US perspective on the lessons learned from their transition to ADS-B. Dan had…

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