Moving map display used
in helicopter fire-fighting
In January of this year, large areas around
Sydney & the NSW coast were devastated by
bushfires. Helicopters were used in number of
ways during that time &, for some, their task
of navigating through smoke-filled skies was
made easier & safer by GPS position data.
Most readers would now be familiar
with GPS (Global Positioning System)
satellite receivers and the revolution
that they have brought about in navigation, whether on the high seas, on
land or in the air. But helicopter pilots
flying above cities don’t want latitude
and longitude information - they want
to know what street is immediately
below them. AusGPS provides this
information.
AusGPS is an Australian developed
software package which converts position data from a Sony GPS (Global
Positioning System) satellite receiver
into a moving map display on the
screen of a portable laptop computer.
It proved to be of immense benefit to
helicopter pilots, their navigators and
observers during the NSW bushfires in
early January.
The need to navigate through thick
bushfire smoke to water bomb outbreaks, transport personnel or ignite
backburns proved to numerous helicopter pilots that conventional GPS
receivers which give a position report
in latitude and longitude were com
paratively useless.
Melbourne-based GPS technology
developer, Resource Industry Associates (RIA), developed the Aus GPS
software in conjunction with Electro
com in Sydney, combining the power
The AusGPS moving map software running on a laptop computer enabled
helicopter pilots & their observers to operate with pinpoint accuracy in
conditions of thick bushfire smoke during the NSW bushfires in early January.
of a GPS receiver with the versatility
of a portable laptop colour computer.
RIA’s Jeff Bailey said that, fortunately, there were enough helicopters in
the air equipped with GPS systems
and the AusGPS software. This was
sufficient to prove the value of the
technology as a firefighting management aid.
With visibility at less than one
kilometre, the AusGPS map display
continuously showed the position of
the nearest power lines, peaks and
other obstructions. Every second,
the software calculated the bearing
and distance to the nearest available
landing zone, in case an emergency
landing was required.
With a helicopter located over a
hotspot or new fire outbreak, position
reporting was incredibly simple. There
was no time to look at a paper map or
try and figure out the location. The
AusGPS display immediately showed
the position as a 6-digit map reference,
a topographic map number and even
the street directory map number and
coordinates.
Changing a helicopter’s course for
a new location couldn’t be simpler.
After receiving a 6-digit map reference
over the radio, the navigator needed to
press only nine keys and the AusGPS
automatically showed the heading,
distance and estimated travelling time.
By contrast, helicopters using only a
GPS receiver frequently became disoriented because they could not use the
latitude and longitude information to
quickly find their position on topographic maps.
The AusGPS software runs on a
laptop PC with a hard disc and 640Kb
of RAM. For fast updates, a 386 laptop with a colour display screen is
recommended.
For further information on GPS
receivers and AusGPS software, contact Jeff Bailey, Resource Industry
Associates, 538 Brunswick St, North
Fitzroy, 3068. Phone (03) 482 4945 or
SC
fax (03) 482 4956.
June 1994 11
