FlightSpan™ is designed to function best when paired with v2Track flight following hardware. v2Track not only provides flight following, but enables the following FlightSpan™ features:
- Automatic recording of ATD/ATA
- Automatic recording of block times
- Automatic recording of takeoffs and landings
- Automatic recording of engine cycles (if wired to generator)
- Sending trip manifests, ETAs, and on the ground reports
- Moving Map features
- Messaging
v2Track Overview
v2track is an asset monitoring and communication system. In order to keep costs lower, it automatically switches between transmitting data via cellular networks when available, and via satellite networks when cellular is not available.
Flight Tracking
- Automatic tracking – as soon as the avionics master is turned on, v2track automatically begins tracking, and discontinues tracking when power is lost either by turning off the master, or in an accident.
- Flight Watch – when activated, an emergency alert will be generated within 10 minutes of loss of electrical power, whether from turning off the master or because of an accident. Flight Watch activation is automatic in most countries; in the USA, manual activation is required. A setting is available in FlightSpan™ Ops to activate and deactivate Manual Flight Watch when sending the trip manifest and reporting on the ground.
Types of Notifications
- Routine Notifications
- Master On
- Engine Running, on Ground
- Takeoff / Airborne
- Enroute
- Landing
- Manual Flight Watch Activated (USA only)
- Manual Flight Watch Canceled (USA only)
- Messages
- Emergency Alerts
- Flight Watch Timeout
- Emergency Button Pressed
- User defined automatic malfunction/abnormality alerts
- Canceled Emergency Alerts
- Flight Watch Timeout Canceled (when electrical power is restored or via iPad button press)
- I’m OK Button Pressed
System Components
- Iridium and Cellular antennas
- v2Tracker with
- EMERG button used by the pilot to send an emergency alert
- MARK button used by the pilot to store current position
- I’M OK button used by the pilot to cancel an emergency alert
- Status lights (Sat, Cell, GPS, Data, MSG, EMERG, MARK, I’M OK)
- v2track Company Applications
- v2Connect (not needed when using FlightSpan™) – can be used by the pilot in the cockpit to interface with the system and to send and receive messages using the iPad.
- v2track Viewer is used online to
- Authorize Bluetooth devices to connect
- Manage fleet and users
- Set desired alert parameters
- Monitor aircraft position
- Send and receive messages
- Receive emergency alerts
FlightSpan™ Installation Recommendations
See the v2Track documentation for installation instructions. The following are recommendations for optimizing the functionality of v2Track with FlightSpan™.
Minimum Equipment
- Panel mounted v2Track Unit
- Iridium/GPS Antenna
- Cellular Antenna
- Collective Switch for helicopters – enables recording ATD prior to sensing movement, and ATA after movement has stopped when the collective is lowered. Without a collective switch, v2Track will report on the ground any time the helicopter begins to hover.
Recommended Additional Equipment/Inputs
- v2 ‘Keep Alive’ Switch wired to the hot bus – turning on at the beginning of the flight day and off at the end of the flight day eliminates the need to reconnect the iPad via Bluetooth after each engine start.
- Inputs from:
- Oil Pressure switch
- Enables the ability to send an emergency alert in case of oil pressure loss
- One method of billing of engine run time.
- Rotor RPM – enables associated emergency alerts
- Generator Switch for turbine aircraft and helicopters
- Improves normal reports
- Enables certain emergency alerts
- Enables accurate counting of engine cycles
- One method of billing of engine run time.
- Oil Pressure switch
FlightSpan™ Use of v2Track
See In Flight Use documentation for how to use v2Track with FlightSpan™.