LiveTV Satellite Communications, a Thales company and Greenwich AeroGroup, have achieved another joint milestone in inflight integration by demonstrating their LiveAero™ connectivity solution on a Sikorsky S-92® helicopter in-flight.

LiveTV Satellite Communications and distributor Greenwich AeroGroup were chosen by Sikorsky to install and deliver LiveAero’s system to Sikorsky S-92 custom-equipped helicopters to be used primarily for search and rescue missions. LiveAero is the only true global broadband connectivity system that is unaffected by helicopter rotors and weather. The system offers three voice and one data/Wi-Fi channels that can all simultaneously be used for voice, data and compressed video transmission anywhere around the globe on fixed wing and rotorcraft. The system can support critical mission data requirements such as texting, emails, internet surfing, aircraft health monitoring,VPN/Cloud connectivity, patient life signs/triage information and more during all stages of flights, on and offshore.

Thomas Tully, Engineering Project Manager for Sikorsky Aircraft, said, “We were able to demonstrate in flight that the Safe Triage System has the ability to capture and transmit all vital signs via wireless peripherals directly to emergency medical centers to aid in intelligent diagnosis.”

“This confirms that the technology provides the rotorcraft industry with a very stable, high availability data link,” said Thales LiveTV President Glenn Latta.

The Thales breakthrough uses a multi-element seven-panel phased-array antenna to communicate with Iridium’s network of 66 Low-Earth Orbit satellites (LEO) in orbit and manage the bandwidth between satellites. The flight testing included Iridium space vehicle passes at a variety of azimuths, showing continuous connectivity throughout the flight envelope.