TIMELINE
A History of Engineering Excellence
2019
Building on our aviation experience Stonefield has designed a text to speech application to automate the river broadcast on the Thames. This takes current information from the tide level and MET systems, as well as user, entered observations and details to produce a repeated message transmitted to all river users from remote sites.
2019
Further development and enhancements to the AIMS package with upgrades at Southampton and Biggin Hill to include interfaces to new IRVR sensors and an extension of the portal at Biggin Hill to allow their external accounts package to directly access real-time flight movement data for accurate and timely billing.
2017-2019
Full circle – Stonefield contracted by the UK National Air Traffic Services to develop a replacement software package for the en-route remote monitoring and control system installed originally in 1987 and to support the original outstations.
2017-2018
Replacement of the navigational lamps on the Thames Barrier with LED lamps. The project included the design of the LED dimmers and implemented communications over the DC power cables so that the existing cables could be used minimalizing downtime during installation, reducing costs and avoiding the need to drill through the infrastructure.
Stonefield also designed the replacement control cubicles and included battery maintenance.
Installation was managed by Stonefield using specialist maritime installers Marinstall Ltd as subcontractors.
The process allowed all other arrays on the barrier to function normally during installation allowing river traffic to continue unhindered.
2016
The AIMS package at Biggin Hill Airport, installed originally in 1999 and updated on a number of occasions, is extended with a portal to allow Pilots to apply online for Prior Permission (PPR) and effectively “Bookout” their flight streamlining the ATC Flight management process.
2012
Supply of AFTN terminals along with our Flights Movement package for NATO in Afghanistan working closely with the UK supplier of their AFTN switch.
2011
Trial of LED lamps as a replacement for the high-power incandescent lamps used on the navigational arrays on the Thames Barrier.
The trial array had to interface with the existing control and monitoring system.
2010-2012
Supply and Installation of Remote Monitoring System at 34 Airports in Saudi Arabia reporting equipment status information back to GACA (Saudi CAA) Monitoring Centre at Jeddah.
Design of new outstations to provide higher density and included embedded Ethernet communications.
2009
Working with the FAA Stonefield developed a CMHP interface to the AFTN package allowing Turks and Caicos to connect to the FAA NADIN system in order to maintain their AFTN connection to the mainland. All work was carried out in the UK and tested using remote connections to the FAA facilities.
2008
Combined the various Stonefield systems in use by PLA into a centralised package with multiple servers for redundancy and resilience and new touch screen displays for the users.
2006
Design, manufacture and installation of a tide level monitoring system for PLA along the Thames from Tilbury to Chelsea bridge.
2006
Upgraded AIMS system installed at Biggin Hill.
2006
Installation of the Fog lights on Barking Barrier with an associated remote monitoring and control package.
2005
Upgrade RCMS system installed at Southampton Airport.
2005
Monitoring of tide and river levels at Richmond lock with alarms to alert the lock keeper when to open and close the sluices.
2005
Radar and airport system monitoring for the new tower at Edinburgh Airport with a new modular range of Stonefield designed and manufactured outstations.
2003
A phased replacement of the Isophase outstations on the Thames bridges with a new design to extend the life of the system.
2002
All the elements of our ARMS and AIMS systems brought together for a major overseas contract to provide a comprehensive integrated airport monitoring and control system for Addis Ababa International Airport, Ethiopia (meteorological data, ATIS, AGL control and monitoring, monitoring of Navaids, power, communications and fire alarm systems).
2001
Replacement of the switches and indicators used by PLA to control the navigational lamps on the Thames barrier with PC display and control interfaced to the barrier through Stonefield Commander based outstations.
2000
AIMS augmented with Airport Terminal Information Service (ATIS).
2000
Installation of control and monitoring of RACON beacons installed on the Thames Barrier.
1999
A flights movement database added to the airport systems to extend the ATC provision to Airport Information Management (AIMS). Installations at Biggin Hill, Manston and Isle Of Man.
The Flights package includes the display of flight movements to ATC and Operations, Flights strip printing, FIDS and Invoicing.
1995
Design, development, manufacture and installation of low power outstations and associated monitoring system for Buoys and lighthouses in Singapore and Indonesia.
1994
The installation for Southampton Airport sees ARMS extended to include monitoring of weather sensors and reporting of METARS through our own AFTN interface.
1993
Our NAVAID monitoring extended to provide complete Airport monitoring and control (ARMS). The Highland and Islands airports are early adopters.
1990
Following the sinking of the Marchioness on the river Thames the Stonefield designed and manufactured Isophase traffic light system was installed on all the bridges over the tidal reaches of the Thames from Tower Bridge. With Ship to Bridge and Bridge to Centre communications, the system warns river users of the approach of a large vessel.
1989
Stonefield design a “standard monitoring system” for Racal who supply it worldwide to their NAVAID customers. These use the Stonefield Commander based OSE developed initially for tank level monitoring and applications across other industries.
1987
Design, development and installation of a nationwide monitoring system for the UK National Air Traffic Services. The project included Stonefield designed outstations installed at every en-route navigational beacon site communicating back to a number of NATS centres to report failures and current status and provide remote control. The system is in 24-hour use and remains in operation to this day.