Chronos has designed and installed a GPS repeater system for Bombardier’s new super hangar at its London Biggin Hill Service Centre, the largest business jet Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility in the UK.
GNSS (the Global Navigation Satellite System) comprises GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou satellite systems which all transmit at an inherently low signal strength that cannot penetrate most buildings. Aircraft maintenance schedules often require Avionics testing for which a stable GNSS signal is required. The installation of the repeater solution into Bombardier’s hangar allows this to take place without having to move aircraft outside to pick up the satellite signal offering significant cost savings and quicker maintenance turnaround.
Chronos originally installed a repeater solution for Bombardier’s London Biggin Hill facility in 2018 and was asked if the current system could be extended into the new hangar. To meet these new requirements, Chronos carried out a detailed site inspection and designed a solution which incorporated existing and new hardware including 12 repeating antennas linked via fibre optic cabling. This was mirrored for both the North and South hangars.
The new hangar has more than doubled Bombardier’s London Biggin Hill Service Centre footprint to nearly 250,000 square feet, increasing on-site capacity to accommodate a wide variety of aircraft, including up to 14 Global 7500 aircraft at one time. To accommodate the size of the hangar, Chronos installed a GNSS over fibre solution to minimise degradation of the GNSS signal thus ensuring a resilient round the clock signal throughout the facility.
Joanne Akers, Managing Director of Chronos said, “We are proud to support Bombardier’s expansion of the London Biggin Hill Service Centre with a GPS repeater solution which will enhance the maintenance capabilities, especially when the facility is housing the maximum number of aircraft.”
As the only dedicated business aviation airport in London, Biggin Hill is home to more than 70 aerospace companies and more than 1,300 jobs. Since its opening in 2017 and recent expansion in 2022, Bombardier’s London Biggin Hill Service Centre has grown its workforce to more than 250 employees, with plans for more growth to support the OEM’s ever-increasing customer base.
The Bombardier facility continues to build a solid aerospace pipeline to foster the development of highly skilled technicians in partnership with UK training leader Marshall Skills Academy. The new cohort of Bombardier Level 3 apprentices will complete their first year in Marshall’s workshop in Cambridge before returning to the aircraft manufacturer’s London Biggin Hill site for continuous on-site learning and assessment.
In addition to its contribution to Biggin Hill as a leading centre for aviation technology, innovation, and economic growth, Bombardier is deeply committed to reducing its carbon footprint. The company purposefully designed and built its London Biggin Hill Service Centre in an environmentally conscious way. This includes the installation of solar panels and electrical charging stations on site.
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About Chronos Technology
Chronos Technology is a leading international authority in resilient synchronisation and timing systems, smart technologies, GNSS and cyber security solutions for critical national infrastructure with unrivalled industry experience gathered over 35 years in GNSS, PTP, NTP and SyncE. Working closely with our customers and their evolving requirements, our team of technical experts provide complete solutions from network design, solution specification, installation & commissioning, monitoring, and auditing, and 24/365 support, delivering best performance for timing & navigation applications. We are trusted as experts by our customers across the telecom, finance, energy, data centre, broadcast, aerospace, defence & security, enterprise/IT, emergency services, transport, and manufacturing sectors.
A world leader in GNSS vulnerability detection and geolocation technology, Chronos also specialises in equipment for industrial Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) solutions, including ground-breaking GPS coverage underground solutions and GPS repeating solutions.
ISO9001 accredited, Chronos is a member of the ITU Standards Committee (ITU-T SG15/Q13), and Prof. Charles Curry is founder of the International Timing Sync Forum (ITSF) which is the largest annual conference focusing on synchronisation and timing technology in communications networks.
Chronos is proud to be an employee-owned company.
About Bombardier
Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, focused on designing, manufacturing, and servicing the world’s most exceptional business jets. Bombardier’s Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft families are renowned for their cutting-edge innovation, cabin design, performance, and reliability.
Bombardier has a worldwide fleet of approximately 5,000 aircraft in service with a wide variety of multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments, and private individuals. Bombardier aircraft are also trusted around the world in special-mission roles.
Headquartered in Montréal, Québec, Bombardier operates aerostructure, assembly and completion facilities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The company’s robust customer support network includes facilities in strategic locations in the United States and Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, the UAE, Singapore, China and Australia.
For corporate news and information, including Bombardier’s Environmental, Social and Governance report, visit bombardier.com. Learn more about Bombardier’s industry-leading products and customer service network at businessaircraft.bombardier.com
Bombardier, Learjet, Challenger, Global, and Global 7500 are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
