Perhaps they should look at this system. At the very least you could eat it if you're stuck out in the kangene.....
Missing Aircraft - Pilots Navigate Blindly-Nigcomsat Boss
Vanguard (Lagos)
14 May 2008
Chinyere Amalu
Lagos
THE Managing Director (MD) of Nigeria Communication Satellite (NigComSat), Mr. Ahmed Rufai, an engineer has attributed the missing of the aircraft carrying three passengers and two pilots for over two months now to obsolete facilities in most Nigerian aircraft, saying that Nigerian pilots navigate blindly while flying.
He also pointed out that within one year NIGCOMSAT-1 was launched in-orbit, it has provided over 400 community Tele-centres nationwide with 79 currently being deployed.Responding to questions on why NIGCOMSAT Satellite could not dictate the whereabouts of the aircraft, yesterday in Abuja at the celebration to mark one year in-orbit of the NIGCOMSAT-1, Rufai said that there was supposed to be air band in all the aircraft that cover the whole world in aviation sector, adding that unfortunately most of Nigeria's aircraft do not have it.
His words, "the aircraft must carry transmitting device (156 mega bacons). This will enable the pilot to communicate to us through the satellite. If the aircraft in Nigeria can carry those bacons, they can communicate to NigComsat whenever there are emergencies.
"We have set up an infrastructure for the aviation sector, so that once the aircraft take off, we will monitor their movement in the air, right from the time they took off to the time they landed.
"In fact Nigerian pilots navigate blindly. They can only communicate within five kilometres, after they rook off and after that, they navigate without communication. We have highlighted all these to NEMA and aviation authorities, but because money is involved to get things right, they back off", he said.
On the gains of the Satellite after its launch, he said that it is currently carrying NTA, AIT, Emperion, Galaxy BACKBONE Pl and cyberspace with sales commitment to Defence Headquarters, Immigration and others.
He pointed out that the NIGCOMSAT has faced challenges which have hindered its marketers, adding that key amongst them were the long term agreements signed by potential customers with competitors thus limiting migration of NigcomSat-1.
He whoever, pointed out that the first payment of $256 million which was the cost the satellite commences next year with the payment of $46 million, adding that since NIGCOMSAT is 100 per cent owned by the Federal government, the payment should be made by the government.
On job creation for Nigerian youth through the satellite, he said that at least 10 people would be employed by each state, especially those that have engineering skills.