SSASS

11/09/2026

SSASS Holdings CEO, Dean Polley, will be speaking at Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2026.

Topic: The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for commercial, humanitarian and military operations

📍Waterkloof Air Force Base, Hangar 5
📆 18 September 2026
⏱️ 09h40

AAD 2026 is from 16-18 September 2026.

https://www.aadexpo.co.za/

04/09/2026

In another international milestone for SSASS Holdings and uAvionix Corporation, the first shipment of a pingStation 3 all-weather ground-based ADS-B receiver to India.

As unmanned aviation moves toward increasingly sophisticated long-range BVLOS operations, knowing where cooperative crewed and uncrewed aircraft are operating becomes a fundamental part of airspace situational awareness.

The pingStation 3 provides a ground-based surveillance layer that can feed real-time ADS-B traffic into a Ground Control Station, UAS traffic-management platform or wider surveillance network.

This becomes particularly valuable when a BVLOS aircraft itself carries an ADS-B Out transponder, such as the uAvionix ping200XR. The operating team can establish an electronic conspicuity architecture in which the UAS broadcasts its position while the ground infrastructure receives ADS-B transmissions from appropriately equipped aircraft sharing the operating environment.

Why pingStation 3? It is a rugged, networkable dual-band ADS-B receiver, simultaneously receiving 1090 MHz and 978 MHz UAT traffic. Its IP67 all-weather enclosure is designed for permanent outdoor deployment, while a single Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) connection simplifies power and data installation. Integrated GPS provides precision timestamping, and outputs include ASTERIX CAT021, JSON and Compressed VRS, facilitating integration with professional surveillance, GCS and traffic-management systems.

Multiple pingStation 3 receivers can also be networked to create a wider low-altitude surveillance volume.

For serious BVLOS operations, electronic conspicuity is about more than tracking the drone. It is about giving the remote crew a clearer picture of the airspace around the operation and providing surveillance information that can support the operator's broader Detect-and-Avoid and air-risk mitigation architecture.

This shipment to India represents another step in SSASS Holdings' commitment to enabling safer integration of unmanned aircraft into shared airspace through proven aviation surveillance technology.

One airspace. Manned and unmanned. See and be seen.

04/09/2026

Another milestone for electronic conspicuity in South Africa

SSASS Holdings is pleased to announce the delivery of the first uAvionix ping200XR to a South African client — another important step in the growing adoption of electronic conspicuity for unmanned aircraft.

Worldwide, electronic conspicuity is becoming increasingly important across manned and unmanned aviation, improving airspace awareness and helping aircraft to “see and be seen.” For UAS, this capability is particularly significant as the industry progresses toward routine BVLOS operations and safer integration into controlled and general aviation airspace.

The ping200XR from uAvionix Corporation is a compact, aviation-grade Mode S ADS-B transponder designed specifically for unmanned aircraft.

Key capabilities include:
✳️ Mode S transponder with ADS-B Out
✳️ 1090 MHz Extended Squitter (1090ES)
✳️ Integrated high-integrity FYX GPS
✳️ TSO-certified aviation technology
✳️ Compact, lightweight architecture suited to UAS integration
✳️ Enables the unmanned aircraft's identity, position, altitude and other surveillance information to be visible to compatible aviation surveillance systems

For SSASS Holdings, this delivery represents more than another product supplied. It demonstrates the continuing shift toward electronic conspicuity as a practical air-risk mitigation technology for BVLOS UAS operations and an important building block for the safe coexistence of unmanned and conventional aviation.

One airspace. Manned and unmanned. See and be seen.

02/09/2026

Dean Polley, CEO of SSASS Holdings, will be speaking at the Africa Summit & Exhibition 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday 10th September.

Beyond the Permit: Corridors, Conspicuity & Airspace Integration

At Aviation Africa 2026 in Nairobi, Dean will be making the case that electronic conspicuity is the enabling technology that turns a permit into a working operation. If an aircraft can be seen — by air traffic control, by other pilots, by the systems managing the airspace around it — then corridors, remote identification and traffic management stop being paperwork and start being infrastructure.

Dean will drawing on real deployments to talk through what genuinely works: the minimum viable conspicuity that suits Africa's airspace and aircraft rather than importing mandates built for somewhere else, and how getting this layer right is what finally integrates UAS BVLOS operations into general aviation and national airspace.

If you're working on the systems that will scale autonomous flight across the continent, meet up with Dean in the Mwina Room on Thursday 10 September at 14:00.

uAvionix Corporation
AFBAA African Business Aviation Association
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority - KCAA
South African Civil Aviation Authority - SACAA

11/08/2026

In the August edition of World Airnews Magazine, Dean Polley, CEO of SSASS Holdings and Chairman of the AFBAA African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) UAS Committee, shares his views on PERSISTENT EYES IN THE SKY with Judith Rodokanakis and how connected UAV ecosystems are redefining security, infrastructure and defence.

Read the entire online magazine: https://lnkd.in/dukmn-U8

08/07/2026

THE FUTURE OF DRONE MINE SURVEY and MAPPING IS HERE!

We put drone surveying on autopilot — from flight planning to processed data, without a pilot on site!

Traditional drone surveys still depend on someone driving to site, flying manually, offloading memory cards, and hauling data back to a workstation.
It's slow, costly, and near-impossible to repeat on a daily or weekly basis.

So we automated the entire pipeline.

By integrating the DJI Dock, the FlytBasee Enterprise platform, and Pix4Dcloud, SSASS Holdings has built a fully automated survey workflow — scheduled flights that launch themselves, capture imagery, and deliver orthomosaics, 3D point clouds and volumetric data straight to your desktop.

FlytBase's Flinks feature, bridges data capture to photogrammetry processing automatically, so there's no manual file-wrangling in between.

For mining and surveying operations, that means safer sites, dramatically higher productivity and a continuous stream of accurate, up-to-date data — on demand.

This isn't a concept. We've tested and validated it end-to-end. The video shows the complete workflow in action. 👇

As the exclusive Pix4D reseller across sub-Saharan Africa and a turnkey DJI Dock and FlytBase solutions implementation partner, we handle everything — technology supply, implementation, training, and ongoing support.

Ready to modernise your survey operations? Get in touch with SSASS Holdings.

+27 12 880 0145 | [email protected] | www.ssass.co.za

https://youtu.be/XEON069Jtds

Traditional drone surveys still depend on someone driving to site, ...

03/07/2026

BEYOND THE DRONE: WHY OPERATIONAL AVIATION IS ENTERING A NEW PHASE

SSASS Holdings CEO, Dean Polley, was interviewed by, Judith Rodokanakis, owner and publisher of World Airnews Magazine.

"For more than a decade, commercial drones have demonstrated their value across industries ranging from surveying and mining to agriculture, infrastructure inspection and security. Yet according to Dean Polley, Chief Executive Officer of SSASS Holdings, the commercial drone sector may now be entering a new phase — one in which the aircraft itself becomes less important than the operational capability it enables."

To read the full article, access the eMagazine July edition: https://worldairnews.co.za/e-magazine and go to Page 15.

01/07/2026

From drone mapping to engineering-grade digital twins, the Pix4D ecosystem has evolved into one of the most comprehensive reality capture platforms available today.

Whether your application is:
✳️ Surveying & Mapping
✳️ Mining
✳️ Construction
✳️ Infrastructure Inspection
✳️ Agriculture
✳️ Public Safety
✳️ Asset Management

Pix4D delivers an end-to-end workflow—from image capture and photogrammetry through to 3D models, point clouds, digital terrain models, volumetric analysis, CAD integration and advanced site documentation. Its software portfolio includes powerful solutions such as PIX4Dmatic, PIX4Dcloud, PIX4Dfields, PIX4Dreact and PIX4Dcatch enabling organisations to transform drone, terrestrial and mobile imagery into accurate, actionable intelligence.

As the exclusive Pix4D reseller partner for Southern Africa, SSASS Holdings provides not only software licensing, but also professional consulting and implementation to help organisations maximise the value of their reality capture workflows.

If you're looking to modernise your surveying, inspection or digital twin capabilities, we'd be pleased to demonstrate how the PIX4D ecosystem can accelerate your operations.

https://youtu.be/GiofooLQo9A?si=3TnoFsinDHNbw7bt

PIX4D creates software solutions for professional image-based mappi...

04/06/2026

BREAKING: A First for South African Airspace Integration

What happens when a heavy-lift drone, a certified Mode S ADS-B transponder, an airport surveillance network and a controlled airspace environment all come together?

Visitors to AERO South Africa 2026 are about to find out.

In partnership with Hussar Security & Defence Solutions, SSASS Holdings will be conducting live demonstration flights of a DJI FlyCart 30 at Lanseria International Airport — one of the most advanced drone integration demonstrations ever showcased at a South African aviation exhibition.

The DJI FlyCart 30 will be equipped with a ping20Si Mode S ADS-B transponder from uAvionix Corporation, enabling the aircraft to operate as a fully cooperative airspace participant.

During the demonstrations, the onboard transponder will:
📡 Respond to Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) interrogations
📡 Broadcast ADS-B Out on 1090 MHz Extended Squitter (1090ES)
📡 Transmit the drone's position, altitude, identity and velocity in real time
📡 Become visible to surveillance systems and participating airspace users

This is the same technology framework that has enabled manned aviation to safely share airspace for decades.

Watch the Drone Live on FlightLine™

The FlyCart 30's ADS-B transmissions will be displayed live on the uAvionix Corporation FlightLine™ Air Traffic Surveillance System at the SSASS Holdings Stand D26.

Visitors will be able to see:
✈️ General aviation aircraft operating around Lanseria
🛩️ Business aviation traffic arriving and departing
🚁 Helicopter movements
🚁 The DJI FlyCart 30 operating in real time
📡 ADS-B surveillance data displayed on a common operating picture

This creates a powerful demonstration of how drones and manned aircraft can safely coexist in shared and controlled airspace when supported by proven electronic conspicuity technologies.

Demonstrating the Future of Airspace Integration

As BVLOS operations and drone logistics continue to evolve, one question remains at the centre of the discussion:

How do we safely integrate drones into existing aviation ecosystems?

The answer starts with visibility.

When aircraft, drones, operators and air traffic services share the same situational awareness picture, safer integration becomes possible.

This demonstration showcases how:
✅ ADS-B transponders on drones
✅ ADS-B transponders on manned aircraft
✅ Ground-based ADS-B surveillance systems
✅ Air traffic surveillance platforms such as FlightLine™
can work together to support safer and more transparent airspace operations.

📍 AERO South Africa 2026, 10-12 June
📍 Lanseria International Airport
📍 SSASS Holdings – Stand D26

Come and witness:
🚁 Live DJI FlyCart 30 demonstration flights
📡 ADS-B surveillance in action
🖥️ Real-time FlightLine™ tracking displays
✈️ The future of integrated manned and unmanned aviation

The future isn't about separating drones from aviation.
It's about integrating them safely.

South African Civil Aviation Authority - SACAA
Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited - ATNS

02/06/2026

A Tragedy That Changed the Conversation Around Airport Surface Safety

On 22 March 2026, the aviation industry was reminded that some of the greatest risks do not always occur in the sky.

They occur on the ground.

The tragic collision between an arriving regional airliner and an airport fire and rescue vehicle at a major US international airport highlighted a critical challenge faced by airports worldwide:

How do pilots and air traffic controllers maintain complete awareness of every moving asset operating on the airport surface?

As aviation authorities and airport operators around the world evaluate lessons learned from this accident, one thing has become increasingly clear:

You cannot avoid what you cannot see.

Introducing the VTU-20™ from uAvionix Corporation.

At AERO South Africa 2026, SSASS Holdings will be showcasing the VTU-20 Vehicle Tracking Unit (VTU-20) and demonstrating how airport vehicles can become visible participants within the airport surveillance environment.

The VTU-20 is a compact, rugged ADS-B Vehicle Movement Area Transmitter (VMAT) designed specifically for airport operational vehicles.
Installed on:

🚒 Fire & Rescue Vehicles
🚓 Airside Security Vehicles
🚜 Maintenance Vehicles
🚐 Operations Vehicles
🚌 Airside Support Vehicles

The VTU-20 continuously broadcasts vehicle position information, allowing participating surveillance systems, aircraft and air traffic services to maintain awareness of vehicle movements within the airport environment.

Providing a common operational picture across the airport surface and surrounding airspace.

Benefits include:
✅ Enhanced situational awareness for Air Traffic Control
✅ Improved visibility of airport vehicles
✅ Increased runway incursion protection
✅ Better coordination during emergencies
✅ Reduced risk of vehicle-aircraft conflicts
✅ Improved operational efficiency at busy airports

See the VTU-20 Live at AERO South Africa 2026

Visitors to SSASS Holdings Stand D26 will be able to see a live demonstration of:

📡 VTU-20 ADS-B vehicle transmissions
📡 FlightLine™ air traffic surveillance system
📡 Aircraft and vehicle tracking displayed on a common operating picture
📡 Real-world airport surveillance technology being deployed today

The demonstration showcases how proven ADS-B technologies are extending beyond aircraft and helping airports build a safer operational environment for everyone who works on and around the movement area.

Visit Us at Stand D26
📍 AERO South Africa 2026, 10-12 June
📍 Lanseria International Airport
📍 SSASS Holdings – Stand D26

Whether you are an airport operator, air navigation service provider, regulator, emergency services manager, security operator or aviation professional, we invite you to see how next-generation surface awareness technologies are helping create safer airports.

Because every aircraft should be visible.
Every vehicle should be visible.
And every movement should matter.

Air Traffic and Navigation Services SOC Limited - ATNS
South African Civil Aviation Authority - SACAA

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