Starlink-enabled tracking for pilots is a step closer following successful trials by Alfapilot, makers of the Voolaris Tracker. After more than two years of development, in-flight testing and international competitions, they have managed to develop a tracking system that integrates Starlink satellite connectivity onto a tracker using 4G LTE mobile network and bidirectional Fanet communication.
“This is a breakthrough in our sport, these are trackers that send positions once per second even when cell phone reception is not reachable and the battery lasts an entire competition week,” says Pedro Enrique, part of the Alfapilot team.
“The result is a system capable of maintaining real-time tracking by automatically selecting the most appropriate communication method according to the flight conditions,” say Alfapilot.
Until now, trackers generally fall into two categories – the types used at competitions which use a combination of mobile networks, Fanet and Flarm to bounce and relay signals. And expedition devices such as Spot and the Garmin inReach that require subscriptions – and a clear sight to a satellite. The other drawback of satellite enabled devices is their relatively slow send interval which makes them impractical for live tracking. (The fastest option on a Spot Gen 4 for example is to send every 2.5 minutes – which is the difference of 1.67km when flying at 40km/h.)
“The key is that the Voolaris Tracker is hybrid,” adds Pedro. “It combines satellite, terrestrial and device-to-device connectivity in a single unit, switching automatically depending on available coverage. On top of that, it sends one position per second (whether via satellite or terrestrial network), rather than the several-minute interval typical of other satellite trackers on the market.”
The Voolaris Tracker has been on sale since March 2025. It has been used in competitions in Spain but it’s also marketed as a tracker for schools, tours and individual pilots. The team hope the satellite service will become commercially available later this year or early 2027. Subscription rates will be announced at that time. Alfapilot is Spanish company specialising in creating instruments for pilots. The trackers have been developed through a 50/50 collaboration between Alfapilot and tracking platform Volandoo.
