Specialist in electronic equipment for airports and heliports. This is how the Czech company TRANSCON ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS could briefly be described. Although not a large company, it has already worked on a number of major projects. “The differences between companies in our industry are to be found in the quality of pre- and after-sales service. We strive to be the best,” says Vladimír Drábek.
Interview with Vladimír Drábek,
CEO of TRANSCON ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS, spol. s r.o.:
Could you briefly introduce Transcon? When was it established and what is its vision?
We were established in 1990 and are engaged in the development, manufacture and installation of navigation lights and energy and control systems for airports and heliports. We also supply turnkey modular construction systems for airports and heliports of all sizes and types.
So heliports are your specialisation, you enable their full commissioning. What do you supply for them?
We supply all the technology needed to operate a heliport, as required by the Civil Aviation Authority. This means navigation lights, including the necessary cables, connectors and transformers. As well as power supplies and distribution boxes, remote control (either manual or radio) from a helicopter, and an illuminated wind direction indicator. All this can be delivered for permanent and mobile installations, potentially including special modules with rooms for operators with air conditioning and social amenities.
When a client orders heliport equipment from Transcon, do you have pre-designed solutions available, or do you fully adapt to the client’s needs?
We allow for both options. One of the company’s advantages is the option for an individual, rapid response to a specific customer’s requirements and situation. We can provide a tailor-made suit, so to speak. And to pursue the metaphor, we can also offer ready-made items. These show the options for recommended assemblies and provide guidance on device specification. But in the end, each heliport is an original.
What types of heliport do you offer?
They cannot be categorised into types, it is more about the scope of equipment used, or it may depend on the technology used. But heliports can be divided into those for permanent use, those for mobile use on a trailer and those which are modular, in a container. We supply heliports for both the rescue services and civilian authorities, but the equipment requirements are virtually the same.
Which of your completed projects are you most proud of?
In the Czech Republic, the comprehensive technical system at Václav Havel Airport in Prague is of great significance for us. Of the heliports, it is the newly completed contract for LOM Praha in Přerov, where Transcon was involved in developing the largest helicopter base in the Czech Republic.
What recent innovations can you boast of?
We go with the times, so we have included the latest LED navigation lights in our portfolio, but we continue to manufacture traditional halogen lights, because in our opinion these too have their undisputed advantages in the market-place. We are also carrying out ongoing innovation in line with the latest aviation trends. There are not many companies of our kind on the global market and no one can afford to be behind the times.
What is your competitive advantage?
We are not a giant company, we know our customers by name, and they know us. We can be flexible and rapid when supplying, in project changes and when resolving non-standard situations. We can also respond very quickly to any need for service calls and offer a 24-hour hotline. For our domestic customers it is good that we speak Czech pretty well and that we are located close to them. Aerospace equipment is always technologically advanced, people’s lives depend on it and compromises cannot be allowed, which of course is true for all aviation manufacturers. However, differences between companies in our industry are to be found in the quality of pre- and after-sales service, and this is where we strive to be the best.
