Spidertracks

Spidertracks was a New Zealand– based company specialising in the development of hardware and software for the general aviation industry. The company specialised in flight tracking, aviation communication, and flight data acquisition.[1]

History

Spidertracks was founded by James McCarthy in 2007 in the small rural town of Pohangina, just outside Palmerston North, New Zealand.[2] Following the death of high-profile businessman Michael Erceg in a helicopter crash in 2005, Erceg's downed aircraft was not located for two-weeks due to the failure of an emergency locator transmitter (ELT).[3]

McCarthy and some associates saw the opportunity to develop a lightweight, portable, 'real-time' GPS tracking device for the aviation industry.[4]

The team developed a device known as a 'Spider' – a small device that plugs into an aircraft's auxiliary power outlet and is mounted in the cockpit.[5]

Information such the aircraft's location, altitude, speed, and direction were transmitted via the Iridium satellite network every two minutes to the Spidertracks software platform. The founders claimed this offered a much more reliable way to locate an aircraft in an emergency situation.[4][5]

Spider Tracks Limited was registered with the New Zealand Companies Office on 20 February 2007.[6]

In 2020, Spidertracks launched their latest hardware device – 'Spider X'.[7] According the Spidertracks, in addition to the real-time tracking and communication functions of previous models, the device is able to record and wirelessly transmit attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) data to the Spidertracks cloud-based platform.[8] The flight data is then processed post-flight to enable a 3D virtual flight replay and reporting on specific events or safety violations.[9] Spidertracks claim this provides a low-cost, simple solution for Flight Data Monitoring and Flight Operations Quality Assurance for the General Aviation industry.

In March 2022, investment firm Arcadea Group acquired a 95% shareholding of Spidertracks for an undisclosed sum.[10]

In June 2023, the strategic merger of Air Maestro and Spidertracks was announced.[11] Arcadea's Managing Director Paul Yancich stated in a press release that “Air Maestro and Spidertracks have long been solving different elements of the same fundamental challenge within aviation: how to operate a profitable, successful flight organization without ever sacrificing quality, safety, or efficiency. This is a monumental challenge, and, until this merger, no single business could come close to serving customers’ entire needs.”.[12] Aleks Banas, CEO of Air Maestro, took over the CEO role of the combined business.

In early 2025, Spidertracks was merged with a number of other companies into Vellox Group.[13]

Locations

Spidertracks' head office was in Auckland, New Zealand, with a secondary office in Parker, Colorado.