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FAA Selects New York UAS Test Site for UTM Project

The FAA awarded a task order contract to the New York UAS Test Site for the next drone integration project to help advance safe and routine drone operations and to support development of a traffic management system for UAS. (Photo: NUAIR)

In a recent announcement, the New York UAS Test Site was chosen by the Federal Aviation Administration for a project that supports safe drone integration and the development of a new traffic management system for unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS. Managing the project is NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance), a nonprofit organization based in upstate New York that was founded in 2012 to manage the New York UAS Test Site.

The FAA and NUAIR started the project last month, working alongside partners such as ANRA Technologies, OneSky, AX Enterprize, and Cal Analytics as well as the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and Oneida Indian Nation, according to the announcement.

As more and more business cases emerge where drones need to perform beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, drone operators will increasingly need to use low-altitude airspace (400 feet and lower) in a safe and efficient way. The project involves testing and evaluating concepts that have the potential to enhance the capabilities of future UAS traffic management (UTM) systems. NUAIR will continue to collaborate with the FAA beyond next spring, when the project is expected to conclude.

NUAIR’s president and CEO, Ken Stewart, explained that their organization works with companies developing drones or technologies for UAS to help determine appropriate pilot certification and optimal methodologies. NUAIR also assists with the process of obtaining waivers and exemptions from the FAA to help these companies advance their operations.

NUAIR hosted the fourth annual UAS Public Safety Summit this week at Griffiss International Airport. A variety of industry-leading companies, mostly U.S.-based, exhibited their technology. Some vendors also performed live demonstrations of their drones. The summit was geared towards those involved in public safety in the state of New York, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders.

Stewart explained, “When you fly a drone around a building, that’s beyond your visual line of sight; you’re not allowed to do that. We help them get tactical BVLOS waivers from the FAA while maintaining safety.” NUAIR also assists in developing Methods of Procedure, or MOPs—step-by-step guidelines to complete a project.

“We also help them with the business case—determining what the return on investment is,” he shared in an interview with Avionics International.

Visual observers are no longer required because of NUAIR’s evolved capabilities, including radar systems specifically for detecting low altitude drones and small aircraft. “We can see everything we’re tracking in the airspace,” he said. “If we’re flying a drone, we don’t collide with anything—we detect them.”

Manned aircraft flying in the airspace at the UAS test site broadcast signals that can be detected with ADS-B capabilities. “Those signals tell us their altitude and which way they’re heading, and we can avoid them that way,” Stewart said. Most emergency helicopters have ADS-B Out, so those aircraft can be detected and avoided as well.

The majority of drones don’t currently have ADS-B capabilities because although Remote ID has been passed, it hasn’t been implemented yet, he explained.

NUAIR president and CEO, Ken Stewart, delivered opening remarks at the New York UAS Public Safety Summit this week. (Photo: Jessica Reed)

Stewart mentioned that using drones for infrastructure inspection is an incredibly valuable application. “It’s not just about how much it costs to have a truck with a bucket to hang somebody over a bridge for an inspection. You have to block lanes of traffic. New York’s unanticipated lane closures are a $14 billion problem.”

New York has more than 17,000 bridges, each of which has to be inspected every two years. That comes out to 39 bridges that must be inspected each day. A drone can perform an inspection and create a 3D model in 30 minutes that would otherwise take two and a half hours, Stewart noted. Every minute of lane closure results in an economic impact of $411. In addition, lane closures lead to traffic backing up and increased greenhouse gas emissions. According to Stewart, just doing initial bridge inspections with drones saves $1 billion annually.

“There’s a lot of benefits that people don’t think about when they think about a drone,” he remarked.

The post FAA Selects New York UAS Test Site for UTM Project appeared first on Aviation Today.

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Private Jet Operator Airshare Selects Viasat In-flight Connectivity for New Aircraft

The cabin of a Bombardier Challenger 350 aircraft. (Photo, courtesy of Bombardier.)

Private aviation company Airshare has selected Viasat’s in-flight connectivity (IFC) for new aircraft deliveries, Viasat announced Tuesday. Airshare’s business model offers “fractional ownership” of private jets, in which customers buy or lease access to private flights.

Viasat will install its IFC system on Airshare’s new Challenger 350 deliveries and future Challenger 3500 deliveries that begin next year. The Challenger planes are business aircraft built by Bombardier. The first installation on an Airshare Challenger 350 was completed in July and additional installations will take place over the second half of this year. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This deal comes as Airshare is expanding beyond its core markets in the central United States, with plans to begin service on the East Coast in the near future.

“Excellent connectivity is no longer simply a nice-to-have amenity while in-flight,” said John Owen, president and CEO of Airshare. “Airshare’s best-in-class service demands a reliable connectivity solution that provides fast speeds and a consistent connection from takeoff to touchdown. … Choosing Viasat for our new deliveries was an important step as Airshare enters our next phase of growth.”

This is the latest in a string of IFC wins for Viasat after the company signed Virgin Atlantic in July, Southwest Airlines in May, low-cost airline Breeze Airways in March, and Delta Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines last year. The satellite operator said its Ka-band satellite network covers more than 90% of business aviation routes and the upcoming ViaSat-3 constellation will provide near global coverage.

This article was first published by Via Satellite, a sister publication to Avionics International.

The post Private Jet Operator Airshare Selects Viasat In-flight Connectivity for New Aircraft appeared first on Aviation Today.

American Airlines Commits to Future Purchase of 20 Boom Supersonic Jets

American Airlines has committed to a future purchase of 20 Overture airliners from Boom Supersonic, according to a new agreement announced by the two companies Tuesday. The agreement includes payment of a non-refundable undisclosed deposit by American with the option to purchase 40 additional aircraft.

Overture is the latest investment by American Airlines in next generation aircraft technology following an Aug. 3 agreement reached with ZeroAvia to purchase 100 of the California-based startup’s hydrogen-electric engines. American’s agreement with Boom includes requirements for the company to meet “industry-standard operating, performance and safety requirements as well as American’s other customary conditions.”

“The world’s largest airline is now poised to be the world’s largest supersonic airline,” Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl said in a tweet announcing the new deal with American.

American Airlines is the latest major commercial carrier to place industry credibility and investment behind Boom Supersonic as the company continues to develop its Overture airliner and prepare for the first flight of its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft—originally planned for last year, now expected to occur later this year—out of its hangar in Denver, Colorado.

Last year, United Airlines announced its own commitment to purchase 15 Overture supersonic airliners with the option to buy another 35 aircraft. Japan Airlines (JAL) was the earliest investor in Boom, committing to the future purchase of 20 aircraft back in 2017.

Overture is being designed to carry 65 to 80 passengers at Mach 1.7 over water — or twice the speed of today’s fastest commercial aircraft. Boom released details on an updated design of Overture and supplier agreements with Collins Aerospace, Eaton and Safran during the Farnborough International Air Show in July. Updated design features that Boom revealed include four wing-mounted engines, gull wings and a digital fly-by-wire system that will be “4x redundant” and run on two line replaceable units (LRUs), according to the company’s July 19 announcement.

An updated design of the Overture released by Boom during the Farnborough International Air Show in July. (Photo, courtesy of Boom Supersonic.)

Other updated specifications disclosed by Boom include a range of 4,250nm with full payload and a “4x medium-bypass 100% SAF-compatible turbofan” engine. Overture’s fuselage will also larger diameter toward the front of the aircraft and a smaller diameter toward the rear, according to Boom.

In their agreement reached with American Airlines, Boom maintained its commitment to rollout the first production Overture in 2025 that will “carry its first passengers by 2029.”

“Looking to the future, supersonic travel will be an important part of our ability to deliver for our customers,” Derek Kerr, American’s Chief Financial Officer said in a statement. “We are excited about how Boom will shape the future of travel both for our company and our customers.”

The post American Airlines Commits to Future Purchase of 20 Boom Supersonic Jets appeared first on Aviation Today.

PODCAST: AirFi CEO Talks Wireless IFEC and Creating Mall in the Sky for Airlines

Job Heimerikx, CEO and co-founder of AirFi, is the guest on this episode.

On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, Job Heimerikx, CEO and co-founder of AirFi, joins to discuss commercial airline wireless in-flight entertainment and connectivity trends.

AirFi, a global supplier of wireless in-flight entertainment and connectivity technologies, is headquartered in the Netherlands. Their technology is rather unique in the in-flight entertainment and connectivity market because of its size and what it can enable for airlines in terms of applications such as in-flight movies, ordering meals, and payment validation.

Some of their airline customers include Sun Country, Eastern Airlines, Corendon Dutch Airlines, and Atlantic Airways, among others. We discuss the unique size of their wireless IFEC solution, how they’ve added Iridium connectivity to their technology, and why they’re finding that the type of low bandwidth non-streaming connectivity they’re providing is still popular with airlines in 2022.

Listen to this episode below, or check it out on iTunes or Google Play. If you like the show, subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes as soon as they’re released.

The post PODCAST: AirFi CEO Talks Wireless IFEC and Creating Mall in the Sky for Airlines appeared first on Aviation Today.

Joby Signs Expanded Contract with Department of Defense

Joby Aviation has expanded an existing contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. The Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Air Force will all test Joby’s eVTOL and explore use cases such as emergency medical response. The contract’s total potential value is now more than $75 million. (Photo: Joby Aviation)

Joby Aviation recently expanded its existing contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The U.S. Marine Corps now joins the Army, Navy, and Air Force in testing and exploring applications for Joby’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The contract’s potential value increased by more than $45 million; its total potential value is now more than $75 million following the recent expansion. The company expects to launch its eVTOL in 2024 following type certification with the Federal Aviation Administration. Joby’s team has also applied formally for concurrent validation of its FAA type certification in the UK.

The Marine Corps will participate in government-directed flight tests and evaluate various use cases of Joby’s eVTOL, such as resupply, emergency medical response applications, and relocation of personnel. Joby’s defense partnerships provide the company with access to testing facilities and offset some research and development costs. The expanded contract with the DoD also offers early operational experience for government customers.

Joby became the first company developing an eVTOL aircraft to receive military airworthiness approval for its prototype vehicle in December 2020. The eVTOL developer also performed flight tests in collaboration with NASA in September 2021 to collect data on vehicle performance and noise levels.

Joby’s second pre-production prototype aircraft was awarded U.S. Air Force Airworthiness Approval and Special Airworthiness Certification from the FAA at the end of last year. The company announced in March 2022 that its team had completed its first Systems Review and Compliance Review and earned approval from the FAA.

Joby was awarded a Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA in May, earlier than the company originally expected. This enabled Joby to start on-demand commercial operations with air taxis.

JoeBen Bevirt, CEO and founder of Joby Aviation, remarked on the expanded partnership with the U.S. DoD, saying, “As we work toward our goal of launching a passenger ridesharing service, we’re grateful for the support of our defense partners. This extension provides valuable support for our ongoing development efforts and allows our partners to see first-hand the potential for this aircraft in their future concept of operations.”

Joby’s prototype eVTOL aircraft received military airworthiness approval at the end of 2020 and a Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA in May of this year. (Photo: Joby)

Joby reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2022 on August 11. $61 million in net cash was used for purchases of property and equipment, as well as for operating activities, in Q2. Total operating expenses were calculated at $99.4 million, and the net loss for the second quarter totaled $49.6 million, according to Joby’s letter to shareholders.

The company shared that the manufacturing of the tail section of its first production-intent aircraft is now complete, and the team is progressing with assembly of the wing and fuselage.

“We have also built and begun internal acceptance testing on the majority of the powertrain and electronics assembly unit types for our first production aircraft,” Joby reports in its letter to shareholders. “These assemblies – including design-intent electric propulsion units, battery modules, and mission display computers – were built on our production lines in our San Carlos, CA, facility using scalable processes capable of supporting hundreds of aircraft per year.”

The post Joby Signs Expanded Contract with Department of Defense appeared first on Aviation Today.

Archer Receives $10M Pre-Delivery Payment from United Airlines for 100 eVTOLs, Shares Q2 Financial Results

United Airlines provided a $10 million pre-delivery payment to Archer Aviation for 100 eVTOL aircraft. Archer recently held an earnings call to share financial results from the second quarter of 2022. The team revealed that its production aircraft, Midnight, is expected to begin flight testing next year. (Photo: Archer)

On August 10, Archer Aviation announced that it received a $10 million pre-delivery payment from United Airlines for 100 of Archer’s production aircraft, an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. The eVTOL developer also held an earnings call to review its financial results from the second quarter of 2022.

Archer’s co-founder, CEO, and director Adam Goldstein revealed the name of their production aircraft, Midnight, during the earnings call. Archer’s prototype eVTOL, the Maker, has served as a testbed for supporting the development of the Midnight production aircraft that will eventually be certified with the Federal Aviation Administration. Goldstein also shared that Archer completed the Preliminary Design Review of its Midnight eVTOL this past week. The team plans to start flight testing of Midnight in 2023.

Goldstein remarked on the new pre-delivery payment from United, saying, “I am incredibly proud of the entire Archer team as we reach this milestone in our partnership with United Airlines. To receive a cash deposit is validation of Archer’s achievements to date, not only with flight testing and product development, but also a great signal of confidence in our roadmap to commercialization.”

United Airlines has previously supported Archer in the process of developing its eVTOL. Archer and United formed a joint advisory committee in April. The committee supports the development process with recommendations for maintenance and operational concepts. United also entered into a partnership with Archer in early 2021 that included the intent to purchase 200 of Archer’s eVTOL aircraft.

According to the company’s announcement about the pre-delivery payment from United, Archer has recently finished the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of its production aircraft: “The PDR lays out all aspects of the aircraft’s specifications and manufacturing requirements, necessary pre-conditions for determinations that the design is feasible for regulatory compliance and viable to bring to market.”

During the PDR, Archer’s team reviewed and froze key design elements of the Midnight eVTOL. Archer now continues to work with the FAA to ensure agreement on the Means of Compliance for Midnight.

Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures, commented, “We believe eVTOLs have the potential to both help achieve carbon-neutral travel and serve as an innovative new tool to change how United customers experience comfort, convenience, and efficiency during their commutes within cities across the globe.” (Photo: Archer)

The Q1 financial results for Archer included GAAP operating expenses of $65.3 million, non-GAAP total operating expenses of $39.6 million, and net loss of $59.2 million.

In comparison, the numbers for Archer’s Q2 included GAAP operating expenses at $80.2M, non-GAAP operating expenses at $50M, and net loss of $71.7M.

The company expects GAAP total operating expenses for the third quarter to total between $95M and $103M.

During the Q2 earnings call, Adam Goldstein stated that the company is now at an inflection point and is advancing its efforts towards commercialization. “This includes the development and certification of our production aircraft, building out the supply chain and manufacturing infrastructure needed to produce the aircraft and kicking off efforts to prepare for our initial launch markets and routes for commercial operations,” he said.

According to Goldstein, the Maker aircraft allowed the team to validate multiple capabilities of the 12 tilt 6 configuration along with decisions regarding software and flight controls for their eVTOL. The production aircraft, Midnight, was designed for optimal performance in commercial operations. The payload, range, and speed, along with other performance requirements, have been selected specifically to optimize operating economics.

“The vast majority of our 400-plus employees are working day-to-day on the development and certification of Midnight as well supporting go-to-market activities,” said Goldstein.

Archer recently completed the first two phases of the flight test program for the Maker aircraft—hover and critical azimuth. The third phase currently underway includes evaluation of Maker’s system performance at increasing forward speeds, Goldstein said. Archer’s team is on track to perform the first full transition hovered fixed wing flight by the end of 2022.

Archer Aviation recently revealed the name of its production aircraft, Midnight, pictured above. (Photo: Archer)

Archer’s Chief Operating Officer Thomas Muniz explained during the earnings call that Midnight is designed specifically for high throughput urban air mobility transportation. The aircraft is expected to offer a payload greater than 1,000 pounds. Midnight may also be capable of charging in only 10 minutes between flights of roughly 20 miles.

“We are ramping up our manufacturing and supply chain activities as well as progressing the build of an initial Midnight aircraft that will enter flight tests next year,” Muniz said. “We anticipate parts for the Midnight aircraft will start arriving at our low rate initial production facility later this year.”

Muniz also shared that the team has performed some wind tunnel testing with the Maker aircraft. “We are currently building our final high-fidelity models to launch our final wind-tunnel test campaign in the coming months,” he added.

The post Archer Receives $10M Pre-Delivery Payment from United Airlines for 100 eVTOLs, Shares Q2 Financial Results appeared first on Aviation Today.

Business and General Aviation Avionics Sales Increased in First Half of 2022, AEA Report Says

The Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) published its second quarter 2022 business and general aviation avionics sales report this week. (Photo courtesy of Duncan Aviation)

Global sales of business and general aviation avionics increased by 15.8% to more than $1.3 billion during the first six months of 2022, according to the second quarter report published by the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) this week. Between April and June, based on the avionics suppliers that participate in AEA’s report, sales increased 19.9% to $708 million compared to the same period a year ago.

The latest report published by AEA is the eighth consecutive quarter where sales of business and general avionics equipment has increased. Forward-fit sales of electronics featured on new in-production aircraft represented 54.2% of total sales during the first half of the year, according to the report.

Collins Aerospace, Garmin, Gogo Business Aviation, and Honeywell Aerospace are among the 21 different avionics manufacturers that participated in the second quarter report, a number that AEA notes can change periodically due to mergers and acquisitions or new companies participating.

The report comes following several quarterly earnings calls where executives from most of the companies participating in AEA’s report discussed supply chain issues disrupting the development of some new technologies. Garmin, for example, reported a 13% revenue increase to $205 million for its aviation segment during the second quarter and expects total revenue growth in the segment to increase by 10% this year.

“During the quarter, supply chain constraints eased bringing back orders down from historically high levels, but we have more work to do to meet the strong demand for our products,” Garmin CEO Cliff Pemble said during their second quarter earnings call.

Gogo Business Aviation CEO Oakleigh Thorne also told investors last week that the launch of their 5G in-flight connectivity (IFC) service could be delayed until mid-2023 due to a testing delay that their computer chip supplier Airspan is going through. Canada’s ADS-B airspace mandate has also been delayed by six months because of supply chain constraints, according to their Aug. 2 announcement.

AEA President and CEO Mike Adamson said the avionics sales increase reported for the first six months of the year are encouraging, but also cautioned about “inflationary pressures that could factor into that increase.”

“Companies participating in the market report indicated they had increased their prices nearly 6%, which is substantial, yet below the 8.5% rise in the U.S. annual consumer price index reported in July,” Adamson said in a statement. “The effort to manage and maintain the flow of products by our avionics OEMs dealing with supply constraints and the ever-increasing cost to produce and re-certify their products is extraordinary.”

The post Business and General Aviation Avionics Sales Increased in First Half of 2022, AEA Report Says appeared first on Aviation Today.

Intelsat and OneWeb Partner on LEO/GEO In-Flight Connectivity

Intelsat is partnering with OneWeb. (Photo, courtesy of Intelsat/OneWeb)

OneWeb and Intelsat have signed a global distribution agreement to offer a multi-orbit in-flight connectivity (IFC) service combining Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite capacity. The companies announced the agreement Thursday and expect it to be in service by 2024.

Under the agreement, Intelsat will distribute OneWeb capacity coupled with its service. Intelsat said this will fill gaps in IFC coverage and capacity at airport hubs, across oceans, and over polar routes.

“This level of connectivity will enable airlines to maximize brand affiliation with passengers through all their onboard services – delivering a truly connected end-to-end passenger journey,” said Jeff Sare, Intelsat’s new president Commercial Aviation. “The hybrid service offering further allows the global airline community to plan their suite of next-generation onboard services with confidence – not only ensuring a future-proofed passenger inflight connectivity experience, but also the implementation of a connected airline digitalization strategy.”

Ben Griffin, OneWeb vice president of Mobility Services, called the deal a “watershed moment” for the IFC market and said the partnership delivers the highest value for the lowest risk.

This partnership comes after Intelsat announced a new IFC solution in June, with a new multi-orbit capable, electronically steered array terminal to offer increased flexibility to its airline customers.

OneWeb is in the midst of a deal to combine with operator Eutelsat.

This article was first published by Via Satellite, a sister publication to Avionics International.

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Boeing Can Start Delivering 787 Dreamliners Again

American Airlines released this image of the 787-8 they received from Boeing’s South Carolina factory on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of American Airlines)

Boeing can begin delivering 787s again, 14 months after stopping deliveries of the Dreamliner when manufacturing flaws were discovered on several undelivered models last year. American Airlines received the latest 787-8 to join its fleet from Boeing’s South Carolina factory on Wednesday.

Issues with composite skin flatness and small gaps discovered between sections of the fuselage in some undelivered 787s led Boeing to lower the production rate and stop delivering the Dreamliner in May last year. At the time, Boeing had 100 total 787s waiting to be delivered, all of which have been cleared to resume delivery flights now by the FAA.

“This milestone would not be possible without the hard work, dedication and perseverance of so many of you,” Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a message to employees. “Thank you for how you have demonstrated our shared values throughout this process.”

The FAA acknowledged last year that the fuselage composite issues were internally identified by Boeing and disclosed to the FAA. While the rework of the fuselage flaws was occurring over the last year, Boeing lowered the 787 program’s production rate to below five per month.

The company reported 120 total undelivered 787 Dreamliners sitting in inventory during their July 27 second quarter 2022 earnings. Boeing CFO Brian West, speaking during the earnings call, also reported $283 million in “abnormal costs” for rework associated with the 787 program and the company still anticipates incurring up to $2 billion in abnormal costs for the program through the end of 2023.

“These costs are driven by rework and production rates below five per month. It is important to keep in mind that cash margins on the 87 remain positive and are expected to improve significantly over time,” West said during the call. “With over 400 airplanes in backlog, recent orders and commitments announced at Farnborough and additional demand as the commercial market recovers, we see a strong future for the 87 program.”

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Former Intel Engineer to Lead Daedalean Launch of US Operations for Autonomous Avionics

Dr. Yemaya Bordain will serve as the president of U.S. operations for Daedalean, the Swiss developer of artificial intelligence software for aircraft systems. (Photo courtesy of Daedalean)

Daedalean, a Switzerland-based developer of artificial intelligence and machine learning software for avionics systems, has launched its first operations outside of Europe with a new office in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Yemaya Bordain will serve as president of Daedalean’s Americas business after spending the last seven years as an aerospace engineer and global sales director at Intel.

The launch of Daedalean’s first American office joins their existing Zurich and Latvia locations. According to emailed statements provided to Avionics International, the Phoenix office will focus on business development activity for U.S.-based partners and customers while manufacturing and engineering activities will continue at their headquarters in Switzerland.

“Daedalean is leading the charge in creating a world where we’ll be keeping up with the Jetsons as we skip over traffic jams in autonomous and situationally-aware aircraft,” Bordain said in a statement. “I am so thrilled to be joining their pioneering team. It is an exciting challenge to play a key role in achieving this future.”

Bordain’s previous experience includes co-architecting the “first Intel-based commercially-available offering in safety-critical avionics,” according to her personal website. She also managed partnerships between Intel and some of the aerospace industry’s largest electronics suppliers including Lockheed-Martin Corporation, Collins Aerospace, Indra Sistemas, and Mercury Systems.

Bordain joins co-founders of Daedalean Luuk van Dijk—left—and Anna Chernova right to lead the U.S. operations of the company. (Photo courtesy of Daedalean)

Her experience at Intel adds to the list of engineers running Daedalean that have worked at some of the largest Silicon Valley-based companies. Dr. Luuk van Dijk, one of the company’s two co-founders, previously worked on senior software engineering projects at Google Zürich and SpaceX. Anna Chernova, the other co-founder and a pilot, also previously worked as a qualitative analyst for Google.

Over the last year, Daedalean has been focused on its ongoing collaboration with Florida-based avionics manufacturer Avidyne to develop the PilotEye cockpit vision system. PilotEye is being developed by the two companies to leverage the use of Daedalean’s neural network to replicate the decision-making, hazard avoidance, and situational awareness skills of a human pilot.

“As far as we know, this will be the world’s first certified system for civil aviation with a non-trivial safety case that has a machine-learned component for AI assistance to a human pilot,” Chernova said, commenting on the opening of their first U.S. office. “It’s more than yet another instrument: it can see and interpret the visual scene beyond human vision and capability.”

The Avidyne-Daedalean PilotEye system onboard a test aircraft (Photo courtesy of Daedalean)

Avidyne submitted a supplemental type certification/technical standard order (STC/TSO) application to the Federal Aviation Administration and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for PilotEye in December last year. So far, while still working on obtaining certification for the system, they have received an Issue Paper for the system from the FAA and a Certification Review Item from EASA.

In May, the FAA’s Aviation Research division jointly with Daedalean published a 137-page technical report “Neural Network Based Runway Landing Guidance for General Aviation Autoland,” outlining how the W-shaped Learning Assurance process can meet FAA intent for certification and development processes, as well as inform future policy.

Outside of their work with Avidyne, Daedalean completed a series of flight tests with Eve earlier this year to evaluate the use of their autonomous flight control software on future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Since its founding in 2016, Daedalean has disclosed $72 million in financing and currently has a team of more than 90 people with expertise in “machine learning and computer vision, aviation-grade software engineering, flight testing, safety assessment, and certification,” according to their website.

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