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DFS Declares Global Debut of GBAS CAT II Operations at Frankfurt Airport

An A380 lands at Frankfurt Airport in Germany, where DFS is now supporting GBAS CAT II approaches and landings. (Photo courtesy of DFS)

Airlines that fly to Frankfurt Airport can now use the Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) deployed there for category II (CAT II) landings, making it the world’s first airport to support GBAS CAT II operations, according to DFS, the German air navigation service provider (ANSP).

DFS first deployed GBAS at Frankfurt in 2014, and airlines have been able to use the digital precision landing system since then—under good visibility or CAT I conditions. Now, thanks to an upgrade made to the GBAS station deployed at Frankfurt by DFS, airlines for the first time can use GBAS even in poor weather conditions.

GBAS is a technology that the Federal Aviation Administration describes as a ground-based station that is tasked with correcting the Global Positioning System (GPS) signals used by aircraft within the vicinity of an airport to “improve the accuracy of, and provide integrity for, these aircrafts’ GPS navigational position.” The GBAS system deployed in Frankfurt, Honeywell’s SmartPath, supports up to 48 different approach combinations to various runways from a single ground station.

In emailed statements provided to Avionics International, Olaf Weber, GBAS product manager for DFS, said that the German ANSP demonstrated the feasibility of GLS (GBAS Landing System) approaches and landings down to CAT II under a collaboration with Lufthansa and Airbus as part of a Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) project called “Demonstration of Runway Enhanced Approaches Made with Satellite Navigation” (DREAMS). An upgrade made to the GBAS station allowed DFS to publish the GLS CAT II procedures with “3° and 3.2° glideslope,” according to Weber.

The GBAS antenna at Frankfurt Airport. “A lot of Boeing models are already equipped and approved for the GLS CAT II service. Airbus is currently working on approval for its aircraft types.” – Olaf Weber, GBAS Product Manager, DFS.

GBAS technology is also less expensive to maintain and operate compared to the traditional Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) used at most airports, mainly because it requires an individual ILS for each runway. That compares to GBAS which requires one ground station that features four GPS antennas, a computer, and a VHS transmitter capable of managing approaches and landings for every runway at the airport.

“A major challenge for differential GPS systems like GBAS is their sensitivity to spatial de-correlation due to variation in ionosphere delay between aircraft and the GBAS ground station. Therefore, DFS has integrated an [satellite based augmentation system] SBAS receiver to the GBAS ground station,” Weber said. “By adding an SBAS receiver to the GBAS ground station, it allows the station to make use of the navigational service EGNOS regarding ionospheric corrections and assures specific continuity requirements. In this way, the station supports CAT II operations based on amplified CAT I (GAST C) equipment.”

In order to fly the GBAS landings at Frankfurt or any airport that features GBAS ground stations, an aircraft needs to be equipped with a Multi-Mode Receiver (MMR), which Weber says most new in-production Boeing models feature already. Still, the number of aircraft properly equipped to fly GBAS landings at Frankfurt is relatively low.

According to ICAO, some of the main benefits derived from using GBAS for airlines include fuel savings, noise reduction, and more flexible flight paths for approaches and landings.

“The current GBAS equipage rate at Frankfurt Airport is about 10 percent,” he said, adding that “It is the world’s first GBAS CAT II service. Airlines, ANSPs and manufacturers have been collaborating on a worldwide scale. SESAR and the FAA’s NextGen programmes are working towards replacing ILS with ground-based augmentation systems.”

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Ampaire’s Hybrid-Electric Demonstrator Performs 1,135-Mile Nonstop Flight

Following a 1,880-mile journey, Ampaire’s EEL demonstrator aircraft landed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 22. (Photo: Ampaire)

Ampaire, the hybrid-electric aircraft developer based in Los Angeles, announced completion of a successful 1,135-mile-long nonstop flight with its EEL demonstrator aircraft. The company claims that this journey is the single longest nonstop flight performed by a hybrid-electric aircraft. The EEL, piloted by Elliot Seguin, flew a total distance of 1,880 miles from Camarillo Airport in California to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from July 20–22.

The biggest challenge, according to Dr. Susan Ying, Ampaire’s SVP of Global Partnerships, was finding charging capabilities along the route. “Unlike Elon Musk, who built his own charge points, we don’t have that kind of money. But we are teaming up with partners such as B&V [Black & Veatch] to work on the infrastructure,” Dr. Ying told Avionics International in an emailed statement.

The hybrid-electric EEL testbed aircraft is a retrofit of the Cessna 337 (Skymaster) and can transport three passengers. (Photo: Ampaire)

Ampaire and Black & Veatch announced last month that their teams will collaborate to identify opportunities to develop airport electrification. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) includes the intent to leverage solar and energy storage to create clean-energy-powered charging at airports.

Ampaire retrofits planes with hybrid-electric propulsion systems, such as the DHC Twin Otter. The company expects to receive a supplemental type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2023, and has been targeting 2024 for beginning passenger service.

Ampaire’s Eco Caravan model (Photo: Ampaire)

The technology and expertise resulting from the EEL aircraft will be applied to Ampaire’s hybrid-electric Eco Caravan, the company’s first commercial product and an upgrade to the current Cessna Grand Caravan. The Eco Caravan will be a regional aircraft with a nine-seat design, and it has the potential to achieve fuel savings of as much as 70%. Dr. Ying confirmed that the Eco Caravan will take flight for the first time by the end of 2022.

Ampaire’s team intends to scale up its technology for larger regional aircraft, according to the company’s announcement. The next aircraft model that Ampaire intends to develop would be a 19-passenger airplane with two engines, Dr. Ying shared.

Ampaire also announced a key supplier for its Eco Caravan’s hybrid-electric propulsion system this week. The RED Aircraft AO3 series compression ignition engine rated to 405 kW, or 550 hp, in an integrated parallel configuration will be used to provide the base power for the Eco Caravan. Ampaire’s electrical system will provide the peak power for the aircraft.

RED Aircraft and Ampaire have signed an MOU to commercialize electric-propulsion aircraft. Ampaire intends to develop and certify propulsion systems for applications up to 800 hp. RED Aircraft’s objective is to develop and certify engine subsystems that are compatible with Jet A/sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and supply the subsystems to Ampaire.

According to the announcement, the thermodynamic efficiency provided by the RED engine is a significant improvement upon a comparable turboprop engine. And because the RED engine is compatible with SAF, the aircraft could potentially reach net zero carbon emissions. Ampaire also claims that operating costs of the Eco Caravan are 25% to 40% lower.

Ampaire’s CEO, Kevin Noertker, commented on the choice of RED Aircraft as a key supplier for their hybrid-electric aircraft: “The modern, powerful and ultra-fuel-efficient RED engines have exactly the right characteristics for the Eco Caravan’s hybrid-electric propulsion system and for many other upgrades or all-new designs we may pursue.”

The company plans to build hybrid-electric aircraft “well beyond 800 hp,” Dr. Ying told Avionics.

Ampaire’s hybrid-electric Cessna 337 Skymaster performed its first test flight three years ago at Camarillo Airport. The aircraft included one 210 hp engine and one electric motor to reduce emissions and operating costs. The 337 aircraft performed additional flights as part of the FAA’s flight test program throughout the summer of 2019, recording data related to its propulsion characteristics.

“The most practical way to achieve an all-electric future is to jump start the market with a partially-electric present,” Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker remarked, saying that the modified Cessna 337 was the company’s first step towards the goal of a larger hybrid- or fully-electric aircraft.

The post Ampaire’s Hybrid-Electric Demonstrator Performs 1,135-Mile Nonstop Flight appeared first on Aviation Today.

Dronamics CEO Talks Scaling Manufacturing and Launch of Cargo Drones

Dronamics, developer of large cargo drones, recently gained a new manufacturing partner—Quickstep Holdings—to manufacture its aircraft in Australia. (Photo courtesy of Dronamics)

The company Dronamics, headquartered in Bulgaria, is the developer and operator of a large cargo drone called the Black Swan. At the Farnborough International Airshow last week, Dronamics announced a new partnership with Quickstep, which became its first strategic manufacturing partner. Quickstep Holdings, an Australian aerospace composites business, will manufacture the cargo drones at its facilities in New South Wales.

Dronamics claims to be the first cargo drone company to receive a European drone airline license, also known as the light UAS operator certificate (LUC) that is granted individually by European national aviation authorities. The company’s strategy includes launching commercial operations in Europe by the end of 2022 and entering the market in Australia in 2023.

The Black Swan drone is designed as a fixed-wing aircraft that can take off and land at runways of at least 400 meters in length. It can operate on 100% synthetic fuel, and according to the company, it “can carry up to 350 kg of cargo at a distance of up to 2,500 km at up to 80% lower cost than any aircraft in existence.” Maximum speed is estimated to be 200 km/hour, or 125 mph. The Black Swan is designed for same-day deliveries, and could be used to quickly transport goods for a variety of industries like healthcare, telecom, manufacturing, or retail.

Svilen Rangelov, co-founder and CEO of Dronamics, explained in an interview with Avionics International that their business model includes continuing to operate as a cargo drone airline. The Black Swan vehicle has been in development for almost eight years, he added. While Dronamics will have a prototyping facility in Bulgaria, external manufacturing partners will mass-produce the vehicles for specific regions, Rangelov shared.

Svilen Rangelov, pictured above, is the co-founder and CEO of Dronamics. (Photo: Dronamics)

“Australia is a very interesting region for us and for our customers,” he said. The Black Swan cargo drone will be the largest autonomous cargo vehicle that Quickstep is partnering with to manufacture. The details of the contract between Dronamics and Quickstep will be determined in the next few months, and Rangelov confirmed that the first Black Swan drone will come off the Quickstep production line sometime in 2023.

The Dronamics team’s strategy was “to create a new type of vehicle that’s more efficient to produce and more efficient to operate than existing technology,” Rangelov remarked. They are now in the final stages of testing the full-scale airplane, and the first flight will take place this year, he added. It has been a fairly long process in part because of the need to keep cargo transportation solutions at a lower price point.

Three years ago, Dronamics had about 20 to 25 employees. Rangelov shared that the company’s staff today is about 140.

In May, the company received an LUC that enables self-authorization of flight operations, including beyond visual line of sight, or BVLOS. Dronamics simultaneously announced their intent to begin commercial flights out of Malta and Italy later this year.

“We’re the seventh company to obtain such an LUC in Europe, but the first one for a cargo-carrying machine,” stated Rangelov. As soon as they conclude the flight testing program, Dronamics will be able to fly commercially, he added.

When commercial operations launch, they will begin with one drone and slowly add more aircraft. They won’t be putting out 1,000 drones all at once, Rangelov explained. “That’s why it’s important to get the manufacturing partnerships in place now, so that by the time we gain that operational experience, the vehicles will be coming off the production lines.”

“The Dronamics solution could well revolutionize the middle-mile cargo delivery sector and this partnership gives Quickstep the opportunity to provide our engineering and manufacturing expertise into delivering a large sophisticated cargo drone.” – Mark Burgess, CEO of Quickstep (Photo: Dronamics)

In 2023, the Dronamics team will focus on initial operations over a limited number of routes and a more limited scope of operations. The challenge, according to Rangelov, will be keeping up with the operational and manufacturing schedule once they launch. Over the next few years, they will work on scaling operations in other markets and gaining approvals outside of the EU.

“It’s something that needs to be tested and validated in the real world. That’s why we wanted to partner with someone who is really experienced with that, like Quickstep, so we can minimize risk,” he said.

Towards the end of 2020, Dronamics announced the establishment of agreements with five airports in Europe. The company planned to deploy its droneport equipment at the selected airports, including a set of cameras, antennas, and ground control equipment. Sweden’s Skövde Airport, the Seinäjoki airport in Finland, and the Osijek Airport in Croatia were three airports that entered into agreements with Dronamics. Liège Airport in Belgium and Brescia Airport in Italy also agreed to have Dronamics deploy equipment at their airports.

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More Airlines Sign Up for Boeing Digital Apps and Services at Farnborough Air Show

“The increase in efficiency these digital solutions provide will allow Norse Atlantic to increase on-time performance and maintain a low-cost base. The technology will also enable us to reach our goal of a fully paperless flightdeck environment,” Thom-Arne Norheim, Norse Atlantic Airways Chief Operational Officer, said in a statement commenting on the airline’s adoption of several Boeing digital services and applications revealed during the 2022 Farnborough International Air Show. (Photo courtesy of Boeing)

While none of the world’s largest commercial aircraft makers announced any avionics-specific upgrade or modernization deals with airlines during the 2022 Farnborough Air Show this week, several operators continued a trend that has become commonplace for major international air shows by signing up for flight operational and maintenance-focused digital applications and services.

Aside from the collection of new aircraft deals signed by Boeing this week, the company also announced five airlines—Air France, Albawings, Corendon Dutch, Norse Atlantic, and Virgin Atlantic—that signed up for digital services and applications to be provided by Jeppesen, a subsidiary of Boeing Global Services. Jeppesen FliteDeck Advisor, a flight optimization tool, is now being operated by 17 total airlines after adding Albawings, Corendon Dutch, and Virgin Atlantic to the growing list of end-users.

During a trial on Virgin Atlantic’s 787 fleet, for example, the airline found that FliteDeck Advisor “delivered cruise fuel savings of 1.7%, saving approximately 1,900 kilograms of CO2 per flight across the three-month trial,” according to Boeing.

Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operating Officer for Virgin Atlantic (left), and Duane Wehking, Vice President, Digital Aviation Solutions for Boeing Global Services (right), signed an agreement at the Farnborough Air Show to implement Boeing’s Jeppesen FliteDeck Advisor EFB application. (Photo, courtesy of Boeing)

“In a joint effort between our pilots and the back office we now have a great insight on fuel consumption and enabling fuel savings and reducing carbon emissions,” Corendon Dutch Airlines Director of Flight Operations, Peter Nanninga, said in a statement.

Jeppesen describes FliteDeck Advisor as being capable of analyzing “tail-specific” flight performance recommendations that are “superior to those in the flight management computer and flight planning systems.” By analyzing route-specific data relative to a pilot’s originally filed flight plan, the electronic flight bag (EFB) application considers a wide variety of variables to include fuel burn, time savings, and other airplane type-specific performance metrics to suggest the most optimally available flight plan.

Air France also signed a five-year contract for Jeppesen Crew Rostering. Boeing revealed some of the digital tools that Norse Atlantic Airways is using within its all-787 fleet. These include Jeppesen’s FliteDeck Pro and Onboard Performance Tool (OPT) as well as “Ops Data and FMS NavData” according to Boeing.

Johann Panier, Senior Vice President of Fleet Management for Air France (left), and Duane Wehking, Vice President, Digital Aviation Solutions, Boeing Global Services (right), signed an agreement at the Farnborough Air Show for Boeing’s Jeppesen Crew Rostering, a digital crew management tool that will optimize crew schedules for the nearly 13,000 cabin crew at the airline. (Photo, courtesy of Boeing)

Supporting the growth of new digital applications and services across various segments of the aviation industry was also a central focus of the new $50 million investment in AEI HorizonX announced by Boeing. The investment is for a new joint venture between Boeing and private equity firm AE Industrial Partners that will serve as an anchor to AEI HorizonX’s second venture fund—“Fund II”—that is planning to raise $250 million to support the growth of “promising start-ups in future mobility, space, sustainability, digital enterprise applications,” according to Boeing.

“The future of aerospace is digital, sustainable and autonomous,” said Marc Allen, Boeing’s chief strategy officer. “This new Fund II builds on the foundation we have with Fund I and positions us to significantly expand our strategic access to disruptive technologies critical to shaping and realizing that future.”

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Skytrac to Provide Satellite Connectivity System for French H160M Helicopters

Skytrac is providing its Iridium Certus satellite connectivity system for the Airbus H160M, a mockup of which is pictured here. (Photo courtesy of Airbus Helicopters)

Skytrac has reached a new agreement with Airbus Helicopters to provide its satellite connectivity system for the French Armed Forces Programme’s H160M helicopter fleet.

Under the new agreement, Skytrac will provide its SDL-700 satellite communications system to enable Iridium Certus broadband connectivity services of “up to 704 Kbps” for the French H160M fleet, according to a July 12 announcement from the Canadian manufacturer. The connectivity supplier agreement is the latest technology investment made by Airbus for the H160M helicopters being developed for France under the contract signed by the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) in December to acquire a total of 169 H160M helicopters.

The electronics and defense division of Safran announced a new contract with Airbus on June 14 that will see its SkyNaute navigation systems featured on the H160M as well. Thales is the main avionics supplier for the H160M program; the light helicopter’s cockpit will feature the FlytX cloud-native avionics suite.

Jan van der Heul, vice president of sales at Skytrac, commenting on the agreement reached with Airbus Helicopters, said their connectivity will enable several applications for H160M pilots, including “live video streaming, image and large file transfer, satellite voice, text, and Push-to-Talk (PTT), and Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) automation.”

Enabling Iridium connectivity on the H160M will require Skytrac’s high gain antenna (HGA) and a dual element GPS antenna in addition to its SDL-700 system.

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Boeing Begins EPAWSS Upgrades For U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles

The first two U.S. Air Force F-15E aircraft recently began Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) modification at Boeing. (Photo, courtesy of Boeing)

Boeing has begun modifying two F-15E Strike Eagles with the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS), which is also to go on the U.S. Air Force’s F-15EX Eagle II fighters, the company said on July 21.

Boeing said that the Air Force plans to equip 43 of the service’s F-15Es with EPAWSS, which a Boeing/BAE Systems team supplies. That number would seem to indicate a ratcheting back of Air Force plans for F-15E EPAWSS upgrades, as the Air Force had projected last year that it would outfit all 217 service F-15Es with EPAWSS. The Strike Eagles have an average age of more than 29 years.

In March last year, BAE Systems said that it had begun low-rate initial production of EPAWSS for the F-15E under a $58 million subcontract from Boeing.

“In May, 2021, the first two F-15EX aircraft, delivered ahead of schedule, participated in Northern Edge exercises with the EPAWSS suite,” Boeing said. “During the highly contested and complex exercises, the two jets demonstrated operational potential, which set the stage for future incremental improvements, allowing the jets to exhibit proven, outstanding performance in subsequent exercises and flight test missions in October, 2021 and February, 2022.”

In April, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), the vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee’s tactical air and land forces panel, expressed concern about Air Force plans to cut the F-15EX acquisition objective from 144 to 80 aircraft.

EPAWSS is to replace the F-15’s Northrop Grumman-built Tactical Electronic Warfare System self-protection suite, a 1970s-era system which is “functionally obsolete” and costly to sustain, the Air Force has said.

The Air Force has estimated that for all F-15Es EPAWSS may cost $2.7 billion for Increment 1, which covers through 2023, and Increment 2 thereafter.

Increment 1 replaces the existing radar warning receiver, internal countermeasure system and countermeasure dispenser system, while Increment 2 is to add a towed decoy and monopulse angle countermeasure capability.

The Air Force has said that EPAWSS will significantly improve the F-15E’s ability to counter radio frequency, electro-optical, and infrared threats in highly contested environments through 2040.

During the EPAWSS Engineering and Manufacturing Phase, BAE Systems has said that it plans to add geolocation and threat identification features to the EPAWSS flight software.

This article was first published by Defense Daily, a sister publication to Avionics International, it has been edited. Click here to view the original version.

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Bristow Group, AAP Aviation, ASL Group, and Helity Plan to Buy Lilium’s eVTOL Aircraft

Four companies have announced plans to purchase Lilium Jets—eVTOL aircraft—this week, including Bristow Group, AAP Aviation, ASL Group, and Helity Copter Airlines. (Photo: Lilium)

As part of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding, Bristow Group plans to purchase 50 of Lilium’s electric aircraft and provide maintenance services for a launch network in Florida as well as future markets elsewhere in the U.S. and Europe. Bristow intends to support the Lilium Jet’s entry into service and to become an authorized service provider for the company. This week, three other companies have also announced their intent to purchase a number of Lilium Jets.

AAP Aviation is a full-service provider of integrated aviation solutions including flight operations support and advanced technologies. This week, AAP Aviation and Lilium shared that they have signed an agreement to develop a network of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Norway and other countries in Scandinavia. AAP Aviation also plans to purchase 40 of Lilium’s eVTOLs as part of the agreement.

AAP Aviation’s CEO, Espen Høiby, remarked that Norway is well suited for regional air mobility services because of the region’s water, terrain, and mountains. “The Lilium Jet can achieve hours of time savings compared with today’s transportation modes. The Lilium Jet performance, its low noise profile and its spacious cabin makes the ideal aircraft to develop sustainable air transport in Scandinavia,” Høiby said in response to the new agreement with Lilium.

AAP Aviation will work with Lilium to identify and develop landing sites in Norway and other Scandinavian countries. (Photo: Lilium)

European business jet operator ASL Group has just entered into an agreement with Lilium to establish a network of landing sites across Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Western Germany. ASL Group also plans to purchase six Lilium Jets initially, with the possibility of ordering more aircraft later on.

In 2020, ASL Group launched a program called “Responsible Initiative for Sustainable Environment” (RISE) with the goal of reducing the company’s environmental impact. CEO Philippe Bodson noted that purchasing the Lilium Jet is an opportunity to make their business more sustainable while improving the services they offer their customers. Bodson sees the Lilium Jet as the best option on the market because of its spacious premium cabin, its vertical take-off and landing capability, and the fact that it has zero operating emissions.

In the fourth announcement from Lilium this week, the eVTOL developer and Helity Copter Airlines have agreed to develop an eVTOL network in Andalusia. Helity also plans to purchase five of Lilium’s eVTOLs to to add to its existing fleet of helicopters for delivering premium and business charter flights to its customers. Helity’s services include private charter flights in southern Spain in addition to helicopter shuttle flights between Algeciras, Ceuta, and Málaga.

“Southern Spain attracts a high demand of premium tourism. Combined with Helity’s great local expertise and experience in the operation of helicopters, as well as the hiring of highly-skilled pilots, we have ideal conditions for the development of a sustainable air mobility network in the region,” said Lilium’s CEO, Daniel Wiegand, commenting on the agreement with Helity.

Lilium’s strategic partnership with Bristow included the largest potential order of eVTOL aircraft this week, with Bristow announcing its intent to purchase 50 Lilium Jets. Christopher Bradshaw, Bristow’s President and CEO, stated in the announcement, “Bristow has played a key role in successfully introducing several new VTOL platforms for the past 50+ years, so it is a natural evolution for us to take a leading role in the new and exciting Advanced Air Mobility market.”

Bristow entered into a collaboration with another eVTOL developer, Overair, in December. According to the announcement, Bristow placed pre-orders for up to 50 of Overair’s Butterfly aircraft. The two companies also signed a Memorandum of Understanding indicating their intent to collaborate on creation of an operations development framework.

During a discussion on scaling up to advanced air mobility (AAM) at the Transformative Vertical Flight 2022 event earlier this year, Bristow Group’s Executive Vice President, Sales and Chief Transformation Officer David Stepanek commented on the importance of public acceptance for eVTOL aircraft and other components of AAM. To build and scale a compelling business, “we’re going to have to sell people on sustainability,” he said.

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PODCAST: Air Canada 787 Pilot Talks Aero HygenX and Autonomous Aircraft Disinfection

The guest on this episode is Air Canada 787 Pilot, and director of standards and compliance for Aero HygenX, JP Floyd.

On this episode of the Connected Aviation Intelligence Podcast, JP Floyd, Air Canada 787 Pilot and Senior Director of Compliance and Standards for Aero HygenX, joins to discuss autonomous aircraft disinfection technology.

Aero HygenX is a Canadian tech startup founded by pilots and experts in aircraft maintenance. The company has developed an autonomous robot called “Ray” that uses UV-C technology and motion sensors to self-navigate the aircraft cabin while disinfecting air and surfaces throughout. Several airlines including Avelo Ethiopian Airlines and Zambia Airways have adopted their robot disinfection technology.

Floyd also provides some perspective on some of the challenges of flying throughout the pandemic over the last two years as well as some of the goals Aero HygenX wants to achieve with its disinfection technology.

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.

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AerSale Gives 737NG Pilots a Wearable Enhanced Vision System Aftermarket Option

AerSale has issued a new contract to Universal Avionics to supply its head-worn display system for Boeing 737NG operators. (Photo courtesy of AerSale)

AerSale has awarded Universal Avionics a new $33 million contract to supply its wearable enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) for Boeing 737NG aircraft.

The 737NG contract is the latest awarded to Universal Avionics by the Florida-based aircraft leasing, aftermarket parts, and modification provider, after previously working to develop a supplemental type certificate (STC) for Universal’s SkyLens wearable head-up display (HUD) on the Airbus A320. Under the contract, Universal will supply its SkyLens Head Wearable Display (HWD) and EVS-5000 cameras to AerSale to distribute the system to airlines as “AerAware.”

Universal’s EVS-5000 features six sensors and a 3D Synthetic Vision System (SVS), according to the company.

Nicolas Finazzo, Chairman and CEO of AerSale, said the contract will ensure their ability to deliver the AerAware system to “the growing number of airlines who have expressed interest in this solution. We are bringing this innovative solution to commercial operators for improved safety and operational effectiveness and we’re seeing a lot of excitement as we conduct demonstration flight tests.”

AerAware is described by AerSale as combining real-time aircraft systems data, advanced multispectral camera imaging, and synthetic vision onto a head wearable display. A key aspect of the wearable display is its ability to provide pilots with required visual approach and landing references earlier in the airport landing approach process.

According to a report submitted by the FAA to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, “Assessment of Advanced Cockpit Displays”—as required by a provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018—while Head Worn Displays (HWD) have been used in military aircraft for several years, no current U.S.-registered airline is operating with HWDs.

Currently, there are no U.S.-registered airlines that are using head-worn displays for operating their aircraft. (Photo courtesy of Universal Avionics)

The FAA’s report also highlights the agency’s expectation that the head-worn display systems such as AerAware will eventually “gain operators operational credit for CAT I-III approaches, similar to existing [head-up display] HUD implementations.”

“With additional technology advances, such displays may be able to qualify under 14 CFR § 91.176 as an ‘equivalent display’ and thereby achieve full EFVS status,” the FAA writes in the report.

Dror Yahav, CEO of Universal Avionics, commenting on the new contract, says the company’s ClearVision system “brings substantial capabilities to the 737NG and has demonstrated its advantages to operations including the ability to overcome degraded visibility solutions during any time of day. I believe that the ability to allow aircraft to operate in conditions well below published minimums is a game-changer.”

Modification of the 737NG to enable AerAware includes a new radome to accommodate the camera installation, system wiring, connectors, and mounting hardware in equipment bays and flight deck. AerSale will now be able to provide the certified AerAware system to commercial airlines operating 737NG aircraft.

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NASA Researchers Field-Test New Technology to Aid Drone Pilots in Fighting Fires

A project led by NASA’s Ames Research Center commenced field-testing of a kit prototype for drone pilots. The technology is intended to support scaling up of drone use for responding to disasters like wildfires. (Photo provided by NASA)

NASA’s STEReO (Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations) project, led by the Ames Research Center, has developed a prototype of a drone pilot’s kit intended to help scale up the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for disaster response applications. The prototype technology is designed to increase awareness of other aircraft for drone pilots by notifying them of the position of any crewed aircraft. This UAS pilot’s kit, or UASP-kit, makes it easier for the pilot to perform safe fire response operations.

In March, NASA’s STEReO team trained members of the U.S. Forest Service in using the UASP-kits, then observed firefighters as they conducted prescribed burns in national forests in the southern U.S. The Forest Service uses drones to start these intentional fires for strategic land management. The prescribed burns result in less available vegetation for unintentional fires to burn. These field tests lasted for two weeks, and the researchers from NASA gathered useful data from the fire-response professionals following the use of the UASP-kits in a real-world setting.

Using drones to fight fires is not a new concept. In 2019, drones were an integral part of minimizing the damage caused by the fire that broke out at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The firefighters used two camera-equipped DJI drones to most effectively direct their firehoses.

Another of NASA’s UASP-kit field tests took place in Redding, California, in May this year. NASA researchers participated in an aerial firefighting training course, led by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). CAL FIRE has one of the largest firefighting air fleets in the worldWhile trainees learned to direct numerous aircraft operating over a simulated fire, the STEReO team tested out some of the new features of the UASP-kit.

Research psychologist Joey Mercer, who is the principal investigator on NASA’s STEReO project, spoke with Avionics International about the field tests conducted this spring. Mercer has a background in human factors and a strong interest in the decision-making process of drone operators. He explained that the purpose of these field tests is to explore the advantages that capabilities developed by NASA can provide to firefighters. “There’s no intent to automate something, or replace humans in their roles,” he said. “These are the world’s experts on fighting fires.”

The UASP-kit, Mercer remarked, functions to locally source information to enhance awareness for the UAS operator. Pilots conducting UAS missions “understand that they are the ones that shoulder that burden for see-and-avoid,” he said, rather than pilots of larger aircraft having the responsibility of avoiding any small drones.

“We were able to see right away if a new feature was working well, or if it needed immediate attention from our team’s software engineers,” said Joey Mercer, research psychologist with NASA’s Ames Research Center. “This rapid prototyping approach, when validated in these operational settings, is the fastest way for us to be sure we’re giving these users the capabilities they need.” (Photo: NASA)

A drone pilot or flight crew can use manual methods to detect other aircraft operating near the UAS. For example, visual observers can be positioned in multiple locations. They can also include an extra member of the flight crew that is responsible for noticing any other aircraft and alerting the operator. “The UASP-kit is meant to supplement their procedures,” Mercer remarked. They can still carry out all of their processes in the same way, he said, “but now we have this extra digital visual observer who can essentially tap us on the shoulder. This notion is what we’re calling technology-enhanced situational awareness.”

Mercer described a solution for UAS operators where information gathered from aircraft broadcasting their positions via radio signals is translated onto a map-like display. The operators can interact with that display to define their UAS mission’s operating area.

“We could go one step further and set up alerting rings,” he said, such as: “Please beep at me if something gets closer than X, or double beep at me if it gets closer than Y.” This eliminates the need for a member of the flight crew to be completely responsible for monitoring other aircraft. “That sort of workflow is what is supplementing that kind of proactive see-and-avoid,” he added.

One challenge is that the technology powering the antenna detecting other aircraft’s positions is dependent on line-of-sight, and can’t see something behind a ridgeline, for example. Mercer explained that there are some blind spots in the “view shed” of what the antenna can pick up, but that this challenge is surmountable.

“We’re already working to establish satellite nodes—sort of secondary nodes of these antennas,” he said. They could leave an antenna on top of the ridge which communicates with the antenna on the UASP-kit to increase visibility.

The STEReO team’s primary focus is refining the technology’s capabilities in a way that ensures safety and enables operators to do more while using the UASP-kit.

Firefighters use drones to fly into places that are considered too dangerous for conventional aircraft. Drones can help firefighters on the ground by detecting where a fire is growing fastest. (Photo: National Geographic)

Four of these kits are currently being used for real-world fire management; CAL FIRE is using one of the UASP-kits, Mercer noted. All of the feedback gathered from users will be used to improve future iterations of the UASP-kit, like making the operator’s workflow easier via the interface, or enabling more efficient decision-making.

A UAS services provider, Precision, operates aircraft for mapping wildfires and emergency response missions, most recently in support of the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior in New Mexico and Arizona. Their team can deploy UAS within 48 hours and is not limited to performing operations only during the day or when visibility is high.

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