Avionics News January 2015 - 32

AVIONICS IN THE YEAR 2025
Continued from page 30

These new technologies will naturally make flying safer
for manned aircraft. Since all UAS operating in the NAS
will require some type of FAA certification, it shouldn't
be a stretch for manufacturers to certify these same
advanced sensing systems for manned, certified aircraft.

MATT CARRICO,
Senior Engineering Manager and Fellow,
Advanced Concepts, Rockwell Collins
I think the airplane in 2025 is clearly going to have
great connectivity to the ground for passengers and
crew. All the connectivity services we are beginning to
hear about today will be well in place with bandwidth
we cannot even imagine being available to future
aircraft.
That connectivity is going to allow the crew to do an
even better job of anticipating and preparing for events
downstream of their intended route. This will enable
them to react earlier, more efficiently and more safely
when they have to make any diversion or deviation.
In addition, I think the airplane itself will have
much more capability for coping with low-visibility
conditions in the terminal area. We will be able to
safely get airplanes in and out of airports that do not
have sophisticated instrument approach capabilities.
This will be accomplished through various vision
systems and sensors, including advanced synthetic
vision and head-up, eyes-forward displays.
We see that technology handwriting on the wall
today. We have great geo-referenced databases
emerging for airport surfaces that are much more
detailed than historical airport charts. We are getting
even greater accuracy from GPS and, maybe in the
future, other geo-referencing constellations that provide
even greater accuracy in the air and on the ground.
We are working on multiband-based enhanced
sensors that will allow us to peer through more fog and
low-visibility conditions than ever before. Couple that
sensor detection with the virtual world database and
improved graphical information and processing, and
show that on the HUD and large-format head-down
displays, and you will have great situational awareness
even when you can't see outside.
Combine this with performance-based navigation,

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january

2015

datalink capabilities with ATC, and sophisticated
surveillance systems like ADS-B In and Out and flight
crews will be able to fly safer, more precise approaches
to more airports around the world. All together, this
will enable pilots to have great orientation and area
awareness to continue operations in reduced-visibility
conditions in the air and on the ground.

PAUL DEHERRERA,
Chief Executive Officer, Universal Avionics Systems Corp.
There is so much going on today, the future is really
exciting. Avionics in 2025 will not be confined to the
cockpit. The entire aircraft will be part of the "avionics"
integration process.
To that end, one of the things that I'm seeing is we
are getting better and better with the man/machine
interface and some technologies to anticipate pilot
actions. It's a lot like what you see in today's cars.
There are all kinds of sensors that provide information
to drivers, and many of those same things need to occur
in the cockpit.
We have a technology in our TAWS system today,
where if the pilot enters an en route altitude that will
cause a conflict with a known terrain obstacle, the
system will warn him before he even takes off.
Also in 2025, instead of relying on an idiot-light
or warning horn or something, there will be more
assistance technology available to the flight crew - sort
of an R2-D2 kind of system - technology that will
look at a situation and provide the pilot with timely
information and advice.
For example, it could monitor the aircraft's systems
and, if a problem pops up, it can instantly present the
proper checklist or a situational solution to help the
pilot when he needs it.
Another thing we're seeing is the miniaturization
of sensors. When you can place those throughout the
aircraft, if you get a warning or indication of a problem,
you may be able to actually "see" the problem via
one of these sensors. It could be for simple things like
airframe icing. Can you believe we still use ice lights?
We also could have these sensors built into the
runways. There's no reason we can't do a much better
job of telling the pilot actual visibility and runway
conditions while he's on the approach. I see more and
more of that type of information being available to the
crew. q
Avionics News January 2015

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