The results of this experiment show that an aircraft primary flight display (PFD) with a flight path superimposed on a synthetic vision system (SVS) terrain image demonstrates a viable means for a pilot to confidently and consistently control an aircraft while flying highly accurate precision approaches to a 200 foot decision height (DH). The pathway, depicted as a Highway-In-The-Sky (HITS) in the display, provides a predictive method, as opposed to the reactive method associated with conventional needle and dial instruments, for controlling an aircraft. The intuitive nature of the HITS/SVS architecture provides greater situational awareness, less pilot workload, and improved accuracy during instrument flying compared to the conventional instrument landing system (ILS) round dials and needles.
Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) and Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) have the potential to allow vehicle operators to benefit from the best that various image sources have to offer. The ability to see in all directions, even in reduced visibility conditions, offers considerable benefits for operational effectiveness and safety. Nav3D and The Boeing Company are conducting development work on an Enhanced Vision System with an integrated Synthetic Vision System. The EVS consists of several imaging sensors that are digitally fused together to give a pilot a better view of the outside world even in challenging visual conditions. The EVS is limited however to provide imagery within the viewing frustum of the imaging sensors. The SVS can provide a rendered image of an a priori database in any direction that the pilot chooses to look and thus can provide information of terrain and flight path that are outside the purview of the EVS. Design concepts of the system will be discussed. In addition the ground and flight testing of the system will be described.
Stanford University has developed a low-cost prototype synthetic vision system and flight tested it onboard general aviation aircraft. The display aids pilots by providing an 'out the window' view, making visualization of the desired flight path a simple task. Predictor symbology provides guidance on straight and curved paths presented in a 'tunnel- in-the-sky' format. Based on commodity PC hardware to achieve low cost, the Tunnel Display system uses differential GPS (typically from Stanford prototype Wide Area Augmentation System hardware) for positioning and GPS-aided inertial sensors for attitude determination. The display has been flown onboard Piper Dakota and Beechcraft Queen Air aircraft at several different locations. This paper describes the system, its development, and flight trials culminating with tests in Alaska during the summer of 1998. Operational experience demonstrated the Tunnel Display's ability to increase flight- path following accuracy and situational awareness while easing the task instrument flying.
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