AFRL program demonstrates synthetic and enhanced vision for low-level flight

  • Published
  • By Plans and Programs Directorate
  • AFRL/XP
Administration's Langley Research Center (Virginia), and Rockwell Collins (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) collaborated under a Dual-Use Science and Technology program to conduct the first-ever industry demonstration of synthetic and enhanced vision technologies in low-level terrain-following and curved, descending, low approaches.
Synthetic and enhanced vision technologies promote safety by providing crews with greater situational awareness, thereby reducing mishaps that stem from terrain, threats, and navigation. Integration of synthetic and enhanced vision provides a usable image in all visibility conditions. Military applications of synthetic and enhanced vision technologies include such activities as flying complex approaches using the Global Positioning System to facilitate landings at austere locations in reduced-visibility conditions, reducing controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) incidents, avoiding noise abatement areas, and increasing air traffic throughput at airports.
AFRL researchers had two program objectives: (1) enable Air Force aircraft to fly in instrument meteorological conditions with as much terrain awareness as in visual meteorological conditions, and (2) prevent CFIT accidents. The team strove to develop head-up and head-down display formats that incorporate primary flight information, command path guidance, synthetic terrain, and embedded infrared sensor imagery suitable for low-level flight profiles and complex approaches in reduced-visibility conditions.
AFRL and its partners used a Boeing 727-100 to perform demonstrations of low-level terrain-following (at 650 ft); they also executed approaches as low as 100 ft. These were the first flight tests in which researchers conducted military, low-level terrain-following and approaches in simulated zero-visibility conditions using both synthetic (database) and enhanced (sensor) vision technologies. Synthetic and enhanced vision technologies show promise for civil aviation purposes. AFRL is continuing its collaborative research efforts with industry through the Autonomous Approach and Landing Capability demonstration program for the US Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command.