One of the principles of aviation is that you can do everything right, but if someone else messes up, for example, if your plane starts its takeoff roll before it has cleared the runway, you will still get hurt. about it.
Runway incursions occur frequently, and Honeywell is focused on software that helps reduce their number.
According to the FAA, a runway incursion is an event at an airfield that involves the inadvertent presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on a protected area of a surface designated for aircraft takeoff or landing. A surface incident is any unauthorized or unauthorized movement (other than a runway approach) within a designated area or in connection with the operation of an aircraft in the same area that affects or is likely to affect an aircraft. These are closely related events that occur when a potential event occurs. Flight safety.
Honeywell is working on Surface Alert (SURF-A), a software technology that helps pilots avoid both.
SURF-A uses GPS data, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment, and advanced analytics to pinpoint the precise location of traffic hazards. Aviation safety expert Thea Feyereisen said Honeywell’s SURF-A software would be like adding an ever-vigilant “third eye” to the cockpit of airliners and business jets. .
“SURF-A improves situational awareness for flight crews and reduces risks associated with runway incursions, which occur more frequently as flight times increase and airport congestion increases.” Honeywell Aerospace Technologies said Feyereisen, a senior technical fellow at .
Currently, ground systems exist that alert air traffic controllers to potential problems. SURF-A creates a multifaceted approach to runway safety as it provides real-time audible and visual warnings if a pilot is on a trajectory that will collide with an aircraft or ground vehicle within 30 seconds of him Alert the pilot.
According to the FAA, there are four categories of runway approaches: A, B, C, and D. SURF-A targets categories A and B. These are the most serious because they are either a near-missed collision or a potentially serious one. Time-critical corrective/avoidance responses may occur to avoid collisions.
Feyereisen said Honeywell has been working on the technology for several years, including testing in Europe and the United States.
“COVID-19 brought things to a standstill, but now flights are coming back and the margin of safety is getting narrower and narrower,” she said, adding that when a lack of separation or near-misses occur, the company He added that he would be fine.
Honeywell’s research includes analysis of FAA data on runway approaches and analysis of human factors factors. Too many air traffic controllers are retiring and younger, less experienced personnel are filling their positions. The same is true for airliner cockpits, as regional and traditional airlines employ relatively short-time pilots to meet the travel demands of their customers.
Honeywell, which successfully tested SURF-A capabilities in a series of flights in December, plans to begin demonstration flights on a Boeing 757 this summer for U.S. and European regulators, airlines and media.
“In our flight tests, we were pleased to see how effective SURF-A is in alerting pilots and allowing them to take evasive maneuvers,” Feyereisen said. said. “The system checked all the boxes and collected a lot of information that will help accelerate the development and certification process over the next two years.
This new technology joins Honeywell’s portfolio of runway safety products, Smart X. The product also includes the Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS) and the SmartRunway and SmartLanding software introduced 15 years ago. It will be available through a software upgrade to the aircraft’s required Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) to increase situational awareness for flight crews during taxi, takeoff, and landing.
Honeywell is looking forward to “forward-facing” opportunities, meaning the aircraft will be equipped before it leaves the factory.
SURF-A has the ability to determine the aircraft’s location and whether there are any other aircraft on the runway.
“Using this knowledge of your ship’s position, you will know if you are taking off or if other aircraft are still on the runway. You can immediately see that there’s another aircraft in there as you advance the throttle,” Feyereisen said.
Honeywell chief engineer Brad Miller said this was made possible in part by information gained from each aircraft’s ADS-B Out data. In the air, ADS-B provides audible and visual alerts when nearby traffic is detected.
“This is an extension of that, implementing runway safety features,” Miller said.
As long as the other vehicle is equipped with ADS-B, SURF-A can detect it.
Audible alerts can be given by a male or female voice. Miller said Honeywell has professional voice actors who record the necessary messages “with the right amount of urgency.” Airlines choose their preferred gender.
Honeywell expects SURF-A to be released within 18 to 24 months.