Synthetic vision/enhanced vision system implementation

There is an emerging requirement within the world´s air transport network to improve safety and increase productivity by enabling aircraft to perform visual flight operations under low-visibility weather conditions. Currently, the commercial aviation industry has centered its efforts at achieving this requirement around a millimeter-wave imaging radar and/or imaging infrared (IR) sensor, a Global Positioning System (GPS)-aided inertial navigation system, and a heads-up-display (HUD) to enable a minimum set of low-visibility functions. Honeywell has flight tested a 35-GHz radar as part of the Synthetic Vision System Technology Demonstration (SVSTD) program, and the authors describe the system implementation, signal processing, and resulting flight test results. The focus is on the terminal area navigation and landing problem in adverse weather using existing avionics with appropriate sensor and navigation upgrades