Universal Avionics (UA), a manufacturer of commercial avionics, announced that the FAA has granted Supplemental Type Certification (STC) approval for AerAware on the Boeing 737NG, an Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) powered by ClearVision. This achievement marks the world’s first EFVS to achieve a 50% reduction in minimum visibility requirements and the first aircraft to be certified with a complete dual-pilot EFVS solution featuring a wearable Head-Up Display.
This approved installation of Universal Avionics’ ClearVision includes dual SkyLens Head-Wearable Displays (HWD) and a state-of-the-art EVS-5000 multispectral camera, providing head-up capabilities to overcome low visibility – both day and night. Marketed as AerAware, the solution is the result of a unique partnership with AerSale, which led the design, installation, flight testing, and certification efforts to gain STC approval.
“Certified for EFVS operations all the way to touchdown and rollout in low visibility conditions, ClearVision improves accessibility to most airports and increases approach capacity at congested airports, leading to fewer delays,” said Dror Yahav, Universal Avionics’s CEO. “AerAware serves as the only commercially viable retrofit solution that substantially increases situational awareness during low visibility operations for thousands of 737NG, including over one hundred Boeing Business Jets, reducing natural visibility requirements on approach and increasing safety.”
ClearVision is a complete Enhanced Flight Vision System powering the B737NG AerAware solution. It brings Synthetic Vision (SVS) and Enhanced Vision (EVS) Systems in an innovative and user-controlled Combined Vision System (CVS) for environmental awareness at any given time, displayed along with 737-tailored symbology on pilot and copilot SkyLens HWD. SkyLens is a compact and lightweight Head-Wearable Display offering an unlimited field of regard, allowing pilots to comfortably turn their heads side-to-side while retaining critical flight information and maintaining continuous terrain awareness. With SVS, the pilot has a 3D and 180-degree panoramic view of the outside world showing terrain, obstacles, airports, and runways, greatly enhancing situational awareness during reduced visibility or nighttime operations. AerAware’s benefits include enhanced safety, reduced operating costs, increased airline efficiency, and environmental advantages. The solution enhances safety and situational awareness during all phases of flight, and not just during low visibility weather conditions. Moreover, the AerAware EFVS solution aligns with the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System project, an operational improvement initiative related to increasing airport capacity, particularly during low-visibility operations. It is a key strategic aspect of the FAA’s Human Systems Integration Roadmap envisioned to achieve the transformation of the National Airspace System.
Universal Avionics completes first tests of interactive system
Universal Aviationcs said it has successfully completed initial flight tests of its NexGen software-based interactive Flight Management System (i-FMS). The flight tests were conducted in Austria on a government-owned Bell 212 helicopter as part of a joint effort with Elbit to improve flight management and navigation capabilities for the customer. The i-FMS adds onto mission computers delivered by Elbit and is controlled using the existing Human Machine Interface operated by the customer. The crew of the AB-212 helicopter performed tactical drills in and around civilian airspace, demonstrating holding patterns and floating waypoints. Test flights consisted of navigation sorties to utilise the upgraded features of the i-FMS, including loading and flying standard instrument departure and arrival routes (SID/STAR) of various types, with RNAV to and from heliports and airports. Utilizing actual and required navigation performance (ANP/RNP) capabilities, the system provided VNAV guidance in the climb, cruise, and descent phases of flight. A second flight test was completed in October to further improve the system’s capabilities. The i-FMS is a software-based function designed around flexible and open architecture standards for hosting on a variety of hardware platforms. Modular, the i-FMS enables customers to specify future functionalities incrementally. Without the need for its own user interface, it uses the existing system to call subroutines for guidance, mission management, and more. Future developments of the i-FMS application will integrate wearable head-up displays such as SkyLens™ to project waypoints and information from the FMS into the real world. This Augmented Reality will enable pilots, for example, to interact with features through head/eye tracking and a selection button on the aircraft throttle.
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