Decision Aid Computer (DAC)

Ken_Kopp

New Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
1,472
Location
Wellington Aero Club (FD38) FL
The last 10 years has really seen a dramatic increase in not only cockpit integration but also the sheer volumn of information available at a glance to the pilot. This is mostly viewed as a good thing but it can also lead to higher workload and loss of SA when that information changes rapidly..

I'd like to see Data Fusion and decision making aids in the GA market. Equipment that can take weather, traffic, aircraft performance and limitations, even pilot experience and recent performance and synthesize it to provide the pilot with more than raw information but refined Courses Of Action (COA's) to help make the best decision given the circumstances.

For example: You having only flown the minimum number of instrument approaches in the past few months embark on a night IMC cross country flight. Along the way the Decision Aid Computer (DAC)checks the weather and notes that along your route of flight (as loaded into the GPS) is deteorating quickly. It then suggests a new route based upon known traffic, current range capacity, and airports with approaches it knows you've practised and are profient at while taking into account aircraft performance for terrain clearance...etc. It may give you several choices or one optimal choice with which you press a button and all your systems (GPS, Comms, Auto-Pilots, etc..) update to reflect the new course of action..datalinking the requested change to ATC for near realtime approval or modification...You as the PIC still make the decision but you don't have to process all the detailed data while flying to determine all the options.

For fun VFR flying you can turn the DAC off and do everything manually, but for those dark, lonely nights, in bad weather over the ocean or mountains the DAC may be your best friend...

DYNON- if you decide to build this I'd like to volunteer to beta test it for you!!! :)

Standing by for return fire!!

CDR Ken "Spanky" Kopp, USN
 

PhantomPholly

New Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
582
Good start, Ken!

But, we're already thinking yesterday's technology here.  The feature you describe is already in Garmin's 496 & Nuvi as "traffic avoidance."

Forget about the display on the panel for a moment.  Start thinking about a helmet visor or transparent "glasses" with built in head-movement sensor.  When you look through these glasses, no matter which way you turn your head you can see the artificial horizon superimposed on the real horizon.  You can see air spaces as if they were semi-solid masses, color-coded to let you know if you are "safe" to penetrate them.  You see the terrain in every direction, and towers are easy to make out (exaggerated).  Your flight planned route glistens against the sky, and traffic within 10 miles blinks gently, and fuzzy so you know the location is a general direction to look.  "Oh, there it is!  Tally Ho!" you exclaim as you see the traffic ATC calls out to you emerge within the highlighted area.

When ATC calls out an update to your route of flight, you say to your flight computer:  "Flight Plan, Ammend, XRay, V37, Yankee, V22, Rejoin current at Zulu."  You see your glistening highway in the sky adjust itself, and your autopilot dutifully follows.

On approach, paper plates are a thing of the past.  Using all available navaids and satellite NOTAMS, the FCS limits your selection of approaches to those supported right now (GPS out?  VOR only).  Descents and holding are automatically directed in your field of vision.

The pieces are here now to make this possible.  The prices are falling.  Some of this already exists in software such as Microsoft Simulator.

Yep - it's a good time to be a pilot!

:)
 

dynonsupport

Dynon Technical Support
Staff member
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Messages
13,226
How about this ?  ;)

Feel free to continue this discussion - just want to make sure you've seen the announcement.
 
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