Avionics and cockpit automation
As systems continue to evolve, artificial intelligence will play an important role in flight operations safety.
By Shannon Forrest
ATP/CFII. Challenger 604, G-IV
Contributing Writer
Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 91.205 prescribes the minimum instruments and equipment necessary for flight. Under visual flight rules (VFR) during daytime, a pilot can operate with only basic gauges: an airspeed indicator, altimeter, compass, fuel gauges for each tank, and oil temperature, pressure, and engine RPM readings.
As the flying environment grows more complex – such as under instrument flight rules (IFR) – additional instrumentation becomes critical. Beyond the basics, IFR requires a gyroscopic attitude indicator, radio, and clock.
The 91.205 minimum equipment rule is very rudimentary, and most aircraft today exceed these requirements. While it may be common to find some very spartan instrumentation on an open cockpit biplane at the local fly-in, the level of complexity increases exponentially in turboprops and jet cockpits.
The term avionics – an amalgamation of aviation and electronics – encompasses all electronic systems used to monitor, control, or operate an aircraft. Technically, even a cockpit lighting rheostat qualifies as avionics, but pilots typically associate the term with advanced technology. This perception stems from a revolution that began in the late 1980s, when the Gulfstream IV became the first business jet to abandon traditional round gauges in favor of a glass cockpit, featuring Honeywell’s advanced EFIS suite with 6 CRT displays.
Glass cockpits offered transformative safety and efficiency benefits. By consolidating flight data onto centralized screens, they reduced the need for pilots to scan multiple instruments, minimizing eye strain and improving situational awareness (SA). Even more groundbreaking was their predictive capability. Unlike analog gauges, digital systems could project future aircraft states.
For example, a traditional airspeed indicator shows only real-time changes, while a glass cockpit’s trend indicator calculates exactly where the airspeed will be over a fixed unit of time – and can trigger alerts or automated corrections if thresholds are breached. This shift from analog to digital redefined pilots’ roles, turning them from reactive operators into proactive system managers.
The march of technology
Today’s avionics represent a long evolution of engineering, human factors, and innovation. In addition, today’s avionics have become synonymous with automation. Moore’s Law (coined by Intel Cofounder Gordon Moore) is based on the principle that the number of transistors in a microchip doubles every 2 years. This corresponds to increased computing power and efficiency. In a practical sense, this means the computer purchased 2 years ago is now obsolete.
It takes roughly 5 to 6 years for airborne avionics technology and automation to catch up with consumer-based products. However, a new laptop every 2 years seems economical when compared to the cost of upgrading or retrofitting cockpit avionics and automation.
Replacing an instrument panel every time there’s a new product on the market is cost prohibitive and impractical. For that reason, manufacturers of new technology have incorporated ease of maintenance, scalability, and adaptability into the design phase of their avionics suites.
Dave Garijo owns Great Lakes Aviation Services, an avionics installation and repair facility and Garmin dealer located in Port Huron MI. He points out another area of concern when it comes to older technology avionics and automation. Few technicians can remove, repair, and replace older avionics and radios. So that old reliable BendixKing KX-155 with the burned-out digit has become an expensive paper weight as technicians leaving school lack the training and experience to spot repair specific malfunctions with a unit.
Instead, all modern avionics and automation components are based on the concept of line replaceable unit (LRU). Malfunctions are corrected by removing the problematic unit and replacing it with a good one, without regard to diagnosing the point of failure. This is important to consider when budgeting for repairs, retrofits, and upgrades.
The Universal InSight Flight Display System is a retrofit that replaces classic instrumentation. As Universal describes it, InSight “replaces obsolete equipment to resolve maintenance challenges.” The modification declutters the panel by installing sleek high-resolution LED backlit displays that serve as the primary flight display (PFD) and multifunction display (MFD). Touch screen and cursor controls allow pilot selectable layers of data (including synthetic vision) to be displayed. The upgrade turns a classic round dial aircraft into a technological masterpiece that improves safety, efficiency, and resale value.
Pilots vs designers
When advanced avionics and cockpit automation first entered the market, the focus was on workload reduction through enhanced SA. This goal came largely through consolidating information. There’s always been a disconnect between designers and pilots in that each thinks they know more than the other when it comes to design.
Pilots have always been critical of new technology, and often criticize the way a system has been designed – or its functions. In short, there’s always something a pilot hates about a particular off-the-shelf avionic product. Human factors engineers would likely describe the interface as a point of contention.
Newer avionics have one notable advantage – they can record data that captures exactly what the pilot is doing and at what time. This data can then be applied to algorithms that are used in future design elements. Information is situational dependent.
Maneuvering on a GPS approach at a low altitude is different than taxiing at a busy airport in low visibility during an arrival rush. In an anthropomorphic sense, modern avionics have the capability to sense or anticipate what information a pilot wants next, and present it in a user-friendly way with minimal workload.
Cutting-edge systems
Honeywell has long been a stalwart when it comes to avionics. The latest iteration of its proprietary avionics package is the Primus Epic Integrated Flight Deck. Integrated avionics system (IAS) is the industry term for an “all-in-one” collection of avionics and automation. The package features an interactive navigation system (INAV), which allows a pilot to select and click flight plan-specific options within the flight management system (FMS).
Early model FMSs were somewhat “clunky” in that it was possible to forget or get lost in features that were buried under 5 menu pages in the system architecture – especially if a feature was infrequently used. Newer systems of cursor control devices and touchscreens (standard on the Gulfstream G500 and G600 line branded under PlaneView) have effectively fixed the “hunt and peck” method of aircraft long range control.
There’s an expectation of advanced avionics installed on a high-end business jet, but Honeywell’s reach also extends to the turboprop market. The Primus Apex is comprised of “designed-to-cost” avionics that Honeywell touts as “high-end business jet functionality at an affordable price.” The Apex includes the INAV as well as on-screen graphical flight planning, dual FMS with coupled VNAV, WAAS with LPV capability, and synthetic vision.
Enhanced safety features include a 2-dimensional airport moving map, integrated stall warning, and smart landing and smart runway features (that ensure aircraft performance is compatible with the runway environment). The Apex is offered on the Pilatus PC-12 NG.
The Honeywell Anthem is a modular flight deck that finally settles the push and pull between designers and pilots. Anthem allows pilots to position controls and displays exactly where they want on any display. It’s the automotive equivalent of the memory button that positions the seat, mirrors, and steering wheel exactly where a particular driver wants it.
Presets are saved in the cloud and are available immediately upon powering up the aircraft. Pilots using the Anthem can reorder or reposition things like maps, radio controls, and other data wherever they feel it’s best.
Honeywell’s line of thinking is simple. By allowing pilots to tailor the flight deck individually, it reduces pilot stress, workload, initial training time, and the potential for errors during flight.
This feature may have the ancillary effect of bridging the generational gap between pilots within the same cockpit. Newer pilots who were trained in advanced technology from day 1 tend to be more adaptable to change. More senior pilots who have been doing things the same way for a long time typically resist change and like things presented and done in a specific way. Anthem makes both pilots happy.
The Collins Aerospace version of the IAS is the Pro Line Fusion. One of the best examples that’s currently in service is the Gulfstream G280. Powerful baseline features incorporate 3 15.1-in high-resolution displays that can depict data link graphical weather, terrain, electronic charts and map overlays, electronic checklists, multi-scan radar, and synoptics pages.
Point and click functionality makes it simple and easy to modify and create a flight plan directly on the moving map, which eliminates the need for heads-down movements reminiscent of legacy systems. A head-up guidance system (head-up display [HUD]) draws information from the Gulfstream EVS II, and displays live infrared imagery from the landing environment.
This can reduce unnecessary diversions in low instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and avert collisions with unexpected wildlife and airport vehicles, especially at non-towered airports. FANS 1/A can be included to allow preferred access to North Atlantic tracks and preferential routing. An ancillary benefit is the compatibility with the Collins ARINCDirect flight support services.
Garmin has a unique place in the avionics market because of both the initial production installations of integrated avionics systems and aftermarket retrofits. Nearly every pilot who has trained in the past 2 decades has encountered a Garmin avionics product in some form or fashion. Despite the different models, Garmin has a “feel,” and pilots know intuitively that all Garmin avionics products have a familiarity.
The G5000 IAS is an advanced flight deck designed for multi-pilot business jets. A major highlight of the G5000 is the elimination of clutter. Large high-resolution displays take the place of mechanical switches and knobs, and these features are accessed via touch.
Each display can be configured as a PFD or MFD with the additional capacity to split the MFD into 2 vertical pages. The result is that the pilot gets as much or as little information as needed as a function of the situation and flight conditions.
The G3000 is similar to the 5000 but is designed for smaller and lighter Part 23 certified aircraft. Garmin is known for including a host of safety features in its automation. SurfaceWatch is a runway monitoring technology designed to prevent long landing, landing on the taxiway, or using the wrong runway for takeoff or landing. Garmin’s synthetic vision uses 3D modeling that can depict terrain, obstacles, traffic, and runway environments.
The AI question
Regulators like FAA and EASA are already laying groundwork for AI in aviation. Potential applications range from optimizing fuel burn to acting as a virtual copilot. FlightSafety’s collaboration with IBM uses AI to analyze 4000 simulator variables, categorizing trainees as “shy,” “reactive,” or “risk-taking.” Yet the ultimate barrier is trust – Will passengers accept pilotless aircraft? History suggests skepticism fades with time. Many pilots once distrusted autopilots, which are now indispensable.
For now, the ideal balance combines cutting-edge automation with human oversight. As avionics continue evolving, the focus remains on enhancing safety, efficiency, and the delicate partnership between machine and pilot.
Shannon Forrest is a current line pilot, CRM facilitator, and aviation safety consultant. He has more than 15,000 hrs TT and holds a degree in behavioral psychology.