Honeywell is providing a clear view to make helicopter flying safer than ever before

Year 2012 was a very good year for fixed-wing commercial aviation. In fact, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) named it the safest year in recent aviation history. What’s troubling is that this success is yet to translate to helicopters, as the rate of rotorcraft accidents has remained relatively constant during the past decade.

Rotorcraft safety remains a paramount concern worldwide. It’s easy to see why. Given the nature and scope of commercial helicopter operations, spanning search and rescue, medical evacuation and law enforcement, helicopters must fly close to the ground and therefore face an increased chance of collision with terrain and man-made obstacles. Add low visibility to the mix and the need to equip pilots with the best possible safety technology becomes crystal clear. According to the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) makes up 27 per cent of all helicopter accidents, with low visibility as the root cause of many such crashes. IHST data collected during 2000, 2001 and 2006 shows that 84 per cent of accidents were due to a problem with “pilot judgement and actions” while “safety management” is ranked second at 43 per cent.

However, despite the IHST’s 2006 goal of reducing helicopter accidents by 80 per cent by 2016, actual accident rates have been slow to decline. While helicopter flight remains very safe, even one accident is one too many. This is particularly true when considering that many of the crashes occur while bringing accident survivors or other victims to safety. The helicopter industry continues to grow, and Honeywell’s 2013 helicopter forecast shows that global delivery of new helicopters will increase by up to 5,600 craft by 2017. More rotorcraft in the air increases the need for technology that reduces the pilot’s workload and provides maximum awareness of surroundings at all times to ensure crew and passenger safety.

Now is the time to apply our collective expertise in fixed-wing safety technology to the unique conditions faced by rotorcraft. On its part, Honeywell is listening to customers and working to provide the latest safety technology such as our SmartView synthetic vision system (SVS) and extending it to rotorcraft applications. In development with our advanced technology team, SmartView for helicopters uses our enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) terrain and obstacle databases that have been proven in more than one billion flight hours. Helicopter pilots can use next-gen technologies such as SmartView to greatly decrease the chances of CFIT that result from lowvisibility conditions.

SmartView provides helicopter pilots with real-time views of the aircraft’s location relative to surrounding terrain. It shows a 3D virtual view outside the cockpit that is free of visual impediments such as the weather conditions or the darkness of night. A primary goal of SmartView is to enhance a pilot’s aeronautical decision-making abilities, which IHST’s research cites as one of the biggest needs to help prevent accidents. A strategic tool, Smart-View offers visual displays, approach guidance cues, terrain shading and other intuitive prompts to aid helicopter pilots in critical decision-making. The system synthesizes key flight information and presents it to the pilot in one comprehensive, easyto-understand picture on the cockpit’s primary flight display—ultimately improving overall safety. It directly addresses potential errors in pilot judgement and actions, the leading cause of helicopter accidents.

Moreover, this technology can be combined with other enhanced vision system technologies, such as LIDAR and millimeter wave radar, to create a truly integrated “out the window” view of not only terrain and major man-made obstacles, but even smaller hazards, in any conditions.

Honeywell has showcased the benefits of safety technology and advanced avionics such as EGPWS and SVS for fixed-wing aircraft and how those technologies can drastically increase flight safety. With the continued growth of the helicopter industry, and with helicopter operations occurring in the challenging environments inherent in low-altitude flight, Honeywell is ready to bring the immense safety benefits of these technologies to the rotorcraft industry.