The Federal Aviation Administration recently granted approval for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for AerSale’s AerAware headset device known as SkyLens HWD (head-wearable display)—an Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) for pilots in low-visibility conditions.
AerSale says its EFVS received approval from the FAA for the Boeing B737NG product line. “This achievement marks the world’s first commercial EFVS system to achieve a 50% visual advantage and the first large transport aircraft to be certified with a complete dual-pilot EFVS solution featuring a Head-Wearable Display.”
AerSale’s Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Finazzo called the STC issuance a “milestone achievement” for the company as it enters its commercialization phase. “The proposition to customers is compelling, as enhanced safety combined with improved efficiency lowers airline operating costs, while reducing system bottlenecks and advancing environmental initiatives,” Finazzo said.
Resembling a head-up display (HUD), AerAware’s device presents aircraft performance data without requiring the pilot to look down at the instruments. The SkyLens HWD is distinguished by its ability to overlay synthetic terrain directly into the pilot’s line of sight. The terrain information aligns with the pilot’s head movements, “showing relevant terrain display with a 180-degree field of view,” meaning pilots get the advantages of the HUD without the limiting field of view, according to AerAware.
A report from Avgeekery says the installation of the device takes three to five days per aircraft plus training for pilots. The device holds certification exclusively for the Boeing 737NG, suggesting a focus on serving existing and new Boeing Business Jet customers.
Yes, “Apple Vision”-type devices are the (flight)-path forward both in the cockpit, and as a replacement for those crazy-expensive maintenance-intensive, level 4 sims.
I sense we are at the cusp of a paradigm shift.
Just wait until one of those devices fails at the most crucial moment.
There had better be a plan B in place….
Plan B is to look at the gauges just like always.
Precisely
Plan B = #1
Having had the privilege to fly with a HUD for the last 22 years of my airline career in both the 737NG and the 787, I can say that I loved the capabilities of the HUD and how it enhanced the pilots awareness. Limiting heads down time at crucial times is fabulous. The HUD makes flying visual approaches much safer by allowing the pilot to see traffic while being constantly aware of what the aircraft is doing. Using the flight path vector on a HUD greatly improves the pilots ability to land in the touch down zone as well. I can only imagine that a device like this would only improve upon older technology. That being said I also think it would be a bit tedious and tiring to wear something like that for any length of time.
Wondering how a “visual advantage” is quantified at 50%. One eye only?
…. And Airline Captains / F/O’s / F/E’s only wore their Uniform Caps in PR photos and in the ” Terminal ” …. and now this HUD EFVS weighs how much on their noggin’?
I’m betting it weighs less than helmets featuring JHMCS, HMDS, or the like, which our fighter pilots manage to wear and make good use of while pulling far more Gs than any airline pilot ever should. And then there are the less extensive equivalents that transport and tanker pilots wear, that look a lot like these. And don’t forget the monocle system the Apache crews flew with for decades, that are being replaced (or maybe already have been) with full-face replacements. Point being, the utility could certainly be there and weight really isn’t a factor.
If the HUD is critical to safety of flight then why can you dispatch with it INOP?
I always found it amusing after year or more of mandatory HUD usage you show up at the gate on a dark and stormy night to find the HUD is INOP but it’s ok Skipper you are good to go.
I found the HUD the second thing in life highly overrated.