Paris Air Show 2019: Universal Avionics presents new fly-by-sight concept with interactive-SVS


Universal Avionics (UA), an Elbit Systems Company, is showcasing its unique Interactive-Synthetic Vision System (i-SVS) during the 2019 Paris Air Show. The innovative operator’s sight-control concept allows pilots to easily select entities on the company’s conformal SkyLens Head-Wearable Display (HWD), sending it directly to the InSight Display System.


Paris Air Show 2019 Universal Avionics presents new fly by sight concept with interactive SVS "Integrating the SkyLens HWD with the InSight Display System offers a ‘next generation’ cockpit, providing the ultimate presentation of essential flight data, precisely when pilots need it most"(Picture source: Universal Avionics)


SkyLens and InSight are both critical components for safety in today's aircraft and reliance on them by the operator varies during the phases of flight. Integrating the two technologies enables the pilot to have the key information required, right when it’s needed, all presented super-positioned on the real world. Pilots can control the InSight Display System by a ‘look and select’ menu system displayed via the SkyLens HWD with an unlimited Field of View. Sight-selection reduces operational tasks, allowing the pilot to program and update flight path, runway selection, and other commands during critical approach phases, without distracting attention from flying the aircraft head-up. The fully integrated i-SVS function allows change of runway selected, approach selected, and waypoint programing, all by looking on a virtually presented flight path and point selection with sight.

“Integrating the SkyLens HWD with the InSight Display System offers a ‘next generation’ cockpit, providing the ultimate presentation of essential flight data, precisely when pilots need it most,” said Dror Yahav, UA CEO. “The i-SVS provides an enhanced, more intuitive user interface – allowing pilots to ‘fly-by-sight’ – simply look, point, and click,” he added. “The integration also allows for improved performance with a significant reduction of workload, and a new level of safety and operational effectiveness. It’s the first step to support single pilot operation.”

As part of the NextGen roadmap, the InSight/SkyLens integration aligns with Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 91.176 released by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), enabling the operator to perform a full landing procedure with no natural vision, where the reported visibility is as low as 1000 feet. The integrated system offers unmatched capabilities, providing dispatch and landing approach priority as well as Low Visibility Landing regardless of the destination airport’s infrastructure. Once on the ground, SkyLens can assist and guide the aircraft to the gate in poor conditions.