Universal Avionics to Debut New 'Fly By Sight' Navigation System

    Oct. 22, 2019
    Next advancement in UA’s “Fly by Sight” navigation system features innovative integration between SkyLens Wearable Head Up Display and Interactive FMS (i-FMS).
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    Universal Avionics (UA), an Elbit Systems Company, debuts its latest advancement in the ‘Fly by Sight’ flight deck concept this week at the 2019 NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, NV. The company will unveil the ‘Fly By Sight’ Navigation System, which combines ClearVision SkyLens Head Wearable Display (HWD) and the company’s recently unveiled Interactive FMS (i-FMS).

    The ‘Fly By Sight’ Navigation System reduces head-down time in high workload environments by enabling the pilot to conduct critical functions like a direct-to, runway change or vector-to-final via head-up technologies instead of relying on head-down displays. The system is designed specifically to make these operations more intuitive, made feasible by integrating the head-up display with key FMS functionality.

    This is the next generation in UA’s drive to expand Head Up operations, augmenting the real world through Head Up technologies with Line-of-Sight (head-tracking) functionality that pilots can use to accomplish highly demanding tasks during critical phases of flight.  

    “We believe the future of flying should be simplified, automated, and more intuitive, utilizing new avionics technologies and systems,” says CEO Dror Yahav. “At NBAA, we are demonstrating how integration between the FMS and a wearable HUD like the SkyLens can greatly improve the way pilots fly – reducing workload while maintaining high efficiency and heightened situational awareness.  

    Today’s announcement comes on the heels of UA’s announcement of the ClearVision Interactive-FMS at the 2019 Paris Airshow, revealing a significant engineering effort underway for the product, and innovation sparked within the company.

    The ‘Fly By Sight’ will be offered as an add-on to existing cockpit systems as a retrofit package or as part of the company’s integrated Insight ClearVision cockpit solution.

    Interactive FMS (i-FMS)The i-FMS is a software-based FMS designed on a flexible and open architecture system which can be hosted on a variety of hardware platforms. It enables new concepts in Human-Machine Interface (HMI) such as augmenting head- down displays with ClearVision Head-Up Displays (HUD) and Head-Wearable Displays (HWD), allowing pilots to ‘fly-by-sight.’