Airbus unveils training tool for helicopter pilots

Farnborough, U.K – Airbus Defence and Space has unveiled a training tool called Sferion that has been developed to support helicopter pilots flying in degraded visual environment (DVE) conditions.

 

Sferion has been developed for both military and civil helicopter use and provides training to help support pilots during their entire mission under all conditions.

 

The threat of collision increases when the pilot has to fly low level and or in DVEs such as brown-out, white-out, and zero light conditions.

 

Obstacles in the flight path or close to the flight path can be a threat to helicopters. They could include power lines, aerial cables, pylons, single trees, and towers.

 

A night mission poses a number of challenges for Search and Rescue (SAR) teams and Special Operation Forces flying helicopters. These include the fact there may be short time for pre-planning, and even with known co-ordinates, the terrain and conditions at the landing site may be unknown.

 

DVE is a constant threat and sudden changes in weather conditions may bring on a snow storm, heavy rain, or fog. It may also not be possible to do a fly-by for reconnaissance so the pilot needs to find and select a suitable landing spot at the first approach, possibly in DVE.

 

The Sferion training software can process and combine information from advanced sensors, information from databases, and information arriving via data links and present it in a practical, easy-to-understand visual format.

 

IN DVE, a special system set up in the helicopter can generate visual clues for the pilot. In the most extreme cases, the pilot can fly the helicopter when it would be impossible to fly without the visual aids. The result is better flight safety and certainty of mission success.