Introduction

Secondary airports are not only handling an increasing number of flights but are also serving as alternatives for diverted flights. Enhancing accessibility to these airports during degraded weather conditions is crucial. However, limited resources prevent these airports from investing in advanced ground infrastructure.  

One option is to use enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) located on board the aircraft. EFVS extends visual range by enabling pilots to see through clouds or fog using sensor images on the head-up display (HUD) or equivalent systems, such as the head wearable display (HWD).

This SESAR Solution aims to reduce landing minima in low-visibility conditions using infrared and visual technologies such as HUD or HWD. This solution enables secondary airports to lower landing minima without additional infrastructure.

About the Solution

A enhanced flight vision system comprises multispectral cameras and visual technologies. Additionally, the Solution includes infrared technology, which provides a significant visual advantage in conditions such as fog or snow at decision altitude (DA) or decision height (DH), enabling a successful landing that would not be possible otherwise. In other words, the pilot can descend below the DA or DH and land with a runway visual range (RVR) as low as 300 m without transitioning to natural vision. For this Solution, the published DA/DH remains unchanged during the EFVS operations.

This synthetic vision advanced operation concept differs from other standard category II/III (CAT II/III) concepts as it enables operations in adverse weather conditions at small and medium airports, not just at fully CAT II/III equipped airports. The strength of the synthetic vision systems is to take advantage of advanced technologies in the cockpit, instead of requiring costly aerodrome infrastructure.

Compared to standard approach:

• Flight crew includes EFVS capability in the flight plan.
• Flight crew may inform air traffic control (ATC) of their intention to perform an EFVS approach.
• The EFVS approach follows the same method and phraseology as for standard non-EFVS approach.
• The EFVS approach must be flown using HUD or HWD.
• The RVR when using EFVS is approximately 30% lower than without it.
• At DA/DH, the approach can be continued only if visual cues are present in the HUD or HWD.
• Below DA/DH, the crew uses EFVS instead of natural vision to land and perform the roll-out.
• System prompt or guidance is provided to assist the pilot during the flare.

Benefits 

• Improved safety
• Improved access to secondary airports (without CAT II/III infrastructure)
• Operational and cost efficiency
• Reduced holding, diversions and overloading hub airports in degraded visibility

Datapacks

CN Solution #120 “Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS)
SESAR 2020 AAL2 DEMO Report 
Appendix A to SESAR 2020 AAL2 DEMO Report 
Appendix B to SESAR 2020 AAL2 DEMO Report 
Appendix C and D to SESAR 2020 AAL2 DEMO Report 
Appendix E to SESAR 2020 AAL2 DEMO Report 
Appendix F G H and I to SESAR 2020 AAL2 DEMO Report 
Appendix J K and L to SESAR 2020 AAL2 DEMO Report