Flying in 2015 – Part II
Before briefing the first approach, I checked the latest weather. I taped on the destination airport on the MFD to see a decoded version of the METAR. The display zoomed around it to display all available information. The wind vector is displayed over the airport symbol and the ceilings are represented over a model of the terrain. They are low, but few hundred feet above the minimums, exactly what I need. This airport is one of the first in the region to broadcast a video feed. I press a button on the side of the MFD and the picture sent by a tower on the camera appears. The ceilings seems to be higher on the approach end of the runway. Sounds good. Winds are calm, and the digital airport information reports runway 35 in use.
The communication icon blinks again: “APPROACH CLEARANCE AVAILABLE”. The MFD displays the ILS CAT I approach to runway 35. The trajectory is displayed over the chart, to make it easier to read. The approach starts with a direct leg to a point on the localizer, 4 miles before glide-slope interception. Thanks to the GPS, I can navigate directly to it. I check the minimum, and the ILS frequency. As I’m navigating using GPS, the flight assistant automatically activated the ILS frequency and identified it. Everything is fine, otherwise the trajectory would not be shown on the chart. I brief the missed approach, which is quite easy: climb straight ahead, to 5.000 feet.
Time goes back quickly, and the artificial voice of the flight assistant kindly reminds me: “APPROACHING TOP OF DESCENT”. I disengage the autopilot, reduce power, and start descent. I prefer to anticipate a bit to descend with a lower rate. Once I intercept the localizer, the fight assistant asks: “CONFIRM GEAR DOWN ?”. I click the ACK button on the stick and the gear comes down. A new message appears on top of the PFD, ATC wants to know my intentions after the approach. I’m not sure now, it will depend of the remaining time. I keep concentrated on flying the ILS, as the glide-slope interception approaches. I just click the “STAND-BY” button on my stick. ATC can wait.
I intercept the glide-slope, extends one level of flaps, and reduce power. I’m now well established on the glide. I check the time, and see that I’m a bit short. I don’t want to stop there. I press my push-to-talk on the stick:
“Tower hello, N123VL”
“N123VL, Tower, go ahead”
“N123VL, request low go-around and activation of my IFR flight plan.”
“N123VL, roger, you’re cleared for low go-around runway 35, you’ll receive your clearance digitally”
“Cleared for low go-around, N123VL”
I approach the middle-marker. I check the altitude, just before the flight assistant calls “Middle marker, altitude is correct”. I really feel like I have a co-pilot. Suddenly, my the aircraft starts to yaw. Slowly first, but then more aggressively. I have to use full rudder to compensate. The MFD automatically displays engine instruments. The left engine is dead. The system identified it, and the synthetically generated voice asks “CONFIRM FEATHER AND SECURE LEFT ENGINE ?” I click the ACK button, and see the left hand throttle come back. I call ATC again:
“N123VL, lost left hand engine. It will be a full stop landing”
“N123VL, roger. Do you need assistance ?”
“I see no flames, but I’d appreciate if you could send some fire equipment, just in case”
“Roger, they’ll wait for you. Wind is calm, you’re cleared to land runway 35″
“Cleared to land runway 35, N123VL”.
On my MFD, I can see the two aircraft behind me breaking their approach. Sorry for that guys. I’m still IMC, and I have to fight to maintain the aircraft on the ILS. The flight assistant voice regularly issues warnings: “CHECK HEADING”, “CHECK LOCALIZER”, “CHECK SPEED”. I feel like I’m back in training. The thresholds defined for these warnings are fine when both engines are working, but it’s hard to stick within the limits on one engine. I could switch the flight assistant off, but I expect a couple of important calls… and here they come:
“500 FEET ABOVE MINIMUMS – ALTIMETER CROSSCHECK OK”. Just to make sure, I do it again. DME distance, GPS position and altimeter are all coherent. I continue to focus on flying the aircraft. The needles are so sensitive close to the minimums… I start to feel nervous, I don’t really enjoy the idea of going around on one engine. I do my final check: gear is down, I don’t go for full flaps on one engine, and turn the landing light on.
“200 FEET ABOVE MINIMUMS”. Stress goes up one level, but soon after that, the flight assistant announces “RUNWAY IN SIGHT”. This new system using a video camera to detect the runway in the visual spectrum is really good. No need to look out when approaching the minimums. I raise my head with the certitude that the runway will be here. It’s a bit on the right, because my left engine is failed, and the fire trucks are waiting, with their blue flashlights blinking.
I do the final check again, just in case, and then concentrates on my landing. With all this audience, I don’t want to miss it. After touchdown, I slow down and receive a welcome message on the radio:
“N123VL, FireChief, welcome to our airport. Do you need assistance ?”
“FireChief, thank you for coming. I can taxi, but not sure about risks of fire.”
“Roger, follow our marshaller. He’ll bring you to the fire station. We follow behind.”
“Wilco, thanks”.
This post is the second in a series about how flying light aircraft could look like in 2015. Click here to read the first part.
11 Comments, Comment or Ping
Rob Close
Based on my last Vincent, I think the digital ATIS/METAR is definetly possible and useful, I would love to see it, the cockpit assistant is a possibility, maybe 2020 would be a better goal from that – but as you said glass cockpitsa have come a long way. But I cannot see, and do not want to see, the text based communication coming in, it is too rigid, would encourage pilots not to use voice when the situation needs ‘plain english’ rather than the pre-made text commands, you would have to keep your head down in the cockpit longer, which is fine for IFR airliners established on their route with little risk of conflict but for GA aircraft (especially VFR who should be looking outside anyway), I believe it to be a bit too risky.
Sep 13th, 2009
Matthew Stibbe
I like the idea of a digital ‘co-pilot’ and I think datalinks will be a big improvement. I agree with Rob that perhaps you describe something that might be very ‘heads down’. I wonder whether a heads up display (already in military aircraft and some business jets) and voice recognition (in the Eurofighter Typhoon already) might help keep eyes out the cockpit.
Sep 13th, 2009
Julien
Great posts! The thing I feel a bit uncomfortable with though is the use of the “ACK” button for acknowledging checks or confirming actions of different natures. Too much room for error here in my opinion, especially in emergency situations.
Not being too familiar with glass cockpits, I can only rely on hearsay, but it’s easy to see what sort of confusion can happen because the same button is used for two different functions in two different screens. In contrast, the design philosophy of steam-gauge panels was very simple: each knob or lever has one and only one function.
Maybe we could couple the ACK button with the voice recognition feature, so that the pilot would have to read back “feather and secure left engine” in addition to pressing the ACK button?
Sep 15th, 2009
Patrick Flannigan
We’ve already got some of this stuff going on. At major hubs, I request my ATIS and IFR Clearance via ACARS by pushing a few buttons on the FMS. Unless something funky happens, I get everything I need over something analogous to a cell phone text message. No radio-comm required.
I see the framework is already there for taxi clearances, as I actually do have menu options to request a taxi clearance. I’ve never tried it, and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t do anything, but that may be coming down the pipeline.
Sep 17th, 2009
Julien
@Patrick: how do you acknowledge the clearance? Over the radio or through a button or message over ACARS?
Sep 17th, 2009
Patrick Flannigan
@Julien: you don’t have to acknowledge. I think it’s because the clearance is right there in text format.
In fact, I believe the reason you read back clearances on the radio is to make sure you heard/copied right.
As has been pointed out before, the rules may be very different in Europe, but as long as it comes over ACARS, you’re golden in the US and Canada.
Now, if they have a significant change to my routing, sometimes I’ll get a message telling me to request clearance over the radio.
Sep 17th, 2009
Rob Close
I don’t mind the ACARS situation in an airline/IFR environment, but I worry about GA, particularly VFR that it would lead to too much heads down activity.
I think more an optionl addon for IFR flights rather than a compulsory means of communication for all is more practical.
Sep 17th, 2009
Patrick Flannigan
I think you hit on a really good point Rob. Even in a professional flight-crew environment, it is very easy for both pilots to be heads-down with all the ACARS communication that goes on.
With single-pilot operations and the lower experience level of most GA pilots, new tech could present a serious problem in terms of heads-down time. I know a number of violations and accidents have already been blamed on heads-down flying with new glass cockpit technology in small planes. It’s become a real game of information management where pilots have to fight information overload.
Sep 17th, 2009
Vincent
I get your point on the “heads-down” attitude induced by such techniques. This imaginary technology is all presented from an IFR point of view. This would certainly not apply to VFR.
ACARS is fine worldwide as far as I know. I’ll say more on that in the third post. This will be about which part of what I described already exists, what is possible, and what not.
Sep 17th, 2009
Julien
Vincent, I think this session at the AOPA Summit is just for you.
Sep 19th, 2009
Reply to “Flying in 2015 – Part II”