Airbus has tested a pilot assistance feature called DragonFly. She could save a plane in an emergency by taking over the controls. The system can automatically divert a flight if the crew is incapacitated.
In aviation, autopilot systems have been around for a long time. Many assistances are activated permanently to relieve the work of the pilots and that even before the arrival of cruise control or radars on the cars. It’s even been decades since pilots let go of the stick for navigation and only take it back in the event of a problem or during take-off and landing manoeuvres.
But today, commercial aviation is looking to go further and is already thinking of doing without at least one of the two pilots in the cabin to achieve substantial savings. Sensitive to the wishes of the companies, the aircraft manufacturers are anticipating and, on the side of Airbus, a program known as Project Connect is working on this scenario which will require in fact more in-flight assistance for the pilot. In parallel, the group has also started testing an additional driver assistance function called DragonFly. A project that is supposed to save the device in case of emergency.
Towards a fully autonomous airliner?
Using the aircraft’s many sensors, the on-board computer and its Artificial Intelligence could divert the flight to a suitable airport and communicate with air traffic control. In the event of sudden depressurization, it would be able to quickly reach a safety attitude. The aircraft could even perform the landing safely on its own. Similarly, DragonFly is capable of taxiing the aircraft on the taxiway on its own. A process that could allow the crew to prepare the flight during this maneuver.
The Airbus UpNext DragonFly demonstrator. ©Airbus
For the companies, the idea also consists of reducing delays and therefore the additional costs linked to taxiing. So far, Airbus has successfully tested DragonFly on an A350-1000 demonstrator. A fully autonomous test flight was even carried out in the summer of 2020. Before being deployed on airliners, the system will have to be certified by the various regulators, such as the FAA in the United States, or the EASA. with regard to Europe, for example. This procedure takes a very long time. Aircraft without pilots and even with a single pilot are therefore not for tomorrow, but the intention is there.
