Honeywell's SmartRunway/SmartLanding technology has been given the green light by the US Federal Aviation Administration following approval for a software upgrade to the company's Mark V/VII enhanced ground proximity warning system.
The two modules offered are SmartRunway, which supplies pilots with visual and aural alerts about runway and taxiway locations, and SmartLanding, which informs pilots of unstable approaches and long landings.
SmartRunway is the next generation of Honeywell's Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS), which was introduced in 2004. Honywell explains SmartRunway offers two additional advisories over the RAAS, as well as visual advisories. Boeing is offering SmartRunway as an option on the 747-8 and 777 aircraft, and plans to offer it on the 737 narrowbody early next year.
Emirates is the launch customer for Honeywell's SmartLanding system, which notifies pilots through aural and/or visual alerts if an aircraft has not met established safety criteria on approach to prevent hard landings and an aircraft exiting the runway from the end or sides.
"The systems support both 'quiet' cockpit and 'heads-up' initiatives while complementing electronic flight bag technology by providing safety information to pilots when runway safety is at risk," says TK Kallenbach, Honeywell vice-president of product management.
According to Honeywell, the systems require 1h of downtime for installation and minimal pilot training.
Source: Flight International
