APPLICATION OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION AND TECHNICAL VISION TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE AVIATION SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

Abstract

The subject of research in the article is approaches to improving the onboard equipment of a search and rescue aircraft (AC). The purpose of the study is to develop proposals for improving the technical means of searching for aircraft that have suffered an accident, namely video surveillance systems and information transmission to the control centers (CC) of the search and rescue operation, based on the analysis of the Rules for Search and Rescue Support of Flights of the State Aviation of Ukraine and foreign experience in search and rescue operations. It is proposed to use a light multipurpose helicopter of the Mi-2 type as a search and rescue aircraft (SRAC). The work solves the following problems: studying modern approaches to ensuring aviation search and rescue operations; analyzing technical means of ensuring the search for crashed aircraft; developing proposals for a method of transmitting information from the airborne control center to the ground control center; selecting a suitable carrier for special equipment and individual samples of video surveillance and data transmission systems. The method of comparative analysis is used to solve partial problems. The following results have been obtained: the requirements for the search characteristics of SRAC are determined, in particular, it is proposed to use a light multipurpose helicopter as SRAC; a scheme for organizing communication with the search operation control center using wireless communication technologies is presented; specific requirements for individual components of SRAC onboard special equipment are formulated. Conclusions. The introduction of wireless communication technologies together with thermal imaging equipment will increase the speed and efficiency of searching for crashed aircraft, especially at night and in conditions of limited visibility (fog, smoke). In addition, the range of tasks of light helicopters such as the Mi-2 is expanding, and the number of both onboard and ground operators directly using thermal imaging equipment (infrared camera) to determine the location of the crash is increasing. In this case, the total number of personnel involved in search and rescue operations is not affected.