Collision avoidance solution for low-altitude flights

Abstract

The high density of small aircrafts increasingly threatens flight safety during low-altitude flights. Unlike general air transport aircraft, small aircrafts do not install active detection for collision avoidance. Through available surveillance communication, small aircraft can be monitored and separated on a surveillance dependence basis. A low-altitude collision avoidance system algorithm is introduced to offer the required separation solution to small aircrafts at low altitude. Based on the automatic dependent surveillance concept under the visual flight rule, aircraft traffic alert and collision avoidance system operation can be built on a ground surveillance computer as well as being installed as a airborne electronic flight instrument system (EFIS). Aircraft conflict will be detected and calculated from the surveillance information. Simple traffic resolution rules can be created for collision avoidance after alerts are simultaneously generated on the ground computer and on airborne EFIS. Following the general basic rules, the resolution algorithm could be induced. This article refers to traffic advisory and resolution advisory, and designs a simple avoidance manipulation for small aircrafts. In this development, ultra-light flights are operated to create the actual flight data in a small airspace. Several feasible scenarios are tested in simulations to look into the TCAS performance on ground computer and airborne EFIS. The results offer better flight safety management for low-altitude flights.