Synthetic vision, a natural winner

The SVS function provides crews with a 3D synthetic representation of the world around the aircraft, either on head-down cockpit displays or on the pilot’s HUD or TopMax helmet-mounted sight display. It gives pilots better situational awareness and helps them fly stabilised approaches, with flight path, airspeed and other visual cues overlaid on the actual view of the terrain.

Development of the SVS system began in 2012, and flight tests have produced excellent results. New regulations currently being prepared by EASA and the FAA should allow reduced minima for approaches and translate into operational benefits for airlines.

“Thales filed four patents during the development of this function, giving us a distinct edge in the SVS market,” says Philippe Priouzeau, Technical Director for Thales’s commercial avionics business. “The contracts we have signed so far suggest that the technology has huge potential in the markets we serve.”

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