Intern
Institut für Informatik

27.01.2016

Informatik-Kolloquium

Im Wintersemester 2015/2016 findet im Rahmen des Informatik-Kolloquiums der folgende Vortrag statt:

Mittwoch, 27. Januar 2016, 16.15 Uhr, Turing-Hörsaal

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Nikolaus J. Braun, Senior First Officer and Instructor A330/A340

Automation in Aviation – From the Wright Brothers to a Pilotless Cockpit?

Automation in aviation: Why, What, How?

Since the first flights by the Wright Brothers in 1903, aviation technology has advanced quickly. Already in the 1940s first flights with an autopilot were conducted. Further development led to the integrated Auto Flight System (AFS).The invention of the Fly-By-Wire-System in the 1980s separated the pilot from the flight control surfaces. In parallel electronic monitoring systems were implemented, that perform system status checks and assist the pilot in abnormal situations.

Three detailed examples (Qantas QF032, Air France AF447, DHL OO-DLL) show, that automation is twofold and can add complexity and workload. There is no option to stop the aircraft at any given moment, so it is the pilot’s task to land the aircraft.

Further improvement on technology is necessary as accident rates remain constant and traffic increases. A higher degree of automation must not be the correct path, same is true for the reduction of flight crew as considered in EU research projects. It will be essential to keep the pilot in the loop.

Vortragssprache ist Deutsch