Advanced aircraft cockpit simulator for ground based validation and risk assessment

AACS is a cockpit simulator designed to support aeronautical information management activities rather than pilot training. Its primary role is to perform validation of Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs) both in regards to flight procedure flyability and also flight crew workload in nominal or contingency situations (e.g. failures, weather effects). AACS is compliant with ICAO 9906 Vol.5 requirements for ground validation and the flight management system is capable of conventional as well as area navigation (RNAV) and Performance Based Navigation (PBN). Ground based flight procedure validation via simulation plays a key role and AACS can be used to determine that:

• The procedure operates to its design accuracy with the supporting systems and navigation aids
• All obstacle and navigation data on which the design is based is verified for accuracy and completeness
• The flyability of the procedure on the basis of the pilot’s workload is assessed as suitable
• The aerodrome infrastructure is adequate for the procedure and to assess the visual impact of trajectories
• The presentation of instrument procedure charts is in accordance with the requirements

As it is not intended for pilot training AACS can be configured to simulate different aircraft, equipment and environments. It can also easily be integrated with other systems including tower and air traffic simulators such as IDS AirNav’s TBA3D as well as IDS AirNav’s FPDAM flight procedure design suite.

The flexibility of the AACS software and hardware enable it to be used for more than just procedure validation, also allowing the validation of innovative operational concepts requiring advanced airborne capabilities, such as PBN, 4D Trajectories (4DTs) and airborne separation assurance system (ASAS) maneuvers.