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This study aims to optionally-piloted aircraft is useful for in-flight tests of new automatic controller’s concepts. The safety of this kind of experiment is an issue addressed in this paper. The prediction of possible safety-influencing factors makes it possible to assess the pilot’s ability to effectively prevent safety risks.

The analysis in this research paper focusses on two cases of monitoring; similar control standards for both pilot in command and the monitoring pilot or technical systems in one of these tasks and dissimilar control standard when monitoring pilot is not familiar with a control manner of the pilot in command or of the automatic control system. The increased workload is expected in the last case as the result of additional activities determined theoretically in the presented analysis. Details of the possible threats are obtained by simulation tests with various factors influencing the safety of landing. In addition to determining threats, the analysis includes the possibility of in time threat detection and preserving action.

The results show that the safety pilot has a different task than the pilot in command and needs to be familiar with the general principles of automatic controller operations and the particular algorithm being tested. Although commonly used landing procedure is relatively error-tolerant, new landing procedures for use in some specific conditions need more precise control and additional safety pilot preparation. Additional information presented to both the pilot in command and the safety pilot may increase mode and state awareness and reduce reaction time in an emergency condition.

In-flight tests of non-standard control algorithms there is a need to include additional preparation of the equipment and safety pilot. The research in this paper illustrates how to determine threats and safety-critical moments during the experimental flight can be observed. The danger is mitigated by the safety pilot, if familiar with both proper and improper operations of the controller and how the pilot in command should detect and predict danger caused by the tested control system.

The presented method of analysis combines the human factor with various technical aspects. The results obtained illustrate the real tasks of the person supervising the operation of the automatic control system and the role of a human as a safety pilot.

This paper aims to present a vision-based method for determination of the position of a fixed-wing aircraft that is approaching a runway.

The method determines the location of an aircraft based on positions of precision approach path indicator lights and approach light system with sequenced flashing lights in the image captured by an on-board camera.

As the relation of the lighting systems to the touchdown area on the considered runway is known in advance, the detected lights, seen as glowing lines or highlighted areas, in the image can be mapped onto the real-world coordinates and then used to estimate the position of the aircraft. Furthermore, the colours of lights are detected and can be used as auxiliary information.

The presented method can be considered as a potential source of flight data for autonomous approach and for augmentation of manual approach.

In this paper, a feasibility study of this concept is presented and primarily validated.

Cooperation of a pilot with an automated aircraft control and monitoring systems is a problem which should be solved designing the whole system. The method of design, which creates an assistant of a pilot, is the purpose of this study.

An analysis of human factors shows demands for working environment. An integration method for various technological systems and algorithms is searched.

It is possible to make the whole system to become a pilot assistant, which has ability to exchange information with pilot by a dialogue. Structural flexibility is obtained in multi-agent system structure.

Proposed approach is a solution of how to integrate increasing amount of aircraft systems. It is expected that new form of cooperation fits to human features. Proposed methodology solves problem of simultaneous control by two controllers and cooperative making decisions.

Dialogue between human and the system proposed in this solution will change perception of machines.

New abilities of machines and proposition of their realisation are presented. Presented solution of simultaneous control and decision-making during aircraft control is a novel approach to human–machine cooperation.

To present both the construction and sample applications of the small, low‐cost air data computer (ADC) with CAN interface, which has been designed at Avionics Department of Rzeszow Technical University.

The ADC has been developed as a partial task during realization of few aviation projects. It uses cheap piesoresistive pressure sensors with digital temperature compensation to calculate following flight data: altitude, airspeed computed in two ways as instrumental airspeed and true airspeed, altitude rate, and atmosphere parameters: pressure, temperature and air density. This device is small and lightweight then it can be used on boards of both small aircraft and unmanned flying vehicles.

This paper provides information about designed ADC's measurements accuracy. Also it informs about possibilities of the presented device uses.

The lightweight low‐cost ADC can reduce both price and weight of complete control systems different types of flying vehicles are equipped with.

This paper presets original the construction of the ADC equipped with CAN 2B interface and working with CAN Aerospace protocol.

The paper aims to present an idea of automatic control algorithms dedicated to both small manned and unmanned aircraft, capable to perform spin maneuver automatically. This is a case of maneuver far away from so-called standard flight. The character of this maneuver and the range of aircraft flight parameters changes restrict application of standard control algorithms. Possibility of acquisition full information about aircraft flight parameters is limited as well in such cases. This paper analyses an alternative solution that can be applied in some specific cases.

The paper uses theoretical discussion and breakdowns to create basics for development of structures of control algorithms. Simplified analytical approach was applied to tune regulators. Results of research were verified in series of software-in-the loop, computer simulations.

The structure of the control system enabling aerobatic flight (spin flight as example selected) was found and the method how to tune regulators was presented as well.

It could be a fundament for autopilots working in non-conventional flight states and aircraft automatic recovery systems.

The paper presents author’s original approach to aircraft automatic control when high control precision is not the priority, and not all flight parameters can be precisely measured.