Design and flight tests of a ground collision avoidance system

A ground collision avoidance system is described which is based on digital terrain modeling and flight-path prediction. Flightpath prediction yields possible collisions with the terrain and obstacles well in advance so that an early warning is possible. Further, the system provides the pilot with information about evasive maneuvers (climb or turn). An experimental evaluation was performed which included flight tests in a demanding terrain environment near Innsbruck/Austria in the Alps. The test vehicle was the research aircraft ATTAS of the German Aerospace Center DLR. The results of the experimental evaluation show that all design goals were achieved.