- [Voiceover] In the world of General Aviation,
single pilots are faced with making dozens
of decisions during every flight.
Decisions that require access to a lot of information,
often in a compressed time frame.
Today, GA pilots rely on charts and books
for much of the data they need on airports,
airspace, weather conditions,
radio frequencies and checklists.
At times, the workload of a single-pilot is very high
and every time a pilot has to look down at a chart
or take their hands off the controls,
it creates potentially unsafe conditions.
What if, instead of having to open a map
or reference a book, there was something
that understood what pilots were trying to accomplish
and could provide them with the right information
at the right time and in the right format?
Introducing Digital Copilot, a new set of capabilities
that can do just that.
The MITRE Corporation has been researching ways
to increase general aviation safety
and reduce workload for the single pilot
using devices you probably already have,
like your smartphone or tablet.
Digital Copilot is designed to help the pilot
reduce some part of their workload.
There are capabilities to help with checklists,
provide radio frequencies and even let the pilot
know that the traffic pattern isn't looking quite right.
Here are a few examples of how it can be used.
Let's start with the pre-flight phase.
- [Pilot] Set destination Foxtrot Delta Kilo.
- [Digital Copilot] Your destination is set for Frederick.
- [Voiceover] It helps to tell the Digital Copilot
your flight plan and the earlier the Digital Copilot
knows the plan, the better equipped it will be
to provide the right information at the right time.
Even with incomplete information, Digital Copilot
will continuously try to determine
what the pilot intends to do.
Some pilots might want the Digital Copilot
to read checklists to them out loud.
For example, the before takeoff checklist.
- [Digital Copilot] Carburetor heat, cold.
Throttle, full open.
- [Voiceover] To help pilots taking off on short runways,
the digital copilot can provide runway remaining call outs.
- [Digital Copilot] Four thousand five hundred.
Four thousand.
Three thousand five hundred.
- [Voiceover] The Digital Copilot can help pilots
remember important tasks by providing
information based on time or distance from the destination.
- [Pilot] Reports twenty miles from destination.
- [Digital Copilot] Will do.
- [Voiceover] Pilots can also ask the Digital Copilot
to provide other custom reminders
such as letting the pilot know when to switch fuel tanks.
As the pilot prepares to arrive at the destination,
the Digital Copilot will offer a destination summary.
- [Digital Copilot] You are 12 nautical miles from Frederick.
ATIS is 124.875.
Winds are 132 magnetic at 5 and favor runway 1,2.
- [Voiceover] Pilots can also ask the Digital Copilot
for other information at any time.
the Digital Copilot understands when pilots
might want to know the weather and traffic frequencies
for their destination and it will look them up
and give the information to the pilot automatically.
- [Digital Copilot] ATIS for Frederick is 124.875.
Tower frequency for Frederick is 132.4.
- [Voiceover] As the flight nears completion,
the Digital Copilot continues to provide
critical updates that will help ensure a safe landing.
- [Digital Copilot] GUMPS.
Three thousand.
- [Voiceover] Digital Copilot capabilities
are simple and easy to use
and can help when there isn't a human copilot.
In fact, the Digital Copilot may even help
augment the humans when there are multiple pilots onboard.
Digital Copilot's critical safety functions
can be integrated into the electronic tools
that you already use and are familiar with.
Talk to your current electronic flight bag vendor
about contacting the MITRE Corporation
to license Digital Copilot technology.