Methods and apparatus to project aircraft zone indications are disclosed. A disclosed example projection system for displaying an indicator pertaining to an aircraft includes a condition analyzer to determine a condition of at least one of the aircraft or a zone surrounding the aircraft, and a projector to project the indicator on or proximate the zone based on the determined condition.

A light-transmitting subsystem can include an LED light source including a first to LED light to emit a first wavelength of light with a first center-emission wavelength and a second LED light to emit a second wavelength of light with a second center-emission wavelength that is offset from the first center-emission wavelength. The system can include a first reference oscillator to receive a reference signal from a remote or broadcasting source, and can also include a synchronous modulation and power system to convert the reference signal from a synchronous relative high frequency signal to a synchronous relative low frequency signal and provide synchronized power pulses to the first LED light and the second LED light in synchronous correlation with the synchronous relative low frequency signal to generate a stream of modulated light-signal pulses which includes a first modulated wavelength of light and a second modulated wavelength of light.

A system and method are provided that direct a real time global view with images of an aircraft's entire exterior environment from an external monitoring system located on an aircraft equipped with landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi drive systems powering ground travel to an integrated head-up display worn by a pilot driving the aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems within an airport ramp area. The real time global view and images produced by the monitoring system are communicated to the integrated head-up display in the form of an actual picture of the ramp area environment exterior to the aircraft viewable by the pilot with the head-up display in real time as the pilot maneuvers the aircraft within the ramp area with the electric taxi systems. The pilot can change the images viewed in the head-up display by changing head position.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to ranging object(s) nearby an aircraft using triangulation. A light projector mounted at a projector location on the aircraft projects pulses of polarized light onto the scene external to the aircraft. The projected pulses of polarized light are polarized in a first polarization state. A camera mounted at a camera location on the aircraft has a shutter synchronized to the projector output pulse and receives a portion of the projected pulses of polarized light reflected by the object(s) in the scene and polarized at a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state. Location(s) and/or range(s) of the object(s) is calculated, based on the projector location, the camera location, and pixel location(s) upon which the portion of light is imaged.

Airfield taxiway lights are described herein. One device includes a plurality of light sources, a plurality of prisms through which light emitted by the plurality of light sources is configured to pass, wherein the light emitted by each respective light source passes through a different one of the plurality of prisms, and a cover having a plurality of openings through which the light that passes through the plurality of prisms is configured to exit the airfield taxiway light, wherein each respective opening is positioned over a different one of the plurality of prisms.

Methods and apparatus to project aircraft zone indications are disclosed. A disclosed example projection system for displaying an indicator pertaining to an aircraft includes a condition analyzer to determine a condition of at least one of the aircraft or a zone surrounding the aircraft, and a projector to project the indicator on or proximate the zone based on the determined condition.

Airfield guidance signs are described herein. One airfield guidance sign includes a first surface, a second surface angled with respect to the first surface, and a top edge adjacent the first surface and the second surface, wherein the top edge is rounded to reduce a pressure differential between the first surface and the second surface when a force is applied to the first surface or the second surface.

An aircraft tow vehicle and methods of towing an aircraft are disclosed. An aircraft tow vehicle comprises an aircraft structural interface configured to couple to a wheel assembly of a main landing gear of an aircraft; and an aircraft towing propulsive force system configured to propel the aircraft forward when the aircraft structural interface is coupled to the wheel assembly.

A system is provided that guides aircraft driven with landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi drive systems without reliance on airport ground personnel to park the aircraft parallel to an airport terminal with connections to multiple passenger loading bridges, automatically docks the aircraft, and connects the multiple loading bridges to multiple forward and rear doors. Cooperative on-aircraft monitoring systems, airport docking systems, loading bridge and terminal monitoring systems, and processors are integrated to use real time information and guide the aircraft to safely maneuver into and automatically dock in a parallel orientation at a parking location with multiple aircraft forward and rear doors connected to multiple loading bridges. The system may automatically undock the aircraft and retract the loading bridges and guide the electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft out of the parking location without reliance on airport ground personnel.

The disclosure relates to a method for guiding a pilot of an approaching aircraft to a stop position at a stand, said method being characterized by: monitoring a position of the approaching aircraft within a volume at the stand, comparing said monitored position with a first area, said first area enclosing the stop position, comparing said monitored position with a subsection of the first area enclosing the stop position, if said monitored position is inside said subsection: transmitting information to a display to show an indication to the pilot to proceed approaching the stand, and if said monitored position is inside the first area but not inside said subsection: transmitting information to the display to show an indication to the pilot to stop the aircraft. The disclosure further relates to an aircraft docking system.