A flight control system and method of executing an emergency response for a rotary-wing aircraft includes at least some of a flight control computer in communication with flight control systems and emergency control systems. One or more sensors are used to monitor and detect flight conditions. A method, a computer program product, and a system for detecting a flight emergency and executing solutions for the emergency is described. Embodiments of the present invention describe a method comprising: receiving a sensor alert, executing an alert solution associated with the sensor alert, determining flight condition, determining flight condition is a crash condition, and regulating performance of a main rotor engine and a tail rotor engine.

A monitoring terminal includes a transceiver, a receiver, and a processor. The transceiver provides a two-way communication with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) via a first communication link and is configured to receive feedback data and a feedback data indication from the UAV and transmit control data to the UAV. The receiver is configured to receive the control data and a control data indication from a controlling terminal via a second communication link. The second communication link does not interfere with the first communication link. The processor is configured to determine whether the feedback data and the control data are being simultaneously transmitted via the first communication link based on the feedback data indication and the control data indication.

An apparatus, including a receiver which receives information regarding a limitation or restriction for allowing or prohibiting a control operation or monitoring operation regarding a vehicle or premises, a memory which stores the information, and a first controller programmed to perform a control or monitoring operation regarding the vehicle or premises. The receiver receives a first signal transmitted from a second controller, containing information regarding the control operation or monitoring operation. The first controller determines, using the information, if the control operation or monitoring operation is allowed or disallowed. If allowed, the first controller transmits a second signal to a third controller. The third controller generates a third signal in response to the second signal, which activates, deactivates, enables, disables, controls an operation of, or monitors an operation of, the vehicle or premises, or a system, equipment system, equipment, component, device, or accessory, of the vehicle or premises.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a first communication module, a second communication module, and one or more processors. The first communication module is configured to directly receive control data from a controlling terminal via a first communication link and the control data is used to control operations of the UAV. The second communication module is configured to transmit feedback data to a monitoring terminal via a second communication link. The monitoring terminal is located remotely from the UAV. The one or more processors are, individually or collectively, configured to terminate and reactivate the first wireless communication link based on one or more predetermined criteria.

Systems for policing and managing the operation of so-called unmanned vehicles are presented which allow for the takeover of the unmanned vehicle in the event of the detection of possible or actual ill-intentioned or inappropriate use of, malfunction or usurpation of the vehicle. Embodiments of the invention include dual-control unmanned vehicles which allow both pilot and police control of the vehicle, with the police having priority.

Various methods enable a robotic vehicle to determine that it has been stolen, determine an appropriate opportunity to perform a recovery operation, and perform the recovery operation at the appropriate opportunity. Examples of recovery operations include traveling to a predetermined location, identifying and traveling to a safe location to await recovery, and crashing to self-destruct when the predetermined location cannot be reached and a safe location cannot be identified.

Pilot health monitoring systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided. A pilot health monitoring system is configured to collect information regarding the pilot's physiological and/or physical characteristics, and information regarding a state of the aircraft; analyze the information; determine a health condition of the pilot and/or a state of the aircraft; and/or provide warnings and/or commands as a function of the information.

In some embodiments, a control manager is disposed between the rotor system and the flight control inceptor.

The control manager is configured to receive control commands wirelessly from a ground control station, translate the control commands into one or more axes associated with the flight control inceptor, and transmit the translated control commands to the rotor system in place of the instructions received from the pilot via the flight control inceptor.

A method for policing and managing the operation of a flying, unmanned aircraft in the event of usurpation of control of, malfunction of, or ill-intentioned use of, this aircraft includes the steps of (a) detecting inappropriate operation of the aircraft; (b) transmitting a takeover command to the aircraft to interrupt control of the operation of this aircraft by a first pilot and relinquish control of the aircraft to a second pilot; and (c) transmitting control commands to the aircraft to control its operation by the second pilot, until the need for alternate pilot control of the aircraft has ended or until the aircraft has landed safely.

Various systems and methods for disabling UAVs are presented. An interrogation system may transmit an identifier request message to a UAV. The interrogation system may receive, in response to the identifier request message, a response message that indicates a UAV identifier. The interrogation system may access one or more UAV identifier databases that relate UAV identifiers with airspace definitions. The interrogation system may retrieve from the one or more UAV identifier database systems an airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier. The interrogation system may determine that the UAV is to be disabled based on: a location of the UAV, a restricted airspace definition, and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier. The interrogation system may then transmit a disablement instruction message to the UAV based on the location of the UAV and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier.