A system is described. The system may detect whether a user within a flight deck is authorized to control the aircraft. The user may receive differing levels of authority to control the aircraft depending on whether the user is authorized or unauthorized. The system may also control the aircraft depending on the various phases of the aircraft, including in flight and on the ground. The system may also be used to unlock the controls for the aircraft. The system may unlock the control using biometric information or nonbiometric information. The system may include a camera which is added to a flight deck. The camera may capture images of users within the flight deck. Faces within the images may be detected and compared against authorized users for locking or unlocking the aircraft controls.

A system and method for autonomous distress tracking of an aircraft. An automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast transceiver is configured to transmit an automatic distress transmission. A system controller comprises a distress identifier that is configured to determine when the aircraft is in a distress condition. The system controller is configured to control the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast transceiver to transmit the automatic distress transmission in response to a determination that the aircraft is in the distress condition. The automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast transceiver and the system controller are contained within a housing attached to the aircraft on an outside of the aircraft.

Aircraft systems and methods that determine, based on location data from a navigation system, whether conditions have been met enabling arming of an approach mode of an autopilot system. The systems and methods, when the one or more conditions enabling arming of the approach mode are determined to be met, start a first timer of a first period of time and, at the same time, provide a first message to alert a pilot to arm the approach mode via manual input to a user interface. When a determination has been made that the approach mode continues to have not been armed via manual input to the user interface, the approach mode is automatically armed.

A navigation security module of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) receives a combination of signals from a location technology, each signal comprising at least a signal identification and location data. The combination of signal identifications is processed against known identifications. If the identification is not found, or if the combination of signal identification is not possible, the signal may be a rogue signal, resulting in a quarantine protocol.

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.

A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle may include a GNSS receiver, a transponder, one or more flight controls, a UAV operation module, a UAV mission module, and a UAV chassis. The system may include an operating area defined within an airspace and an airspace controller, and a transponder key issued to the UAV by the airspace controller. The airspace controller and the UAV may communicate to unlock UAV access of the operating area, including transmitting a transponder ID code for verification to the airspace controller; receiving a read certificate from the airspace controller; transmitting a mission plan to the airspace controller; receiving a mission key from the airspace controller; verifying the mission key via read back transmission to the airspace controller; and receiving a mission plan from the airspace controller in the form of the transponder key, the mission plan unlocking access to the operating area.

Aircraft tracking and emergency location avionics architectures that integrate existing fixed Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) installations, their associated aircraft avionics systems and existing flight deck interfaces with an Autonomous Distress Tracker (ADT) transceiver unit in a coupled configuration. Some of the architectures allow the ADT unit and its advanced distress detecting and reporting capabilities to monitor the activation control path for the ELT and the associated ELT activation outputs. Other architectures place the ADT unit and its advanced distress detection capabilities and ground-controlled capabilities in the activation control path for the ELT. Additional architectures entail the connection of an ADT unit to an ELT remote panel on the flight deck of an aircraft.

An aircraft is provided and includes an airframe defining a cockpit with first and second control stations configured for co-activation and complementary deactivation, flight control assemblies disposed at multiple locations of the airframe and a flight control computer (FCC). The FCC is configured to control operations of the flight control assemblies in accordance with current flight conditions and commands received at activated ones of the first and second control stations that are inputted by a flight crew. The FCC includes a secondary monitoring system to identify when commands are input at a deactivated one of the first and second control stations, to determine whether the commands are indicative of normal and intentional piloting inputs and to generate control station cues in an event the commands are indicative of normal and intentional piloting inputs to alert the flight crew of a hazardous condition or automatically turn the station back on.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying method for helping an UAV flying to a location of an owner of the UAV or flying to a predetermined place includes the following steps of: triggering the UAV into a hijacked mode; ascertaining if the UAV is capable of flying or not; the UAV flying to the location of the owner or to the predetermined place if the UAV is capable of flying; and, the UAV sending a distress signal to the owner if the UAV is not capable of flying. Therefore, the UAV is capable of flying back or sending information after entering the hijacked mode, so as to avoid or lower the loss caused by losing the UAV or the UAV being captured by the captor.

The aim of the invention is to optimise the monitoring and security of at least one enclosure, allowing a constant and complete view of the enclosure, and a modulated assessment of the state of security of same. For this purpose, the invention proposes to transmit images of the enclosure wirelessly to a mobile medium for helping the flight crew assess the situation and the measures to take in case of a sensitive security situation. According to one embodiment, the optimised system for monitoring and securing an enclosure, a cockpit (3), a cabin (2) and/or a luggage hold (4) of an aircraft (1), comprises video cameras (21a to 23a, 21b to 23b, 24 to 28) distributed so as to define a field of view inside or outside the enclosure (2 to 4), mobile (2T) or fixed (3A) display media dedicated to members of the crew of the enclosure capable, via suitable wireless transmission/reception means (20A), of receiving image streams transmitted by the video cameras (21a to 23a, 21b to 23b, 24 to 28) and of connecting to auxiliary data sources and to means for locking/unlocking (7 to 10, 41) the enclosure (2 to 4) arranged in areas sensitive with respect to security.