A system and method for protecting a rotorcraft from entering a vortex ring state, the method including monitoring a vertical speed of a rotorcraft, comparing the vertical speed to a vertical speed safety threshold, and performing vortex ring state (VRS) avoidance in response to the vertical speed exceeding the vertical speed safety threshold. The performing the VRS avoidance includes determining a power margin available from one or more engines of the rotorcraft, limiting the vertical speed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin exceeding a threshold, and increasing a forward airspeed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin not exceeding the threshold.

A system and method for protecting a rotorcraft from entering a vortex ring state, the method including monitoring a vertical speed of a rotorcraft, comparing the vertical speed to a vertical speed safety threshold, and performing vortex ring state (VRS) avoidance in response to the vertical speed exceeding the vertical speed safety threshold. The performing the VRS avoidance includes determining a power margin available from one or more engines of the rotorcraft, limiting the vertical speed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin exceeding a threshold, and increasing a forward airspeed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin not exceeding the threshold.

Embodiments include apparatus and methods for determining link level wind factors and providing routes for drones based on the wind factors. At least a portion of the route corresponds to airspace above a road network. Wind factor values are assigned to a range of altitudes of drone air space above a road link of the road network based on a wind model and stored in a database. The wind model is applied to a location based on wind condition data and three-dimensional (3D) features from 3D map data associated with the location. The route is optimized based on the determined wind factors.

Methods and systems for controlling a group of aerial vehicles to meet a connectivity service objective are provided. A method may include causing aerial vehicles in the group to arrive at a target service area during a given arrival time window associated with the connectivity service objective, which may indicate a desired probability of service coverage of the target service area. The method further includes calculating a probability of service coverage of the target service area for the vehicles for a time period after the vehicles are expected to arrive at the target service area, determining whether the probability of service coverage meets a threshold, and causing the vehicles to operate according to a station seeking flight policy during the time period.

Methods and systems for controlling a group of aerial vehicles to meet a connectivity service objective are provided. A method may include causing aerial vehicles in the group to arrive at a target service area during a given arrival time window associated with the connectivity service objective, which may indicate a desired probability of service coverage of the target service area. The method further includes calculating a probability of service coverage of the target service area for the vehicles for a time period after the vehicles are expected to arrive at the target service area, determining whether the probability of service coverage meets a threshold, and causing the vehicles to operate according to a station seeking flight policy during the time period.

A system and method for protecting a rotorcraft from entering a vortex ring state, the method including monitoring a vertical speed of a rotorcraft, comparing the vertical speed to a vertical speed safety threshold, and performing vortex ring state (VRS) avoidance in response to the vertical speed exceeding the vertical speed safety threshold. The performing the VRS avoidance includes determining a power margin available from one or more engines of the rotorcraft, limiting the vertical speed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin exceeding a threshold, and increasing a forward airspeed of the rotorcraft in response to the power margin not exceeding the threshold.

System and techniques for drone obstacle avoidance using real-time wind estimation are described herein. A wind metric is measures at a first drone and communicated to a second drone. In response to receiving the wind metric, a flight plan of the second drone is modified based on the wind metric.

Embodiments include apparatus and methods for determining link level wind factors and providing routes for drones based on the wind factors. At least a portion of the route corresponds to airspace above a road network. Wind factor values are assigned to a range of altitudes of drone air space above a road link of the road network based on a wind model and stored in a database. The wind model is applied to a location based on wind condition data and three-dimensional (3D) features from 3D map data associated with the location. The route is optimized based on the determined wind factors.

A method for alleviating and protecting loads of a lifting surface of an aircraft based on control of structural distortions of the lifting surface. The lifting surface includes a control surface, a maneuvering system for displacing the control surface and sensors which measure a dimensional characteristic linked to the distortion of the lifting surface. The method acquires characteristic data linked to the distortion of the lifting surface, determines a set of values of the shape, analyzes the value of the strain attribute and compares the set of values characterizing the shape to the values of the tolerance interval associated with the lifting surface. If the set of values characterizing the shape is outside of the interval, the process triggers an activation of the maneuvering system to displace the control surface from an initial position in order to alleviate the loads on the lifting surface.

Embodiments include apparatus and methods for determining link level wind factors and providing routes for drones based on the wind factors. At least a portion of the route corresponds to airspace above a road network. Wind factor values are assigned to a range of altitudes of drone air space above a road link of the road network based on a wind model and stored in a database. The wind model is applied to a location based on wind condition data and three-dimensional (3D) features from 3D map data associated with the location. The route is optimized based on the determined wind factors.