A method comprises receiving a landing request from an aircraft at a ground control center of a vertiport; activating infrared cameras at a vertiport landing site when the request is approved; searching for the aircraft based on light strobes on the aircraft using the infrared cameras; creating a virtual current approach frame of the aircraft when the light strobes are detected by the infrared cameras; and comparing the virtual current approach frame to a predefined approach frame to determine whether a landing approach of the aircraft is suitable. If the landing approach is not suitable, sending feedback to the aircraft from the ground control center to provide guidance for the landing approach based on a difference between the predefined approach frame and the virtual current approach frame. The method further comprises projecting a conical area for aircraft detection that includes virtual approach rings having threshold values based on aircraft parameters.

Example implementations relate to systems and techniques for coordinating and assigning aircraft and ground vehicles to runways to prevent wrong surface events and to minimize runway incursions. An aircraft initially receives instructions identifying a runway for use by the aircraft generated by an Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and then subsequently receives a runway identification (ID) code transmitted by a sensor subsystem positioned proximate the runway, which is used by a runway-aircraft pairing management system. An onboard verification system of the aircraft then compares the runway ID code with the runway identified in the ground navigation instruction and uses an onboard transmitter to transmit a confirmation to the sensor subsystem positioned proximate the runway when the code and runway match. The aircraft then displays instructions for the aircraft to proceed with use of the runway.

Particular embodiments described herein provide for modular device assemblies and methods for enabling maintenance and servicing, particularly by an unmanned aerial vehicle. A device assembly comprises a plurality of modules, each module having control circuitry, a communications port and contact points to couple the modules. When the modules are coupled, the communications ports are connected to create a bus for communications between the modules. The modular device structure where modules are removable and replaceable allows for an unmanned aerial vehicle to perform maintenance on the device.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an unmanned aerial system inspection system. One of the methods is performed by a UAV and includes receiving, by the UAV, flight information describing a job to perform an inspection of a rooftop. A particular altitude is ascended to, and an inspection of the rooftop is performed including obtaining sensor information describing the rooftop. Location information identifying a damaged area of the rooftop is received. The damaged area of the rooftop is traveled to. An inspection of the damaged area of the rooftop is performed including obtaining detailed sensor information describing the damaged area. A safe landing location is traveled to.

Embodiments herein are directed to a visual docking guidance system configured to support an aircraft docking procedure where an approaching aircraft is docked at an airport stand. The VDGS is configured to detect the presence of the aircraft approaching the stand, identify at least the type of the approaching aircraft, determine a position of the approaching aircraft, output a visual guidance information via a display to the pilot of the aircraft, which supports the pilot during controlling movement of the aircraft to a stop position.

An aerial vehicle includes a communication unit configured to receive a wireless signal from a geo-fencing device, and a flight controller configured to generate one or more control signals that cause the aerial vehicle to operate in accordance with a set of flight regulations generated based on the wireless signal. The geo-fencing device is configured not for landing of the aerial vehicle. The set of flight regulations includes rules for controlling at least one of the aerial vehicle, a carrier carried by the aerial vehicle, or a payload of the aerial vehicle.

A method includes determining an operational condition associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The method includes, responsive to determining the operational condition, causing the UAV to perform a pre-flight check. The pre-flight check includes hovering the UAV above a takeoff location. The pre-flight check includes, while hovering the UAV, moving one or more controllable components of the UAV in accordance with a predetermined sequence of movements. The pre-flight check includes obtaining, by one or more sensors of the UAV, sensor data indicative of a flight response of the UAV to moving the one or more controllable components while hovering the UAV. The pre-flight check includes comparing the sensor data to expected sensor data associated with an expected flight response to the predetermined sequence of movements while hovering the UAV. The pre-flight check includes, based on comparing the sensor data to the expected sensor data, evaluating performance of the UAV.

A method of enhanced processing used to discriminate between ADS-B messages with a duplicate announced address comprising: receiving ADS-B messages that comprise information for display by a display of traffic information from at least two targets on a receiver; identifying the ADS-B messages having the duplicate announced address with one of the at least two targets using at least one discriminator by assigning a weighting factor to the at least one discriminator and, where the integration of the at least one discriminator and weighting factor exceeds a predetermined threshold value, considering the ADS-B messages that were subject to the at least one discriminator as being discriminated messages associated with one of the at least two targets; and displaying information provided by the discriminated messages on a display of traffic information as if the discriminated messages had been initially associated with only one of the at least two targets.

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) payload includes an adaptive Software Defined Radio (SDR) interface that is configurable to communicate with two or more SDRs using two or more protocols, a UAV interface that is configured to communicate with the UAV and a control circuit connected to the adaptive SDR interface and to the UAV interface. The control circuit is configured to communicate with the adaptive SDR interface and with the UAV interface. The control circuit is configured to receive SDR data from the adaptive SDR interface, receive UAV flight data from the UAV interface and use the SDR data and the UAV flight data to generate Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) data regarding the one or more emitter.

Methods, devices, and systems for air traffic control (ATC) flight management are described herein. One device includes a memory, and a processor to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to receive airport information associated with an airport, generate, using the airport information, an ATC flight management analysis that includes an airport map showing locations of aircraft at the airport and a card panel including a number of flight cards, where each respective one of the number of flight cards corresponds to a different respective one of the aircraft at the airport, and a user interface to display the ATC flight management analysis in a single integrated display.