The Feasibility of Remotely Piloted Aircrafts for VOR Flight Inspection

Area of Science:

• Aviation Safety
• Navigation Systems
• Unmanned Aerial Systems

Background:

• Traditional flight inspection methods face challenges with accuracy and efficiency.
• Remotely Piloted Aircrafts (RPA) offer a potential solution for advanced flight inspection tasks.
• Ensuring the reliability of navigation aids like Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) is critical for aviation safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of RPA in conducting VOR flight inspections.
• To assess the performance of an Autopilot Positioning System (APS) under simulated real-world conditions.
• To determine if RPA can reliably detect VOR misalignments influenced by positioning and modulation errors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Hardware in the Loop (HIL) platform for simulated flight tests.
• Generated waypoints using a mission automation routine for RPA.
• Introduced controlled errors in latitude, longitude, and VOR modulation to the APS.
• Conducted tests with and without simulated disturbances to validate system response.

Main Results:

• The Autopilot Positioning System (APS) initially met regulatory requirements.
• Positioning errors alone did not trigger false VOR misalignment detection.
• Combined positioning errors and a 4° VOR misalignment resulted in a detected 3.99° misalignment, exceeding regulatory limits.
• The system successfully detected a 4° VOR misalignment when combined with positioning and modulation errors (4.02° detected).

Conclusions:

• RPA, integrated with an APS, can effectively perform VOR flight inspections.
• The tested RPA system demonstrates capability in detecting VOR misalignments under simulated adverse conditions.
• This technology enhances aviation safety by providing a reliable method for VOR system verification.