Vigilant Aerospace Tests Lightweight Civil Version of FlightHorizon PILOT Airborne DAA System

Vigilant Aerospace Conducts Real-World Flight Tests of FlightHorizon PILOT Civil DAA System

Vigilant Aerospace has announced a new round of flight testing and "real-world scenario" validation for its FlightHorizon PILOT airborne detect-and-avoid (DAA) system, incorporating several new capabilities into the latest test campaign.

Two Variants: Lightweight Civil and Radar-Equipped

The flight tests covered two distinct configurations: a lightweight civil variant equipped with a transponder receiver and autopilot integration, and a heavier version that adds an onboard radar capable of detecting non-transponder-equipped aircraft.

The airborne system was originally developed for the U.S. Air Force and is built on two NASA-licensed patents, making it a dual-use platform applicable to both military and civil operations.

Full DAA Functionality on a Single-Board Computer

The new civil variant consolidates target detection, tracking, correlation, and standards-compliant avoidance calculations onto a single-board computer. Vigilant states this design is well-suited for deployment on very small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The most recent flight test successfully demonstrated the system's ability to track targets in flight, compute flight trajectories, and issue alerts and avoidance commands — all processed on the compact single-board computer.

$1 Million Collaborative Development Program

The development and flight testing activities are part of a $1 million project conducted in partnership with the Oklahoma Aerospace Research and Education Institute (OAIRE) at Oklahoma State University, with support from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OKCAST).

Cooperative and Non-Cooperative Airspace Capability

The system is designed for dual operational environments: it can function without radar in "cooperative airspace" where all aircraft are required to carry transponders, and can operate with radar in "non-cooperative airspace" where transponder carriage is not mandated. Both scenarios were covered during this test campaign.

Avoidance commands are computed using the FAA-provided ACAS-X algorithm, which generates alerts and avoidance directives. These commands are simultaneously transmitted to the onboard autopilot and relayed to a ground-based monitoring software platform featuring a dynamic map, allowing operators to remotely supervise the airborne DAA system in real time.

Next Phase: Fixed-Wing UAV Testing

Vigilant Aerospace noted: "Recent flight tests utilized an NDAA-compliant Group I hexacopter, with testing conducted both with and without radar."

The company added that upcoming flight tests with Oklahoma State University will scale up to a larger civil fixed-wing UAV in the Group II category. That aircraft uses a gasoline engine, can carry a payload in excess of 60 lbs (approximately 27 kg), and has a flight range of up to 300 miles (approximately 480 km).

Image caption: On the dynamic map, the blue arrow symbol represents the UAV's position, while the yellow cylinder indicates the required safe separation distance from other aircraft. (Image credit: Vigilant Aerospace)

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