Honeywell FMS Guided Visuals Gain Departure Procedures

Honeywell Aerospace is adding flight management system (FMS) guided visual departure procedures to its add-on database of FMS-guided visual approaches. Like the approaches, the departure procedures are visual-only and available in the aircraft’s Honeywell FMS. Pilots can hand fly them, but they are designed to be flown with autopilot to deliver a smoother passenger experience.

The first such departure procedures were released for Singapore Seletar Airport on October 1, offering pilots two options. However, these are being redesigned to comply with recent airspace changes and the airport’s Transit Corridor Trial program, according to Erik Tobler, a Honeywell Flight Technical Services technical pilot.

Singapore issues prescribed tracks for pilots to fly when departing Seletar, and these include applicable waypoint information. Using the Honeywell procedures is simpler because they are coded into the FMS nav database, eliminating the need to input waypoints. This includes “at-or-above” altitude constraints, Tobler explained, “and the procedures can be flown in VNAV on climbout.”

When flying on autopilot, the airplane “should be able to maintain the desired path/ground track even during any RF-leg maneuver, curved track segments, at recommended maximum speeds,” he said. “For example, for Seletar, which in the current design will remain a slightly tighter turn radius, and if/when making the 180-degree turn to the downwind departure leg, we are recommending that the aircraft maintain a maximum speed of 150 knots and that pilots consider the extended use of takeoff flap configuration until done with the turn.”

Notes on the charts, which are published by Jeppesen ForeFlight (but only available to subscribers of the add-on database), explain these considerations and other information that pilots need to fly these procedures safely. 

The next airports on Honeywell’s list for departure procedures are South Lake Tahoe (KTVL) Runway 18, Truckee-Tahoe (KTRK) Runway 11, Meeker Coulter Field (KEEO) Runways 03 and 21, and Heber Valley (KHCR) Runway 22.