Story ID: 469 Palu
Palu Introduces ADS-B-based Helicopter Landing System
By: Mark Huber
Caption: Palu is working with FreeFlight Systems to bring the Angels landing system to the U.S. market.
Word Count: 342
Italy's Palu (Booth 6518) is partnering with FreeFlight Systems to bring the Advanced NextGen Landing System (Angels) to the U.S. Angels is a ground-based approach system that uses ADS-B technology to provide precision reduced-visibility VFR approaches tailored to helicopter operations in critical situations when weather conditions cause visibility to be compromised, even when the baseline conditions are VMC (visual meteorological conditions). Angels can also be used to give pilots advisory guidance for flying customized curved approach paths. Angels uses helideck-based ground stations to provide lateral and vertical guidance. The advisory guidance is displayed for pilots on the Angels iPad app.

The system is initially targeted at the offshore market including wind farms, the company said, noting that "visual aids on the helideck are often useless because of the very bright illumination of the platform itself." Thirty-three percent of all helicopter accidents occur on either approach or landing and a fully 43 percent are due to reduced visibility or poor weather, Palu director Luca Branca added.

Angels was developed with funding from the European Union as part of its Horizon 2020 technology initiative. The system consists of a portable ground station that can be optionally fitted with a Palu weather station or linked to an existing weather station on the offshore platform or base location. The cost of the basic ground station is around $50,000, Branca said.

Customers can then download the Angels app for iPads at no cost. The app enables users to access charts and local weather for flight planning and then later provides information on the initial and final approach displays. The initial approach display shows the selected approach path, distance to the deck, bearing and wind on deck. The final approach display shows alignment information, distance to deck, bearing and wind on deck. Compared to a full ILS installation, Angels is very economical, Branca said, pointing out that it increases safety and reduces pilot workload without requiring any special installations on the actual aircraft. He said future versions may include voice and aural cues.