Whither All Weather - An Airplane Manufacturer's Point Of View

Automatic landing has been developed to the point where all the wide-bodied jets have it as basic equipment. The techniques presently employed are generally founded upon the technology of the last two decades - especially with respect to analog computation and gyroscope references. Several new techniques are now available which can substantially improve the autoland systems for the next generation of transport aircraft. These include airborne digital computers, the use of integrated air-data and strapdown airplane motion reference systems, expanded use of automatic system test, and the development and employment of the Microwave Landing System (MLS). These new technology developments promise to provide expanded operational benefits, reduced maintenance, and increased availability over that of contemporary autoland systems.