• Eyes-out-of-the-flight-deck operation enhances situational awareness
• Conformal display of critical flight parameters increases safety
• Category III guidance-to-touchdown guides the pilot through the approach, flare and power reduction to wheels on the runway
• Precision touchdown capability maximizes landing performance
• Preferred display for Enhanced Vision System
• Improves windshear awareness and avoidance through head-up warnings and escape guidance
• Increases traffic awareness and avoidance with head-up TCAS alerts
• Software data loading and enhanced maintenance functions offer improved maintainability
• Cat IIIa operations (50 feet DH, 600 RVR on Type III and qualifying Type II facilities)
• Cat II operations (100 feet DH, 1200 RVR on Type I with dual RVR)
• Enhanced Cat I operations (200 feet DH, 1600 RVR on qualifying Type I with single RVR)
• 300 RVR LVTO Takeoff (Part 125 and 135) on qualifying runways

Rockwell Collins' Head-up Guidance System (HGS^® ) provides enhanced situational awareness and energy management in all flight conditions. The presentation of all primary flight data in the pilot's forward field of view eliminates transitions from head-down to head-up flying. The pilot views this critical information, focused at optical infinity, as conformal with the outside world view. Using the displayed flight path and acceleration information, it is possible for the pilot to fly very accurate approaches to a precise landing in all conditions, even in turbulence, crosswinds and on black hole approaches.

Conformal display of flight path and acceleration allows the pilot to precisely fly the aircraft in all phases of flight from takeoff through enroute and terminal area maneuvering to a precision landing with enhanced operational safety. The HGS technology also displays traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) resolution advisories, showing a flight-path target that corresponds to the vertical speed target provided by TCAS, indicating the flight path required to achieved the desired rate of climb or descent. In addition, the system offers powerful windshear awareness and recovery benefits.

The Rockwell Collins HGS relies on a patented, high-integrity computer architecture that collects and evaluates critical flight data, such as attitude, airspeed, altitude and the ILS inputs to compute guidance-to-touchdown information that can permit full Category III landing operations (50 ft DH, 600 ft RVR).

The capabilities provided by the computer include symbology that assists the pilot in flying an optimal escape from a windshear event and for righting the airplane in case of an unusual attitude upset. The ability to fly an extremely precise ILS approach is included as well as the ability to safely fly a stable, accurate angle on a visual or non precision approach.

Depending on certification, the HGS computer can provide ILS approach guidance to allow the pilot to hand-fly an ILS to a Category III landing (50 feet DH, 600 feet RVR), at a 1x10^-9 level of integrity (equivalent to an autoland or fly-by-wire system). On more recent certifications, the HGS can also provide low-visibility takeoff guidance (LVTO) allowing takeoff in visibilities as low as 300 ft. RVR on qualifying runways.

In the US, the HGS can permit approved Category III operators to obtain lower landing minima on Category II and on qualifying Category I runways. FAA Order 8400.13A describes this procedure in detail.

The addition of an EVS camera that is displayed on the HGS may allow the pilot to descend below minimum descend altitude if the runway is visible in the infrared. The video display capability of the HGS can also be used to display Synthetic Vision in the future.

A III Mode at 90 Feet

Tailstrike Avoidance Landing

Windshear Alert