Smart cockpit app for selecting diversion airports
This exhibit presents Hawkeye, a cockpit app developed by the DLR Institute of Flight Guidance to assist crews in selecting alternative destination airports. Visitors to the exhibit step into the role of a cockpit crew member and experience how in-flight decisions are made under time pressure. Through a range of scenarios such as technical malfunctions, medical emergencies on board and adverse weather conditions, they can see how the app evaluates and prioritises possible alternative airports in real time.
Hawkeye simultaneously processes a wide range of influencing factors, including weather data, infrastructure and operational conditions. The system dynamically adjusts the weighting of these criteria according to the situation, presenting its recommendations in a clear and accessible format. Visitors can therefore experience how data-driven decision support reduces cockpit workload and makes it easier to identify suitable alternatives.
The unique aspect of our research is the intelligent integration of heterogeneous data sources with situation-dependent evaluation logic specifically tailored to real cockpit decision-making processes. Hawkeye is developed using a user-centred approach and validated in realistic scenarios together with professional pilots.
Hawkeye makes a direct contribution to improving aviation safety. Faster, better-informed decisions – even in critical situations – help reduce risk and ease the strain on the cockpit crew. At the same time, the exhibit demonstrates how digital technologies and data-driven approaches can contribute to making air transport safer, more efficient and more resilient overall.
Link:
German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR)
Institute of Flight Guidance
E-Mail contact-dlr@DLR.de
