LASER GLIDESLOPE INDICATOR FOR CARRIER FLIGHT OPERATIONS

THE LASER GLIDESLOPE INDICATOR (LGI) USES A SERIES OF LOW POWER, BUT HIGHLY VISIBLE LASER BEAMS TO ILLUMINATE APPROACH CORRIDORS FOR CV AND CVN FLIGHT OPERATIONS. BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE ABILITY TO PRECISELY SHAPE AND DIRECT VISIBLE LASER BEAMS, AND BY ENCODING THE ILLUMINATED PATHS USING COLOR AND TEMPORAL MODULATION, THE PILOT IS PROVIDED WITH DIRECT VISUAL SIGNALS WHICH INDICATE THE GLIDESLOPE. THIS SYSTEM PROVIDES A POSITIVE ON COURSE SIGNAL AND WELL AS THE DIRECTION AND DEGREE OF DEVIATION FROM THE PROPER APPROACH. THE OPTICAL SYSTEM WILL BE ARRANGED SO THAT THE LGI IS VISIBLE FROM 3 MILES OUT AND DISAPPEARS FROM THE PILOTS VIEW AT 0.5 MILES OUT WHERE THE FLOLS IS RESOLVABLE. THE LGI PROVIDES THE PILOT WITH CONSTANT GLIDESLOPE RESOLUTION DURING THE APPROACH. SINCE THE LASERS ARE LOW POWER AND HIGHLY DIRECTIONAL, THEY HAVE A VERY LOW PROBABILITY OF SPURIOUS INTERCEPT. SINCE THE PILOT RECEIVES ALL CUES VISUALLY, THE LGI OPERATES IN THE EMCON ENVIRONMENT. THE FEASIBILITY OF THE LGI WILL BE DETERMINED BY DEVELOPMENT OF A BRASSBOARD UNIT AND FIELD TESTING. THIS EFFORT ALSO INCLUDES TRADE-OFF STUDIES RELATED TO THE FEASIBILITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE LGI.