General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, GA-ASI, operated its Predator C Avenger remotely piloted aircraft with its Advanced Cockpit ground control station as part of a congressionally directed demonstration, announced the company on Wednesday. “This flight paired our most advanced GCS with our most advanced aircraft,” said Frank Pace, president of the company’s Aircraft Systems Group, in the company’s April 24 release. The purpose of the flight, which took place back in November 2012 at the company’s facility in Palmdale, Calif., was to prove that the Advanced Cockpit’s open-system software architecture adapts quickly to supporting different RPAs, states the release. Already in recent years, the Advanced Cockpit controlled the company’s MQ-1 Predator and the third-party SARC-1 RPA. This summer, the company intends to fly its Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper with the Advanced Cockpit, states the release. “Advanced Cockpit’s wrap-around visual display and multi-dimensional moving map dramatically increases situational awareness, while the integrated digital checklist decreases pilot workload,” said Jason McDermott, the test pilot who controlled the Avenger during the demonstration. (See also Larger Avenger Flies for the First Time.)
With no end to the government shutdown in sight, Airmen, Guardians, and defense civilians face increasing uncertainty about whether or not they will be paid—and how to make ends meet if they are not.
