I set up a Honeywell 757 to see a new technology aimed at eliminating accidents

Honeywell has developed two new systems designed to make takeoff and landings safer.
Surf-a alerts pilots on potential track collisions.
Smart-X allows drivers to know if they take off or land on a taxi lane instead of a track.

Honeywell Aerospace Technologies has developed a series of new systems that alert pilots on imminent danger during takeoff and landings. They say that technology could help make aircraft and quasi-manca collisions

I recently took a demonstration flight aboard the Honeywell Boeing 757 test plan, presenting its new surface alert, or surf-A, and existing smart-X systems.

The two systems are integrated into the plane airplane software and directly warn the pilots, which gives them valuable additional seconds to react.

“The pilots are our final line of defense. They are the ones who can help to alleviate a disaster. These are tools, a third set of eyes to help increase their awareness of situation,” Business Business Insider told an interview.

According to a recent study by Boeing, the minutes surrounding the takeoff and the landing of an aircraft represent almost two thirds of all the accidents of the fatal aviation, but only 6% of the total time of a flight.

Here is an overview of my test flight.

The test flight began with a briefing early in the morning at the private air jet terminal at the northern end of Atlanta International Airport.

I met the Honeywell team at the FBO signature in Atlanta.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

The Honeywell team gave us an overview of its new Surf-A tech, which is expected to receive FAA certification next year. The system prevents drivers if an airplane is already on or about to cross the track they approach.

The flight would also demonstrate their existing Smart-X technology which allows drivers to know if they are about to take off or land on a taxi track or if there is not enough track to land safely.

The two systems are available as software upgrades on planes equipped with improved ground alert systems from Honeywell, or EGPWS.

After the briefing, we climbed aboard the Honeywell Boeing 757-200 test plan.

The side of a Honeywell Boeing 757 test plane parked on the apron at Atlanta airport. — Here is the Honeywell Boeing 757 that awaits us on the apron of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

The Jet Honeywell was the fifth 757 to win the Boeing mounting chain. He entered service with Eastern Airlines in 1983 and was acquired by Honeywell in 2005.

Since he joined the Honeywell fleet, the jet has recorded more than 4,000 hours of flight on more than 1,000 test flights.

The Honeywell Boeing 757-200 test plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. — Here is the starboard side of the Honeywell Boeing 757-200 with the additional engine pylon.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

It is configured to test everything, weather radars and WiFi in durable aviation fuel flight. The jet has also been equipped with an additional engine pylon on the starboard side of its fuselage to test the engines with turbofan and turboprop.

After boarding, the Honeywell team gave passengers a security briefing before the flight.

Honeywell engineer security briefing on the Honeywell Boeing 757 test plan. — The outdoor safety briefing is made in front of its integrated air staircases.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

Unlike most Boeing 757, the plane includes integrated air staircases that can be deployed at airports without the capacity to support a jetline of its size.

Here is my seat for the demonstration flight.

Passenger seats on board the Honeywell Boeing 757 test plan. — These first class seats were quite soft and comfortable.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

Headquarters 1B is an old -fashioned first class national headquarters immediately in front of the partition.

In front of the seat is a large LCD screen connected to four cameras in the cockpit.

The Honeywell 757 is preparing to take off at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. — The Jet Honeywell is waiting for a delta plane to take off so that it can shoot the track.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

The four cameras left the passengers to see the posts of the cockpit and gave us a view of the flight of the pilot.

Soon, we were away and on the way to an airport in Albany, Georgia, about 180 miles south of Atlanta.

The Honeywell Boeing 757 honeywell piloting station on the flight demonstration. — Here is the cockpit of the Honeywell 757 as it flies on the road to the demonstration.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

The test flight consisted of half a dozen simulated test scenarios, with a king’s turbopropheur test plan belonging to Honeywell serving as an incriminated plane which triggered the security alerts.

During the short flight of 20 minutes to the south, I had the chance to walk in the cabin.

One of the Rolls-Royce engines of Honeywell Boeing 757. — With just a handful of occupants on board, our plane bounded the Atlanta track like a rocket.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

Here is one of the two engines at Turbofan Rolls-Royce Rols-Royce of the plane, each producing 40,000 pounds of push. The 757 has a reputation among the pilots to be an absolute htrod, even when he is responsible for passengers and freight.

Further in the cabin, a group of engineers Honeywell has watched the plane systems.

Honeywell Engineers aboard the Honeywell Boeing 757 test plan. — Here is a pair of Honeywell engineers in their workstations in the middle of the cabin.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

Even if it was a demonstration flight with the media, there were still precious data that could be collected.

The first scenario involves an airplane on the landing track.

The Honeywell surfaces a system alerting the Honeywell 757 test plan that there is a plane on the track. — The Surf-A system alerts the drivers of another plane on the track.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

Surf-A warned the pilots several times with sound and visual signals on “traffic on the track” when it detected the royal air seated at the end of the track.

The scenario simulates how the system could have provided an additional reaction time in situations like the February 2023 incident, in which a cargoing plane Fedex Boeing 767 almost landed above a southwest Boeing 737 trying to take off from the same track in Austin.

The test flight has also shown a surf-a alert when an airplane crosses the track during takeoff.

A photo shows the Honeywell test plan alerted by Surf-A trying to take off when an airplane crosses the track. — The Honeywell Surf-A system warns the pilots of an airplane crossing the track.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

This scenario looks very much like the January 2023 incident when a Delta 737 had to slam on its brakes after an American airline jet crossed the track from which it tried to take off.

Surf-A is also designed to alert a landing plan if an airplane crosses the track.

This could help prevent incidents such as the Southwest Airlines flight which narrowly avoided colliding with a private jet crossing the track as it went down to land at Midway airport in Chicago in February.

Honeywell has also shown its Smart-X track, or Raas.

Honeywell's SMART X System alerts the Boeing 757 test plan which it accelerates on a traffic lane. — Honeywell Smart X alerts the test plan that is about to land on a taxi track.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

The system, already on the market, alerted the pilots when they tried to take off and land on a taxi track.

In March, a Southwest Airlines plane confused a taxi route at Orlando International Airport for a track and tried to withdraw. The Boeing 737 accelerated at 70 knots before being ordered by controlling air traffic to stop.

Smart-X also alerts the pilots when their landing approach is too high altitude or that they went too far on the track to stop safely.

Honeywell's Smart X Smart X Smart X system alerting the 757 test plan that it happens too much for landing. — Smart X alerts the test plan that it arrives too high for landing.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

After landing, the system will also call the maximum distance that the pilots left to stop before the end of the track.

After finishing the test scenarios, I had the chance to ride in the cockpit jump for the short return flight.

The cockpit of the Honeywell Boeing 757 test plan from the cockpit jump seat. — Here is my view of the Honeywell 757 cockpit from the cockpit jump seat.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

We discussed safely in Atlanta on track 28, concluding our two -hour test flight.

After our flight, the Boeing 757 was supplied and prepared for more events.

The rear of Honeywell's Boeing 757-200 testing plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. — The Honeywell Boeing 757-200 test plane is being prepared for another flight.

Benjamin Zhang / Business Insider

The plane spent a few days in Atlanta before returning to its base in Phoenix.

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