MYGOFLIGHT, maker of iPad and tablet gear for pilots, will showcase a working prototype of a Heads Up Display (HUD) for aviation at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention Oct. 21-23 in Orlando.
Efforts are underway to have the first production article in early 2015, according to company officials.
“The MYGOFLIGHT HUD has been shown at Oshkosh and at the Air Force Association Air & Space Conference with a response of “Wow!” or “That’s cool!” said Charles Schneider, CEO. “The benefits of flying with a HUD are well known — align information a pilot needs to see with their line of sight. Our goal is to get all pilots with their heads up and eyes out during all critical phases of flight.”
Incidents like runway incursions, landing at the wrong airport, departing from the wrong runway, feelings of vertigo from looking down during descent and the like will be able to be minimized and reduced to near zero with the use of a HUD, according to Schneider.
The MGF HUD puts critical flight information directly in front of a pilot, he noted. It uses a transparent display and specially designed optics that projects an image out in front of the pilot. This allows a pilot to be able to view information with their head positioned “up” and looking forward instead of angled down looking at panel mounted instruments, he explained.
The MGF HUD contains three primary components: A projection unit; a combiner; and a wired or wireless interface to an iPad or other video/computing source. The image appears to be floating out in front of the pilot, focused at infinity to minimize the time it takes to look at information and the outside world, company officials said.
MYGOFLIGHT will work with apps developers, avionics electronics manufacturers and airplane manufacturers that are interested in this product to ensure compatibility and fit with their software, electronics and airplanes, Schneider said. The MYGOFLIGHT HUD will also act as a repeater to a pilot side HUD already installed so that the co-pilot can have the benefits of a HUD.
HUD units available today installed cost roughly $150,000 or more. The initial price of the MGF HUD is expected to be under $10,000, according to company officials. Fully refundable positions at introductory pricing can be purchased for expected delivery in the fall of 2015.