7 Honeywell Products That Have Changed How Pilots Fly

April 26 is World Pilots Day, a day set aside to celebrate the men and women who fly the big jets and small piston aircraft – and everything in between. For more than a century Honeywell has been giving pilots products, systems and software solutions to improve safety, efficiency, mission effectiveness and passenger comfort.

Here’s just a sampling of breakthrough Honeywell technologies that have changed how pilots fly:

The Autopilot. Flying was mostly a “seat-of-the-pants” endeavor until the Sperry family – Elmer and son Lawrence – got things spinning (literally) by harnessing the power of the gyroscope to control and stabilize the rudder and elevators on a Curtis biplane in 1914. In the process, they invented the science of controlled flight, making pilots’ jobs easier and flying safer. Honeywell later acquired Sperry Aerospace and Honeywell and BendixKing are still in the flight controls and autopilots businesses. 

Flight Management Systems. Honeywell introduced digital technology to the cockpit in the 1980s with flight management system (FMS) technology that lets pilots program and fly the most efficient route from Point A to Point B. Our Next-Generation FMS, helps pilots manage their workload and take advantage of the most up-to-date flight procedures anywhere they fly.

Flight Safety. Safety is Job 1 for pilots and no one has done more than Honeywell to give them the tools they need to enhance flight safety. For example, we delivered the first authorized traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), invented the ground proximity warning system (GPWS), and pioneered Smart Runway solutions to protect aircraft and ground vehicles during landings and takeoffs.

Weather Radar. Pilots can’t do much but talk about the weather, but they can avoid thunderstorms, lightning, turbulence and other hazardous flying conditions with a little help from their friends at Honeywell. Our IntuVue 3D radar systems can “see” weather conditions far ahead, giving pilots plenty of time to change course, protect the aircraft and give their passengers a comfortable ride. 

Flight Displays. We’ve always been on the leading edge when it comes to presenting pilots with information needed to fly the aircraft. It all started with electromechanical instruments, like the first artificial horizon, then evolved into the “glass cockpit” era with early CRT displays and advanced LCDs. Honeywell integrated cockpits feature intuitive multifunction displays that give pilots easy access to the information they need to fly the aircraft.

Honeywell Anthem. Our newest integrated flight deck – Honeywell Anthem – takes flying to a whole new level with the first always-on, cloud-connected capabilities. Honeywell Anthem can deliver the right information securely to the pilot at precisely the right time. The new cockpit features intuitive and easy-to-use controls, access to third-party applications, unprecedented situational awareness and much more. Pilots say flying with Honeywell Anthem is easier, safer and a lot more fun.  

Pilot Connect Mobile App. Saving fuel is a priority for airlines these days and pilots play an enormous role in carriers’ fuel-efficiency initiatives. That’s what the Honeywell Forge Pilot Connect Mobile App is all about. The easy-to-use app puts critical information like historical deviations and fuel saving potentials at pilots’ fingertips so they can take actions before, during and after the flight to reduce fuel burn and leave a smaller environmental footprint.