Potomac Aviation Technology

Q: How does MicroTower understand pilot' communications?

A; It understands PATTERNS of human speech, not specific words.

From years of studying human-pilot radio communications we learned that much can be understood from PATTERNS of human speech, without understanding the specific spoken words.

A simple human-to-human example: Two people who do not speak the same language can still communicate a great deal through gestures, phrasing, timing, even facial expressions. Even over the phone, timing and tone say a lot.

Because we make our A.I., expert in the facility, flight operations, and radio communications specific for each airport, by it listening to patterns of human speech it knows what to expect and can thereby derive a great deal about what is needed, as well as what is going on around it.

Another example: Imagine someone answering a telephone line used for ordering food pick up. Even though the ring itself means nothing, just by the phone ringing during certain hours, the person answering already knows someone wants to order food for pick up.

Even though the 'ring' itself has no meaning, it has clear meaning when understood in context.

I know there will be curious pilots and techies who want to know a lot more, but I'm not going to reveal our source code to satisfy your curiosity!

NATURAL SPEECH - JUST NOT READY FOR AVIATION

'Natural speech' engines get better all the time (Alexa, Google, etc). But they have serious limitations for aviation use:

1. Even the best have many false positives and negatives

2. Pilots on VHF don't have time to argue with software issues

"Did you say 'landing, ....press 1?"

3. Errors are compounded by high background noise in cockpits

4. Pilots speak many languages

5. Pilots have many ways of saying the same thing.

6. The best voice recognition engines require high bandwidth cloud connections, incompatible with satellite-based comms.

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The guess the best proof is simply this, we have had MicroTower systems installed all over the world, for years, and they actually work!

Potomac Aviation Technology MicroTower provides tower-like services to any airport or heliport.

A common question about MicroTower is,

"How does MicroTower share a busy airport frequency,

...WITHOUT INTERFERING with busy air traffic communications?"

The answer is simple (if not obvious):

MicroTower shares busy frequencies intelligently LIKE A PILOT

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DEVELOPED IN INTENSE RADIO AND TRAFFIC ENVIRONMENT

MicroTower evolved (and was proven certified and approved by FAA and FCC in the intense radio and traffic environment of Potomac Airfield, next to Washington DC.

In fact, MicroTower evolved in one of the most intense, non-towered air traffic and communications places on earth.

POTOMAC AIRFIELD (KVKX)

Prior to 911 airspace security restrictions around Washington DC, our tiny, non-towered, Potomac Airfield exceeded 70,000 operations per year.

To put that in perspective, if you hit 100,000 operations at a publicly-owned airport, FAA will buy you a control tower.

Pilots in our busy airspace know to listen VERY carefully and always make intelligent, short reports of their position and intent on the shared unicom frequency.

This makes for an INTENSE frequency environment.

TIGHT AIRSPACE = TIGHT AIR TRAFFIC

Potomac's traffic is also squeezed together by airspace. Potomac Airfield is surrounded by 'DO NOT ENTER' Class B airspace on three sides, west, north, east, and overhead at 1,500ft.

Just to the west are the instrument approaches into Washington National Airport (KDCA). To our west is Andrews Air Force Base (KADW). To our south another airport (W32), years ago quite busy and sharing the same frequency.

The result is there is only one way in or out of Potomac, a corridor to the south WEST, just this side of the ILS to DCA.

This is an intense (dare I say intimate) AIR TRAFFIC environment.

Take a look at flightaware

https://flightaware.com/live/airport/KVKX

Here is a Skyvector maplink of the area

https://skyvector.com/?ll=38.748641667,-76.955922222&chart=102&zoom=3

INTENSE LOCAL AIR TRAFFIC & RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

Especially on weekends, Potomac might have 3-4 aircraft in the traffic pattern plus another 2-3 (or more) inbound/outbound in the SW corridor.

At peak times we would also vertically-separate inbound and outbound at 1,000 and 1,400ft, just 100 ft below the Class B.

NEARBY WEATHER REPORTS ARE ALMOST USELESS

Just a very few miles away are DCA and ADW with full ATC Towers and ATIS. A bit further to our SW is also Davison Army Airfield (KDAA). Oh, and Quantico Navy base KNYG).

Did I mention, it's an interesting place to fly?

Problem is their METAR reports rarely if ever indicate conditions in the valley at Potomac Airfield. Sometimes they are WAY different.

Most of the time when you try to listen to KDCA or KADW ATIS you have and have just missed the wind. You would have to listen to the whole lengthy message a second time, just to get the wind you missed the first time around.

All the time off frequency with airplanes buzzing all around you.

THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION

We needed to develop something reporting right on site at Potomac, rapidly-responsive to our always rapidly changing conditions in the valley.

We started using standard AWOS algorithms, but found they were terrible at reporting rapidly changing conditions. Their standard two-minute average has the response time of a boat at anchor.

For MicroTower wind we developed proprietary algorithms that allow us to provide excellent windshear and crosswind, as well as updated advisories ...like nothing out there.

For remote wind we do use standard AWOS algorithms, because remote information is used for trends, flight planning and forecasts.

We Keep Everyone Together on Unicom:

To avoid mid-air collisions and blend with our flow of traffic, communications between pilots must be always open and un-interrupted. That means everyone stays on the frequency, and our system had to NOT interfere with THIER communications.

Entering Potomac's beehive of intense air traffic and radio comms, the LAST thing a pilot wants to do is go OFF the air traffic frequency, just to listen to a weather report.

We had to blend our system's transmissions intelligently into intense communications, without causing interference.

We actually had to prove this to both FCC and FAA, and we did.

Understanding the problems, the solutions became obvious.

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THE ANSWER

We needed a very SMART system that would observe conditions right next to the runway, hear DISTANT airborne aircraft (to avoid stepping on their transmissions), and SMART enough to act like a professional pilot and not clog the busy frequency.

PRACTICAL REQUIREMENTS

1. An ultra-sensitive radio for detecting far-distant comms

2. Quietly listening in the background to the VHF frequency

3. Recognizing, understanding patterns of human/pilot comm

4. Expert in flight operations, radio communications & weather

5. Knowing airport layout, airspace, and procedures

6. Adapting SMART replies in real-time to human pilots

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As result. MicroTower, offers three significant benefits

1. For Airports

Eliminates any need for discrete AWOS frequency allocation
A process which often and literally takes years!

Quick and easy way to have tower-like services with METAR

2. For Safety

Pilots monitor the TRAFFIC frequency continuously
No need to go OFF traffic-frequency just for weather

This is the best way to avoid mid-air collisions at busy airports

3. For All

Affordable, sustainable tower-like services beyond AWOS
Anywhere, anytime.

Pretty obvious!

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Initially, we tried using a variety of commercially-available high-grade radios. None had the sensitivity necessary to solve this particular problem.

We decided we had to 'roll our own,.' Below is an image of the 'special' transceiver we developed, to sense the RF environment of aircraft still at distance and altitude. We even took it through the required FCC and FAA approvals and certifications.

It is over 10 times more sensitive than any aircraft radio available.

Built By Pilots For Pilots | Potomac Aviation Technology potomac aviation technology MEETMICROTOWER Built By Pilots, For Pilots Artificial Intelligence for Small Airports and Heliports Send More Information You have Successfully Subscribed! Potomac Airfield (KVKX) 10300 Glen Way, Fort Washington, Maryland, 20744 USA +1-202-575-5700 | contact@potomac-aviat...