Helmet-mounted display and cueing systems as pilot aids for aviation/maritime search and rescue missions

The paper presents selected results of analytical and construction works executed at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in the context of possibilities of supporting the actions of a helicopter crew, i.e., pilot-crew commander, pilot-operator of on-board systems, and on-board technician participating in aviation/maritime search and rescue missions. Such support is based on using the helmet-mounted display systems SWPL1 “Cyklop” and NSC1 “Orion” for information from the observation-targeting heads and verbal communication with the survivor. Selected imaging and verbal communication devices installed on aircraft operated by the Polish Armed Forces, which are used in aviation/maritime search and rescue actions, are discussed. Particular attention is drawn to the problems associated with the integrated avionics systems of helmet-mounted imaging of piloting-navigation parameters and the helmet-mounted imaging of information from the observation-targeting heads, i.e., the on-board radio direction finder system and emergency radio, which are part of the integrated communication system. Sample structural solutions for such systems and the possibilities of their application in search and rescue missions are presented.