What new technologies could be put in the Cirrus

Infrared CCD camera technology supports inexpensive ‘night vision’, which should be a benefit for night flying and probably some mist/fog situations.

Night vision (infrared CCD based) cameras are small, light, common and cheap here .
or http://www.x20.org/thermal/FLIR.htm here .
Camcorders and digital cameras tout their super nightshot technology.
They can even see through clothes [:)].
Inexpensive CCDs are popular in telescopes, surely a low-light application.

Gulfstream offers their EnhancedVisionSystem ‘EVS’ technology which can see through substantial
clouds. see http://www.gulfstream.com/gulfstreamevs/ GulfStreamEvs , but which probably uses some more expensive CCD device.
See also http://www.aero-news.net/news/commbus.cfm?ContentBlockID=9795af24-4b6f-422f-aba0-d454a92eebd3&Dynamic=1&Range=NOW&FromDate=01%2F10%2F2004&ToDate=01%2F22%2F2004&Category=%2Fnews%2Fcommbus.cfmaero-news article
Companies working on or offering EVS (Enhanced Vision Systems) include:
kolsman
or thales
or max=viz
or CMC

I don’t know the price/performance CCD curve (although these things are always rapidly getting cheaper/better), and I donÂ’t know how the various CCDs perform in various fog/mist, but I suspect that even the simplest/cheapest night vision camera would be a help/comfort and avoid some accidents in low-light flying.

None of the links above are going anywhere. All I could find of interest is this from the RYAN web site

http://www.ryaninternational.com/news/prs_nvg.html

Rik

I’ve corrected the CCD/Camera links, and added some more.
Perhaps someone with more knowledge can comment on what would happen if the proper CCD camera was mounted on a wing and the picture fed to a MFD.

Meanwhile, if you go to the NtsbDatabase and select make:cirrus severity:fatal, you can see that now 6 of 7 Cirrus client fatal crashes were arguably low-vis CFIT.
I expect that as soon as avydine/garmin offers it, Cirrus will make TAWS and/or some enhanced low-vis lookahead a standard/required Cirrus feature, just as the parachute is, and that it will have a bigger safety impact than the parachute.

Additionally I would suggest that Weather on the MFD would be great … especially with a touchscreen MFD to zoom in on local area weather or for airport METARS.

Gordon’s idea about the Satellite EPIRB would be a great addition and tie into the safety story as well vs the ELT. It would give Cirrus something to advertise in and effort to continue building it’s reputation as the safest personal GA aircraft available in the marketplace.