While having over 40 U.S. and 80 foreign patents concerning aircraft
terrain avoidance systems,
head-up displays, speed control/auto throttle systems,
stall warning systems, automatic
aircraft flight control systems, and weight-and-balance systems, Bateman is most recognized for his invention of the original Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS). With his team of
Honeywell Aerospace engineers, Bateman invented the original GPWS, and later improved these devices. Every five years his team "[came] up with a new model, not because the technology had improved but because we knew we could make it better." These advancements led to the creation of the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS). This program provides a better visualization than the GPWS did. At a glance, pilots can view a visual display of hazardous terrain below and ahead of the aircraft.
Ground proximity warning system (GPWS) A series of aircraft crashes as a result of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) led Bateman to take the initiative in creating a solution to these accidents. CFIT is defined as "where a pilot has the aircraft under control but unknowingly flies into terrain" This type of accident typically takes place during poor visibility. Bateman felt it was within his capabilities to construct a system that would detect hazardous terrain in the aircraft's projected path. The Ground proximity warning system (GPWS) serves the purpose of alerting pilots if their aircraft is in danger of flying into hazardous terrain or the ground. As explained by its patent description, it does so by using a radar altimeter system to keep track of the aircraft’s height above ground and will sound an alarm if the altitude is unsafe: While this technology improved flight safety tremendously, it was still imperfect. It had two problems: • No Warning: The primary cause of CFIT occurrences with no GPWS warning is landing short. When the landing gear is down and landing flaps are deployed, the GPWS expects the airplane to land and therefore, issues no warning. • Late Warning or Improper Response: This was primarily caused by blind-spots within the terrain. A sudden change in altitude—a steep slope, for example—would receive a late warning and the pilot might be unable to avoid the obstacle. This problem was implicated in the
Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 accident.
Enhanced GPWS Bateman continued to head the development of the GPWS, developing it into the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS), a version that features digital terrain mapping techniques paired with three-dimensional GPS information, providing for “look-ahead” capability as well as advanced aural and visual warnings. These advancements allow for conflict predictability and improve the crew’s warning time by 20 seconds in some cases. EGPWS also provides protection when the aircraft needs to land, keeping it from landing short or in an area without a runway. It adds an increasing terrain clearance envelope around the destination runway to prevent premature descent rates. The system’s database can predict a safe descent profile because it knows the exact runway location and elevation through database sourcing as well as latitude/longitude sensing. ==Awards==