In aviation, safety is top priority – there are many different factors that must be considered, and there are a variety of technologies that help pilots take these factors into consideration during a flight. As the technology advances, elevation data has been used to help many aviation applications to ensure safer flights and smoother landings.

What is Elevation Data?
Elevation data includes a matrix of terrain elevation values such as slope and elevation, as well as obstacles such as landforms, buildings, and other structures. Elevation data is often used in digital elevation models and a number of mapping applications and software.

In the aviation industry, elevation data is used in collision avoidance systems, moving maps displays, synthetic vision, and flight simulation.

Collision Avoidance Systems
Collision avoidance systems such as Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS) and other enhanced ground proximity warning systems (EGPWS) use elevation data during flight to ensure the aircraft maintains a safe distance from the ground, mountainous terrain, or manmade structures.

Moving Map Displays
Elevation data is used in moving map displays to provide pilots with situational awareness, which is critical for flight safety. Moving map displays show the aircraft’s exact location in relation to the ground, including what topographical features, airports, and  restricted airspace lie ahead.

Synthetic Vision
A number of aviation accidents are a result of limited visibility during times of severe storms or dark conditions. Elevation data, then, is used in synthetic vision, supplementing flight information by displaying a virtual reality of the aircraft’s outside surrounding. Elevation data is also used in “tunnel” landing interface applications, which guide the pilot to safely land the aircraft during limited visibility. The “tunnel” interface uses elevation data to create graphic representations of the surrounding terrain and potential obstacles upon approach.

Flight Simulation
One of the key components of flight safety is good training. With a flight simulator, a pilot can use a virtual system to test reactions and anticipate performance during dangerous encounters – all without being in an actual dangerous situation. A flight simulator uses elevation data to allow one to virtually fly with highly precise simulation through terrain and landscape, testing their reactions in difficult situations such as maneuvering and landing in extreme conditions.

Overall, elevation data is used in many ways to ensure safer flights and landings. All types of aircraft today rely on elevation data to help them fly safer and land smoother. Whether it is for a commercial airline, a military agency, or a private pilot with a two-seater airplane, elevation data is used to help ensure the safety of those in the air.