Helicopter Flight Manoeuvre Statistics via ADS-B: An Initial Investigation Using the OpenSky Network

Significant challenges exist when defining the usage spectra of helicopter components due to the wide range of missions and manoeuvres flown by helicopters in-service. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) trajectories provide a means of constructing helicopter flight manoeuvre statistics across entire in-service fleets. This paper explores the feasibility of characterising helicopter manoeuvres by applying rule-based algorithms to ADS-B trajectories from a fleet of twin-seat training helicopters. Despite challenges relating to low-altitude ADS-B coverage, a comprehensive set of flight manoeuvre statistics was generated, which highlighted that significant variability exists in helicopter flight manoeuvre occurrences. The generated statistics can also support validation activities concerning design usage spectra assumptions.