Flight test evaluation and analysis of an optical IR PWI system

The flight test results of the optical infrared (IR) Pilot Warning Instrument (PWI) system are presented. The test program is described and the flight test data presented. The data is analyzed and used to calibrate a model that is developed to characterize the system performance. The cumulative probability of detection versus range from a given system threshold is calculated and compared with the PWI performance specification. The comparison indicates that the Optical IR PWI system tested met the specifications for a detection likelihood of 95 percent for a 1 nmi range for an appreciable fraction of the testing time.