Thierry Dubois is a freelance writer specializing in helicopters, business aviation and aerospace technology. He earned a degree in fluid dynamics from an engineering school in Toulouse, France in the mid-1990s. At an unexpected crossroads, he found his first job in journalism. In 1997, he started working for French aerospace weekly Air &amp; Cosmos in Paris. This lasted until 2000, when he moved south to Lyons. He then became a freelancer, working for various aerospace publications and has been part of the AIN team since late 2000. In addition to writing about business aviation, Thierry shares responsibility for the rotorcraft section. He also is a regular on-site writer for AIN’s daily editions at international airshows such as the Paris, Farnborough, Dubai and Singapore shows, as well as at EBACE in Geneva.
In 2007, he won the Honeywell award for “Best systems or technology submission” at the Aerospace journalist of the year awards. In 2013, he won an Aerospace Media Award for the "Best Safety, Training &amp; Simulation Submission."
In other activities, Thierry moderates international conferences on aviation technology topics. Thierry is married and has three children, who seem to begin enjoying the mountains–as their parents do.

Writer

Thierry Dubois

Sikorsky is proceeding with flight-testing more unmanned “autonomous” helicopters, and is planning to add a Black Hawk to its Autonomy Program next year.
The U.S. rotorcraft manufacturer’s Matrix Technology program launched in mid-2013, giving helicopters various degrees of automation. To date, the only Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA) to fly is a modified S-76. It features fly-by-wire controls and a number of sensors and has completed autonomous takeoffs and landings. It has also performed flights where it avoided obstacles and autonomously selected a landing zone.
“SARA has, to date, flown more than 75 hours of engaged, unmanned time with Matrix technology, and we have a robust schedule to continue to expand the flight test envelope,” said Igor Cherepinsky, chief engineer for Sikorsky’s Autonomy Program, in mid-May.
In 2014, Sikorsky acquired a Black Hawk military helicopter, which it is now inducting it into the program. The idea is to “further our efforts to demonstrate the optionally piloted capabilities in a military platform,” Cherepinsky went on. Reconfiguration of the aircraft is in process, and the Black Hawk is scheduled to fly “sometime in late 2016.”
Sikorsky has been involved in related programs with the U.S. Army and Darpa (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency). The former effort involves UAV-UGV (unmanned air vehicle-unmanned ground vehicle) collaboration. Darpa, meanwhile, awarded Sikorsky a contract in the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (Alias) program, which envisions a “tailorable, drop-in, removable kit” that would incorporate high levels of automation in existing aircraft, enabling a smaller crew.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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