GPWS: Difference between revisions
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'''GPWS''' (Ground Proximity Warning System, pronounced ''jip-wiz'') warns the crew about unsafe descent, terrain closure, clearance and approach conditions. Rise also provides predictive terrain and obstacle awareness using the terrain and city/colony geometry received by the client. | |||
This page describes the '''October 2026 GPWS update''', checked against the client on 14 October 2026. Older clients may behave differently. The comparison reference is the Honeywell '''MK VI & MK VIII EGPWS Pilot Guide, 060-4314-000, Rev C, May 2004''', primarily its enabled jet installation. Its optional features and installation choices are not universal to every real EGPWS. Mode 7 additionally references the Honeywell MK V/VII guide and Bombardier CRJ documentation below; the absence of windshear from the supplied six-mode guide does not exclude it from other EGPWS installations. | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" | |||
| style="background:#eaf3fa;color:#174f78;border-left:6px solid #17639c;" | '''BLUE — documented aircraft behavior.''' The underlying EGPWS function or jet profile used for comparison. | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#66317e;border-left:6px solid #753a91;" | '''PURPLE — Rise adaptation or approximation.''' Game-specific behavior, integration choices and limits that should not be read as a manufacturer's specification. | |||
|} | |||
These documentation colors are separate from the green/yellow/red/magenta colors on the cockpit terrain display. Labels accompany the colors throughout. | |||
== Pilot controls and indications == | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Control !! Default binding !! Current Rise behavior | |||
|- | |||
| GPWS Test / GS Cancel || '''Shift+F11''' || On the ground, start or cancel the functional self-test. In flight, cancel Mode 5 glideslope alerts. Other hazard modes remain available. | |||
|- | |||
| GPWS Hazard Inhibit || '''Shift+F12''' || Toggle hazard inhibition. '''GPWS INHIBIT''' is a steady, silent CAS status. Mode 6 advisories, including bank and altitude callouts, remain separately controlled. | |||
|} | |||
Bindings can be reassigned in the GUI. Existing custom assignments may differ from these defaults. | |||
= | <div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | ||
'''Rise adaptation — cockpit integration''' | |||
* '''GS CANCEL''' appears on CAS and remains set until touchdown. This deliberately replaces the guide's altitude-based cancel/re-arm bands. | |||
* The normal moving map is the default. There is '''no pilot terrain-view toggle''' and no exposed GRND PROX TERRAIN switch. | |||
* A predictive terrain or obstacle caution/warning automatically selects the terrain overlay. Clearing the threat restores the normal map and the previous range. With default auto-range enabled, an encounter selects the 10 km inner / 20 km outer range once. | |||
* A bank callout, altitude callout or other reactive GPWS mode does not by itself select the terrain overlay. Reactive hazard text can still appear on the map. | |||
* On the ground, the normal map is shown and flight-hazard alerts are suppressed. Ground status alone does '''not''' mean GPWS is inoperative. Self-test and departure callouts are separate functions. | |||
</div> | |||
'''GPWS INOP''' indicates invalid radio-altitude or air-data inputs; it is not a normal parking indication. Position failure can make terrain awareness unavailable independently. '''GPWS TEST''' and test patterns remain on the PFD/MFD. Routine inhibit/cancel status belongs on CAS, rather than across the map. | |||
== | == Predictive terrain and obstacle awareness == | ||
<div style="background:#eaf3fa;color:#233547;border-left:6px solid #17639c;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Aircraft reference — look ahead as well as down.''' Enhanced terrain awareness compares the flight path with terrain and obstacles ahead. It is separate from Mode 2, which reacts to measured terrain closure beneath the aircraft. Runway-dependent look-down limits allow a normal approach without projecting the descent endlessly through the runway. | |||
</div> | |||
< | |||
Rise tests both the fine inner terrain mesh and the coarse distant mesh, plus solid components of received cities and colonies. It uses ground-relative movement, vertical speed and observed turns. Buildings are classified as obstacles; ground-level paving and non-solid crops are excluded. A structure in the path can therefore produce '''CAUTION OBSTACLE''' over otherwise low, green terrain. | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Threat !! Caution announcement !! Warning announcement | |||
|- | |||
| Terrain || “Caution terrain. Caution terrain.” || “Terrain. Terrain.”, followed by plain “Pull up.” while the warning persists | |||
|- | |||
| Obstacle || “Caution obstacle. Caution obstacle.” || “Obstacle. Obstacle.”, followed by plain “Pull up.” while the warning persists | |||
|} | |||
Warnings outrank cautions. At equal predictive severity, terrain takes priority over obstacle, so minor changes in encounter timing do not continually exchange the two announcements. A standalone “Terrain.” is also used by reactive Mode 2; there is no standalone predictive “Obstacle.” callout. | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Rise approximation — prediction envelope and data''' | |||
* Nominal look-ahead: '''60 seconds for caution''' and '''30 seconds for warning'''. At 300 knots ground speed or more, the warning horizon can extend toward 60 seconds using an 8 NM extension-distance limit; it never becomes shorter than 30 seconds. The total scan has a 60 km range cap. | |||
* Nominal vertical margin: '''500 ft / 152.4 m'''. This narrows during low-altitude takeoff/landing and an accepted runway approach. It is a clearance margin, not an alert at every height below 500 ft. | |||
* The corridor starts 0.25 NM wide, expands 3° on each side and includes vehicle radius. Observed turns are extrapolated for ten seconds, then along the resulting tangent. | |||
* Only received geometry is known. There is no certified worldwide terrain/obstacle database or airport-specific modulation catalog. Unknown data is not assumed to be flat or safe. | |||
< | * These are Rise advisory margins, not a reproduction of proprietary Honeywell coefficients or a guaranteed escape-maneuver calculation. | ||
</div> | |||
==Mode 6 - | <div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | ||
'''Rise adaptation — shared module scheduling.''' Rise runs '''one module per enabled simulation frame''', rotating through the registered modules. Each module receives the actual elapsed time since its previous turn. GPWS evaluates its alerts and performs an eligible terrain scan on that turn; it has no separate 5 Hz target or timer-driven catch-up calls. This is a simulator CPU-budget choice, not a stated EGPWS hardware update rate. | |||
With the current '''seven modules''', each runs about '''8.6 Hz at 60 FPS, 4.3 Hz at 30 FPS, and 2.1 Hz at 15 FPS'''. The rate is FPS divided by module count, so additional modules or lower FPS increase response latency. Physics and cockpit drawing retain their existing cadence; displays draw the latest available module results between turns. Elapsed-time timers remain time-based. Existing internal intervals still apply: TCAS has its own analysis timer, and CAS rotates its message categories over multiple CAS turns. | |||
This spreads module work across frames; it is '''not a guaranteed FPS improvement'''. At 60 FPS, scanning terrain on each of seven module turns is more frequent than the former nominal 5 Hz terrain throttle. Flight testing must check CPU cost and alert/callout latency together, including ground, hover, approaches, fast near-ground flight, orbit/re-entry and uneven frame times. Existing invalid/stale-data rules remain; very slow scheduling cannot be treated as fresh sensor coverage. | |||
</div> | |||
=== Runway approaches and VTOL === | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Rise approximation — runway recognition.''' An aligned, converging approach to a selected or inferred received runway can be recognized within the existing '''42.6 km guidance range'''. It works for hand-flown approaches and before gear extension. The runway must have valid position, heading and length; track, height and descent must remain compatible with the approach. Selecting a waypoint or capturing LOC/G/S alone does not suppress alerts. | |||
The expected descent is bounded by the runway profile and ends at the runway end. Terrain and structures that penetrate that protected path still alert. A wrong course, excessive descent or loss of the approach geometry removes the allowance; landing configuration alone is not permission to fly into a hazard. Independent terrain/runway clearance floors remain active. | |||
</div> | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Rise approximation — VTOL and off-runway landing.''' Vertical-thrust capability plus an appropriate selected touchdown point permits a limited close pad-approach allowance: gear down, destination ahead within 5 km, less than 600 m above it, and within the lateral/descent/turn checks. This is '''not an automatic helicopter landing funnel''' around every selected waypoint. At hover there is no invented forward travel, but descent and clearance protection still matter. The supplied fixed-wing guide does not define a helicopter HTAWS landing mode. | |||
</div> | |||
=== Terrain display colors === | |||
Relative height coloring and a predicted conflict are different things. '''Green ground is not a caution.''' The warning/caution label and solid hazard highlight identify an actual predicted conflict. | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Appearance !! Meaning | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#dcefe1;color:#164526;" | '''Green / dark relative shading''' || Terrain below aircraft altitude. Lower bands are darker; Peaks uses green elevation bands when no yellow/red relative terrain is in view. | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#fff2bf;color:#5e4800;" | '''Yellow relative shading''' || Terrain near or above aircraft altitude. The near-height band starts 500 ft below the aircraft, or 250 ft below with gear down. Higher yellow bands use denser stippling. | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#f8dddd;color:#782424;" | '''Red relative shading''' || Terrain more than 2,000 ft above the display's reference altitude. | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#fff2bf;color:#5e4800;" | '''Solid bright yellow hazard''' || Predicted caution: the affected terrain or obstacle is highlighted, with CAUTION TERRAIN or CAUTION OBSTACLE. | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#f8dddd;color:#782424;" | '''Solid red hazard''' || Predicted warning, with TERRAIN - PULL UP or OBSTACLE - PULL UP. | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#f3dff4;color:#733375;" | '''Magenta''' || Missing terrain data within the represented map coverage. It does not mean terrain is above the aircraft. | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#dcf3f5;color:#165760;" | '''Cyan / black''' || Known water / low or decluttered terrain. Black alone is not a guarantee of clearance. | |||
|} | |||
Descent faster than 1,000 ft/min biases the displayed reference downward by thirty seconds of descent. Sparse/dense stippling distinguishes relative bands from solid threats. Known terrain within 400 ft of a nearby received runway elevation is decluttered unless it contains a detected threat. These colors describe the terrain overlay when active; they do not replace the normal map while parked. | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:10px;">'''Rise rendering choices:''' sparse/dense patterns use 25%/50% coverage. The Peaks green range is divided into thirds, and known Vieneo water is identified from world data rather than assuming Earth sea level. These choices implement the display categories without claiming exact manufacturer artwork.</div> | |||
'''TERR DATA LIMITED''' and '''OBST DATA LIMITED''' identify incomplete prediction coverage. Known hazards can still alert. TERR DATA LIMITED has no black backing; active hazard labels retain their backing for readability. A fully absent mesh cannot be painted as if it were known terrain. The previous square fine/coarse boundary and grid-update flashing were data-handling defects, not intended display symbols. | |||
=== Predictive high-altitude suspension === | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Rise adaptation — terrain scanning in ascent and re-entry.''' The predictor considers the lowest altitude projected over the next 60 seconds, including descent. Its reference ceiling is '''11.44 km MSL''': Vieneo's 9.525 km highest terrain + 915 m maximum structure + a 1 km margin. An active scan suspends above '''11.69 km''' projected minimum altitude; a suspended scan resumes at or below '''11.44 km'''. This 250 m separation prevents repeated switching. Rapid descent can therefore require prediction while the aircraft is still much higher. Data-limited annunciations are suppressed while prediction is intentionally suspended. | |||
This is separate from the bank-advisory rules below. There is no single altitude switch that disables all GPWS, TCAS or weather-radar functions. | |||
</div> | |||
== Reactive GPWS modes == | |||
The modes below use current aircraft state and measured clearance/closure. They remain distinct from predictive terrain/obstacle awareness. Their spoken alerts pass through the same voice management system. | |||
The replacement graphs show each mode in isolation; power, airborne state, valid inputs, configuration, inhibits and alert priority still apply. Blue identifies documented jet limits used by Rise. Purple identifies numerical Rise approximations or explicitly labeled illustrative inputs. Plot shading is a documentation aid, not the cockpit terrain-color legend. Click a graph for the full-resolution image. Height axes use feet to match the guide (1 ft = 0.3048 m). | |||
=== Mode 1 — Excessive descent rate === | |||
[[File:GPWS-mode1-Rise-2026.png|thumb|center|1000px|Mode 1 default Rise envelope. Purple marks the numerical Rise approximation; this plot excludes steep-approach and above-glideslope capture biases.]] | |||
'''Aircraft reference:''' “Sink rate” warns of excessive descent; deeper penetration produces “Whoop whoop, pull up.” It does not require a particular gear/flap configuration. | |||
'''Rise implementation:''' active from 50 to 2,450 ft AGL. Steep-approach selection adds the documented 500 ft/min caution and 200 ft/min warning biases. It resets on landing/go-around. | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:10px;color:#38263f;">'''Rise approximation:''' the base jet curves and above-glideslope capture desensitization use the client's numerical approximations; the guide does not publish a complete numerical installation specification.</div> | |||
=== Mode 2 — Excessive terrain closure === | |||
[[File:GPWS-mode2-Rise-2026.png|thumb|center|1000px|Mode 2A/2B reactive closure envelopes. Purple: current Rise curves. Blue dashed line: the documented available-TAD cap. The fully configured Mode 2B case suppresses Pull Up.]] | |||
'''Aircraft reference:''' rapid closure produces “Terrain, terrain” and, when appropriate, “Whoop whoop, pull up.” Mode 2B reduces nuisance alerts in landing/airport conditions. Fully configured landing uses the single “Terrain” warning instead of Pull Up. | |||
'''Rise implementation:''' Mode 2B is selected by landing flaps/override, centered valid ILS, the first 60 seconds after takeoff, or the selected runway vicinity with terrain awareness available (10 NM / 3,500 ft). Mode 2A's speed-dependent upper cap is 1,500–2,000 ft, reduced to 950 ft with available terrain awareness; Mode 2B uses 200–790 ft. After a Mode 2A Pull Up, single Terrain can continue while closure persists. The visual latch clears after 300 ft climb, 45 seconds, or landing flaps/override. | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:10px;color:#38263f;">'''Rise approximation:''' closure boundaries and the speed-dependent cap are approximations of the guide's figures. The old 746.5 m upper-limit description did not describe the current code.</div> | |||
=== Mode 3 — Altitude loss after takeoff or low go-around === | |||
[[File:GPWS-mode3-Rise-2026.png|thumb|center|1000px|Mode 3 current Rise altitude-loss threshold, plotted in purple because the guide does not supply a numerical jet curve to reproduce.]] | |||
“Don't sink” responds to loss of '''geometric altitude''', rather than mistaking rising terrain beneath a climbing vehicle for a descent. It arms after takeoff or a low go-around, applies when not fully configured for landing, and recovers with positive climb. | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:10px;color:#38263f;">'''Rise approximation:''' the retained jet loss threshold is 8 − 3h meters, where h is radio altitude in kilometers; the takeoff phase ends above 1,500 ft AGL. These are Rise coefficients, not the old wiki's “10% of AGL” rule or a claimed numerical Honeywell jet specification.</div> | |||
=== Mode 4 — Unsafe terrain clearance === | |||
'''Modes 4A, 4B and 4C are implemented.''' | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Mode !! Condition and behavior | |||
|- | |||
| 4A — gear up || In cruise/approach, “Too low gear” below 500 ft at up to 190 knots IAS; at higher speed, “Too low terrain” uses the expanding clearance floor, up to 1,000 ft at 250 knots. | |||
|- | |||
| 4B — gear down, flaps not in landing position || “Too low flaps” below 245 ft at up to 159 knots IAS; at higher speed, “Too low terrain” uses the expanding floor, up to 1,000 ft at 250 knots. Flap override treats the flap condition as satisfied. | |||
|- | |||
| 4C — takeoff/low go-around || “Too low terrain” if clearance falls to the nondecreasing floor based on 75% of the preceding 15 seconds' radio height, when not fully configured for landing. | |||
|} | |||
Available terrain awareness removes the Mode 4 speed expansion: 4A/4C retain a 500 ft cap and 4B a 245 ft cap. A/B operate from 50 ft AGL and include level flight; descent is not required. Aircraft-specific overflight desensitization and every installation option are not reproduced. | |||
[[File:GPWS-mode4a-Rise-2026.png|thumb|center|1000px|Mode 4A: gear-up clearance floor. Blue shows the documented jet speed ramp used in Rise; the dashed line shows the available-terrain-awareness cap.]] | |||
[[File:GPWS-mode4b-Rise-2026.png|thumb|center|1000px|Mode 4B: gear-down, flaps-not-landing clearance floor, including the available-terrain-awareness cap.]] | |||
[[File:GPWS-mode4c-Rise-2026.png|thumb|center|1000px|Mode 4C: blue clearance-history floor with a purple illustrative flight path. This example shows why the floor does not fall when the aircraft begins descending; it is not measured flight data.]] | |||
=== Mode 5 — Below glideslope === | |||
[[File:GPWS-mode5-Rise-2026.png|thumb|center|1000px|Mode 5 for a qualifying approach descending at least 500 ft/min. Blue: nominal dot thresholds. Purple: the current Rise regions and near-ground approximation. The upper height limit reduces toward 500 ft in level flight.]] | |||
A valid front-course ILS can qualify a '''hand-flown''' approach; Autoflyte G/S capture is not required. The upper radio-height limit varies from 500 to 1,000 ft with descent rate. The soft region begins at about 1.3 dots low; the hard region is below 300 ft and at least about two dots low. Both become less sensitive very near the ground, and no Mode 5 alert occurs below 50 ft. | |||
Soft Glideslope uses half-volume and repeats with further deviation. Hard Glideslope plays two complete phrases at normal volume on a four-second cycle. Higher-priority hazards take precedence. Use '''GPWS Test / GS Cancel''' in flight to cancel this mode until touchdown. | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:10px;">'''Rise approximation:''' the near-ground glideslope curve is a linear approximation of the guide's figure. Cancellation lasting until touchdown is the Rise installation choice described above.</div> | |||
== Mode 6 — Advisory callouts == | |||
=== Altitude and minimums === | |||
Implemented descending radio-height callouts are '''1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 feet'''. Installation settings can disable individual heights. The 500-foot call can be unconditional, smart, above-field, or externally controlled/disabled. “Minimums, minimums” uses the configured radio decision height (default 200 ft) and requires gear down. | |||
Each height is consumed once per approach. If descent crosses several heights while speech is busy, obsolete pending heights are discarded and the latest relevant callout is retained. Mode 6 advisories do not illuminate GPWS hazard lamps. The old list of unimplemented tones, 2,500-foot calls and Approaching Minimums options was not a list of available Rise callouts. | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:10px;color:#38263f;">'''Rise adaptation:''' above-field uses geometric height over a received runway. There is no separate barometric MDA/Approaching Minimums installation. Rotate, Positive Rate and Retard are additional Rise crew callouts, not evidence that those functions belong to this six-mode Honeywell guide.</div> | |||
=== Bank angle — manual and Autoflyte === | |||
The old fixed '''30°''' description is obsolete. The '''actual Autoflyte engagement state''' selects the profile; flight-director guidance alone does not count as engagement. Bank magnitude is the same for left and right turns, and must exceed the threshold. After the first call, a further 20% increase in bank permits another announcement. After three escalating announcements, persistent bank at or above that last level can repeat every two seconds. Recovery clears the encounter. | |||
[[File:GPWS-bank-profiles-Rise-2026.png|thumb|center|1100px|Blue/teal: the jet bank profiles used by Rise. Purple: Rise's additional spaceflight policy. The graph's height axis is logarithmic; the thresholds increase linearly with height within each ramp.]] | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" | |||
! Radio height AGL !! style="background:#eaf3fa;color:#174f78;" | Real jet: manual !! style="background:#eaf3fa;color:#174f78;" | Real jet: AP !! Rise: manual !! Rise: Autoflyte | |||
|- | |||
| Below 5 ft / 1.524 m || Inhibited || Inhibited || Inhibited || Inhibited | |||
|- | |||
| 5–30 ft / 1.524–9.144 m || 10° || 10° || 10° || 10° | |||
|- | |||
| 30–122 ft / 9.144–37.186 m || 10→33° || 10→33° || 10→33° || 10→33° | |||
|- | |||
| 122–150 ft / 37.186–45.720 m || 33→40° || 33° || 33→40° || 33° | |||
|- | |||
| 150–2,450 ft / 45.720–746.760 m || 40→55° || 33° || 40→55° || 33° | |||
|- | |||
| Above 2,450 ft in normal atmospheric flight || 55° || 33° || 55° || 33° | |||
|- | |||
| style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#66317e;" | '''Rise spaceflight/hypersonic exclusion, above 762 m AGL''' || No spacecraft profile specified || No spacecraft profile specified || style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#66317e;" | '''Inhibited''' || style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#66317e;" | '''Inhibited''' | |||
|} | |||
The real columns refer to the enabled jet option on page 25 of the cited guide, with valid inputs. There is no 1.5 km upper cutoff or progressive 90°/180° schedule in that profile. Normal high-altitude jet flight, including 40,000 ft, retains 55° manual / 33° AP. Other installations can differ. | |||
==== Rise spaceflight and re-entry rules ==== | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Rise adaptation — bank advisories only''' | |||
* '''At or below 762 m AGL (2,500 ft):''' near-ground protection overrides the spaceflight exclusion. The ordinary bank profile and 5 ft minimum still apply. Low IAS, a stall or a hover does not disable it. | |||
* '''Above 762 m AGL:''' enter the exclusion when modeled mass density is at most '''1% of surface density OR Mach is at least 5'''. | |||
* '''Re-arm:''' density must recover to at least '''2% AND Mach fall to 4 or below''', or the aircraft must return to the near-ground band. The different entry/recovery thresholds prevent chatter. | |||
* With the client's 7.5 km density scale height, the density crossings are approximately '''34.54 km MSL''' and '''29.34 km MSL'''. These are MSL equivalents, not AGL thresholds. The model is exp(−|MSL|/7.5 km), sampled at the current position. | |||
* Obsolete queued bank calls are removed; an ordinary phrase already playing finishes. Ground, power and vehicle resets clear the exclusion history. | |||
* This policy also covers hypersonic atmospheric flight. It is '''not an orbital-state detector''', a manufacturer limit, or a calculation of remaining aerodynamic control authority. It does not disable terrain interception, obstacle awareness, TCAS or weather radar. | |||
</div> | |||
[[Vieneo]] has a different atmosphere from Earth. The current client uses 3.063 kg/m³ surface mass density and 2630.397 mb surface pressure; a density ratio is not a pressure ratio. The wiki's 6.923 km scale height differs from the client's 7.5 km value used here. These thresholds document the existing client model without retuning it. IAS alone is unsuitable as the spaceflight switch because it can also be low during a near-ground stall, backwards flight or hover. | |||
== Additional clearance and windshear functions == | |||
'''Terrain Clearance Floor / Runway Field Clearance Floor:''' separate “Too low terrain” protection compares radio clearance and geometric height above received runway elevation with distance-dependent floors. It remains independent of landing configuration and the predictive runway allowance. Position-integrity settings affect the inner bias. Only received runway data is available; the client does not synthesize a worldwide airport database. | |||
=== Mode 7 — Reactive windshear === | |||
<div style="background:#eaf3fa;color:#174f78;border-left:6px solid #17639c;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Documented aircraft function.''' Mode 7 reactive windshear is part of equipped EGPWS installations, including the CRJ. Bombardier's CRJ100/200 Navigation chapter places monitoring during takeoff and final approach at 10–1,500 ft radio altitude. A warning produces a siren, the triple WINDSHEAR announcement and a red PFD indication, with flight-director escape guidance. Headwind/updraft encounters can produce an amber indication. [https://www.jettairx.com.br/backup/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Bombardier_CRJ_200-Navigation_System.pdf#page=55 Bombardier: Mode 7] | |||
</div> | |||
The supplied '''MK VI/VIII''' guide describes six basic modes; that is not the scope of every EGPWS. Honeywell's '''MK V/VII''' guide explicitly documents Mode 7 for installations with the required inputs and enabled algorithms. It considers headwind changes and vertical wind; warning thresholds also account for aircraft performance and flight conditions. [https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=EGPWS+Pilot+Guide-Master.PDF&ID=40281309#page=25 Honeywell: Mode 7] | |||
'''Reactive''' detection responds to the aircraft's encounter. '''Predictive''' windshear is a separate forward-looking weather-radar capability that can warn before entry; it should not be inferred from the presence of Mode 7. [https://www.honeywellaerospace.com/us/en/insights/articles/radar-corner-follow-up-understanding-windshear-detection-systems Honeywell: forward-looking windshear radar] | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Rise implementation — corrected wind inputs (14 October 2026).''' The detector now uses '''signed headwind change''' and '''local-vertical wind''', including the gusts applied by flight physics. A headwind becoming a tailwind is no longer hidden by equal wind-speed magnitudes. Global Y is no longer treated as local up. | |||
Wind change is measured over a rolling '''one-second interval using sensor timestamps''', independently of rendering frame rate and the map wind readout. Turning in steady wind does not create artificial shear. Unchanged samples retain their result; input older than two seconds is discarded. Reset or recovered input starts a fresh history: horizontal change needs one second, while vertical-wind protection is immediate. | |||
'''Operating band: 10–1,500 ft AGL''', powered and airborne, with valid inputs and hazard inhibit off. Rise protects APN and ACL flight, including level flight and VTOL/hover; this is broader than the reference aircraft's takeoff/approach phases. Low IAS does not disable it, and it never divides by airspeed. With no ground track, it uses the aircraft's horizontal nose direction; if that also cannot be defined, vertical-wind protection remains available. Ground, vehicle/simulator transitions, invalid inputs and leaving the band clear the history. Re-entry into the band re-arms it. The separate bank-advisory spaceflight exclusion does not suppress fast near-ground windshear protection. | |||
'''Remaining approximation:''' let H be the one-second headwind change in knots/second (positive for increasing headwind), and W the local updraft in feet/minute. Rise retains '''S = W + 750 H''': below −1,750 warns; above +1,750 cautions. These coefficients are not Honeywell's aircraft-performance-dependent algorithm or a validated Vieneo escape model. '''Purple marks this approximation; Mode 7 itself is a real EGPWS function.''' | |||
</div> | |||
All alerts continue through the existing command bus and VMU, with complete phrases and stale queued-warning removal. This update changes the measured inputs and their timing; it does not add predictive radar, retune Vieneo's atmosphere, or change the existing four-second windshear repeat eligibility. | |||
[[File:GPWS-mode7-Rise-2026-sampled.png|thumb|center|1000px|Corrected Rise Mode 7: signed headwind change over one second versus local-vertical wind. Purple identifies the retained numerical approximation, not a manufacturer escape-performance specification.]] | |||
'''Verification:''' the production GPWS/VMU harness passed 889 checks in both Win32 Debug and optimized Release, including all 20 combinations of 15/30/60/144/240 FPS and 1/5/20/60 Hz sensor updates. The linear replay produced identical shear rates and expected warning/recovery/caution states; variable 7–100 ms frames differed by less than 0.000008 knots/second. Sensor rate still determines observation latency. Hover headwind/tailwind reversals across several headings, turn compensation, invalid/stale data, reset paths, orbit/re-entry and queued-audio expiry are covered. The shared-scheduler follow-up also covers 1/7/50-module timing, separate GPWS/VMU turns and complete VMU warm-up speech. These tests establish implementation behavior, not manufacturer certification. | |||
== Audio behavior and self-test == | |||
All alerts use the command bus and VMU queue. Predictive cautions contain the doubled phrase in one recording and repeat on a seven-second cadence. Persistent predictive warnings use plain Pull Up on a two-second repeat cadence after the initial Terrain Terrain or Obstacle Obstacle phrase. Reactive Pull Up retains its whoop-whoop recording. Actual playback waits for the current phrase to finish; these timers do not restart a clip mid-word. | |||
<div style="background:#f4ecf8;color:#38263f;border-left:6px solid #753a91;padding:12px;"> | |||
'''Rise adaptation — finish the active phrase.''' Normal changes in hazard priority discard stale queued speech but let the current recording finish. This intentionally differs from a real unit's ability to interrupt for a higher-priority hazard. Power/vehicle/simulator transitions clear invalid state rather than replaying stale warnings. Missing voice assets can leave a visual caution without its expected spoken phrase; a displayed caution is not evidence that its recording is installed. | |||
</div> | |||
The combined test control runs '''Level 1''' while powered, on the ground and not inhibited. It exercises indications, complete Glideslope / Pull Up / Terrain Terrain phrases and a terrain test pattern, then ends. Takeoff, power loss, vehicle change or hazard inhibit cancels the test. Diagnostic bus commands also provide levels 2–6 for current faults, installation/data information, session fault history, session warning history and changing discretes. These histories are session-only; spoken maintenance descriptions and nonvolatile maintenance logs are not implemented. | |||
The in-world simulator retains its baseline moving map and reactive GPWS behavior; the new predictive terrain/obstacle system is excluded there. | |||
== Reference and scope == | |||
* Honeywell, ''MK VI & MK VIII EGPWS Pilot Guide'', 060-4314-000, Rev C, May 2004: modes pp.10–25; clearance floors pp.26–28; predictive awareness pp.29–30; display pp.31–37; priority p.40; controls/testing pp.42–55. | |||
* Honeywell, [https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=EGPWS+Pilot+Guide-Master.PDF&ID=40281309 MK V & MK VII EGPWS Pilot Guide], 060-4241-000: Mode 7 reactive windshear (PDF pages 25–26). | |||
* Bombardier, [https://www.jettairx.com.br/backup/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Bombardier_CRJ_200-Navigation_System.pdf#page=55 Canadair Regional Jet 100/200 — Navigation], Ground Proximity Warning System, Mode 7, PDF page 55. Aircraft installation reference; not a claim that every CRJ variant has identical equipment. | |||
* Current Rise implementation: GPWS, terrain awareness, VMU, CAS and shared moving-map logic; ticket [https://jira.risetvp.com/view.php?id=1196 1196]. | |||
* This page describes implemented behavior and identified approximations. Passing regression tests does not establish complete conformity with a manufacturer's installation, or turn an aircraft manual into a spaceflight specification. | |||
[[Category:Avionics]] | [[Category:Avionics]] | ||
Latest revision as of 17:37, 14 October 2026
GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System, pronounced jip-wiz) warns the crew about unsafe descent, terrain closure, clearance and approach conditions. Rise also provides predictive terrain and obstacle awareness using the terrain and city/colony geometry received by the client.
This page describes the October 2026 GPWS update, checked against the client on 14 October 2026. Older clients may behave differently. The comparison reference is the Honeywell MK VI & MK VIII EGPWS Pilot Guide, 060-4314-000, Rev C, May 2004, primarily its enabled jet installation. Its optional features and installation choices are not universal to every real EGPWS. Mode 7 additionally references the Honeywell MK V/VII guide and Bombardier CRJ documentation below; the absence of windshear from the supplied six-mode guide does not exclude it from other EGPWS installations.
| BLUE — documented aircraft behavior. The underlying EGPWS function or jet profile used for comparison. |
| PURPLE — Rise adaptation or approximation. Game-specific behavior, integration choices and limits that should not be read as a manufacturer's specification. |
These documentation colors are separate from the green/yellow/red/magenta colors on the cockpit terrain display. Labels accompany the colors throughout.
Pilot controls and indications
| Control | Default binding | Current Rise behavior |
|---|---|---|
| GPWS Test / GS Cancel | Shift+F11 | On the ground, start or cancel the functional self-test. In flight, cancel Mode 5 glideslope alerts. Other hazard modes remain available. |
| GPWS Hazard Inhibit | Shift+F12 | Toggle hazard inhibition. GPWS INHIBIT is a steady, silent CAS status. Mode 6 advisories, including bank and altitude callouts, remain separately controlled. |
Bindings can be reassigned in the GUI. Existing custom assignments may differ from these defaults.
Rise adaptation — cockpit integration
- GS CANCEL appears on CAS and remains set until touchdown. This deliberately replaces the guide's altitude-based cancel/re-arm bands.
- The normal moving map is the default. There is no pilot terrain-view toggle and no exposed GRND PROX TERRAIN switch.
- A predictive terrain or obstacle caution/warning automatically selects the terrain overlay. Clearing the threat restores the normal map and the previous range. With default auto-range enabled, an encounter selects the 10 km inner / 20 km outer range once.
- A bank callout, altitude callout or other reactive GPWS mode does not by itself select the terrain overlay. Reactive hazard text can still appear on the map.
- On the ground, the normal map is shown and flight-hazard alerts are suppressed. Ground status alone does not mean GPWS is inoperative. Self-test and departure callouts are separate functions.
GPWS INOP indicates invalid radio-altitude or air-data inputs; it is not a normal parking indication. Position failure can make terrain awareness unavailable independently. GPWS TEST and test patterns remain on the PFD/MFD. Routine inhibit/cancel status belongs on CAS, rather than across the map.
Predictive terrain and obstacle awareness
Aircraft reference — look ahead as well as down. Enhanced terrain awareness compares the flight path with terrain and obstacles ahead. It is separate from Mode 2, which reacts to measured terrain closure beneath the aircraft. Runway-dependent look-down limits allow a normal approach without projecting the descent endlessly through the runway.
Rise tests both the fine inner terrain mesh and the coarse distant mesh, plus solid components of received cities and colonies. It uses ground-relative movement, vertical speed and observed turns. Buildings are classified as obstacles; ground-level paving and non-solid crops are excluded. A structure in the path can therefore produce CAUTION OBSTACLE over otherwise low, green terrain.
| Threat | Caution announcement | Warning announcement |
|---|---|---|
| Terrain | “Caution terrain. Caution terrain.” | “Terrain. Terrain.”, followed by plain “Pull up.” while the warning persists |
| Obstacle | “Caution obstacle. Caution obstacle.” | “Obstacle. Obstacle.”, followed by plain “Pull up.” while the warning persists |
Warnings outrank cautions. At equal predictive severity, terrain takes priority over obstacle, so minor changes in encounter timing do not continually exchange the two announcements. A standalone “Terrain.” is also used by reactive Mode 2; there is no standalone predictive “Obstacle.” callout.
Rise approximation — prediction envelope and data
- Nominal look-ahead: 60 seconds for caution and 30 seconds for warning. At 300 knots ground speed or more, the warning horizon can extend toward 60 seconds using an 8 NM extension-distance limit; it never becomes shorter than 30 seconds. The total scan has a 60 km range cap.
- Nominal vertical margin: 500 ft / 152.4 m. This narrows during low-altitude takeoff/landing and an accepted runway approach. It is a clearance margin, not an alert at every height below 500 ft.
- The corridor starts 0.25 NM wide, expands 3° on each side and includes vehicle radius. Observed turns are extrapolated for ten seconds, then along the resulting tangent.
- Only received geometry is known. There is no certified worldwide terrain/obstacle database or airport-specific modulation catalog. Unknown data is not assumed to be flat or safe.
- These are Rise advisory margins, not a reproduction of proprietary Honeywell coefficients or a guaranteed escape-maneuver calculation.
Rise adaptation — shared module scheduling. Rise runs one module per enabled simulation frame, rotating through the registered modules. Each module receives the actual elapsed time since its previous turn. GPWS evaluates its alerts and performs an eligible terrain scan on that turn; it has no separate 5 Hz target or timer-driven catch-up calls. This is a simulator CPU-budget choice, not a stated EGPWS hardware update rate.
With the current seven modules, each runs about 8.6 Hz at 60 FPS, 4.3 Hz at 30 FPS, and 2.1 Hz at 15 FPS. The rate is FPS divided by module count, so additional modules or lower FPS increase response latency. Physics and cockpit drawing retain their existing cadence; displays draw the latest available module results between turns. Elapsed-time timers remain time-based. Existing internal intervals still apply: TCAS has its own analysis timer, and CAS rotates its message categories over multiple CAS turns.
This spreads module work across frames; it is not a guaranteed FPS improvement. At 60 FPS, scanning terrain on each of seven module turns is more frequent than the former nominal 5 Hz terrain throttle. Flight testing must check CPU cost and alert/callout latency together, including ground, hover, approaches, fast near-ground flight, orbit/re-entry and uneven frame times. Existing invalid/stale-data rules remain; very slow scheduling cannot be treated as fresh sensor coverage.
Runway approaches and VTOL
Rise approximation — runway recognition. An aligned, converging approach to a selected or inferred received runway can be recognized within the existing 42.6 km guidance range. It works for hand-flown approaches and before gear extension. The runway must have valid position, heading and length; track, height and descent must remain compatible with the approach. Selecting a waypoint or capturing LOC/G/S alone does not suppress alerts.
The expected descent is bounded by the runway profile and ends at the runway end. Terrain and structures that penetrate that protected path still alert. A wrong course, excessive descent or loss of the approach geometry removes the allowance; landing configuration alone is not permission to fly into a hazard. Independent terrain/runway clearance floors remain active.
Rise approximation — VTOL and off-runway landing. Vertical-thrust capability plus an appropriate selected touchdown point permits a limited close pad-approach allowance: gear down, destination ahead within 5 km, less than 600 m above it, and within the lateral/descent/turn checks. This is not an automatic helicopter landing funnel around every selected waypoint. At hover there is no invented forward travel, but descent and clearance protection still matter. The supplied fixed-wing guide does not define a helicopter HTAWS landing mode.
Terrain display colors
Relative height coloring and a predicted conflict are different things. Green ground is not a caution. The warning/caution label and solid hazard highlight identify an actual predicted conflict.
| Appearance | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green / dark relative shading | Terrain below aircraft altitude. Lower bands are darker; Peaks uses green elevation bands when no yellow/red relative terrain is in view. |
| Yellow relative shading | Terrain near or above aircraft altitude. The near-height band starts 500 ft below the aircraft, or 250 ft below with gear down. Higher yellow bands use denser stippling. |
| Red relative shading | Terrain more than 2,000 ft above the display's reference altitude. |
| Solid bright yellow hazard | Predicted caution: the affected terrain or obstacle is highlighted, with CAUTION TERRAIN or CAUTION OBSTACLE. |
| Solid red hazard | Predicted warning, with TERRAIN - PULL UP or OBSTACLE - PULL UP. |
| Magenta | Missing terrain data within the represented map coverage. It does not mean terrain is above the aircraft. |
| Cyan / black | Known water / low or decluttered terrain. Black alone is not a guarantee of clearance. |
Descent faster than 1,000 ft/min biases the displayed reference downward by thirty seconds of descent. Sparse/dense stippling distinguishes relative bands from solid threats. Known terrain within 400 ft of a nearby received runway elevation is decluttered unless it contains a detected threat. These colors describe the terrain overlay when active; they do not replace the normal map while parked.
TERR DATA LIMITED and OBST DATA LIMITED identify incomplete prediction coverage. Known hazards can still alert. TERR DATA LIMITED has no black backing; active hazard labels retain their backing for readability. A fully absent mesh cannot be painted as if it were known terrain. The previous square fine/coarse boundary and grid-update flashing were data-handling defects, not intended display symbols.
Predictive high-altitude suspension
Rise adaptation — terrain scanning in ascent and re-entry. The predictor considers the lowest altitude projected over the next 60 seconds, including descent. Its reference ceiling is 11.44 km MSL: Vieneo's 9.525 km highest terrain + 915 m maximum structure + a 1 km margin. An active scan suspends above 11.69 km projected minimum altitude; a suspended scan resumes at or below 11.44 km. This 250 m separation prevents repeated switching. Rapid descent can therefore require prediction while the aircraft is still much higher. Data-limited annunciations are suppressed while prediction is intentionally suspended.
This is separate from the bank-advisory rules below. There is no single altitude switch that disables all GPWS, TCAS or weather-radar functions.
Reactive GPWS modes
The modes below use current aircraft state and measured clearance/closure. They remain distinct from predictive terrain/obstacle awareness. Their spoken alerts pass through the same voice management system.
The replacement graphs show each mode in isolation; power, airborne state, valid inputs, configuration, inhibits and alert priority still apply. Blue identifies documented jet limits used by Rise. Purple identifies numerical Rise approximations or explicitly labeled illustrative inputs. Plot shading is a documentation aid, not the cockpit terrain-color legend. Click a graph for the full-resolution image. Height axes use feet to match the guide (1 ft = 0.3048 m).
Mode 1 — Excessive descent rate

Aircraft reference: “Sink rate” warns of excessive descent; deeper penetration produces “Whoop whoop, pull up.” It does not require a particular gear/flap configuration.
Rise implementation: active from 50 to 2,450 ft AGL. Steep-approach selection adds the documented 500 ft/min caution and 200 ft/min warning biases. It resets on landing/go-around.
Mode 2 — Excessive terrain closure

Aircraft reference: rapid closure produces “Terrain, terrain” and, when appropriate, “Whoop whoop, pull up.” Mode 2B reduces nuisance alerts in landing/airport conditions. Fully configured landing uses the single “Terrain” warning instead of Pull Up.
Rise implementation: Mode 2B is selected by landing flaps/override, centered valid ILS, the first 60 seconds after takeoff, or the selected runway vicinity with terrain awareness available (10 NM / 3,500 ft). Mode 2A's speed-dependent upper cap is 1,500–2,000 ft, reduced to 950 ft with available terrain awareness; Mode 2B uses 200–790 ft. After a Mode 2A Pull Up, single Terrain can continue while closure persists. The visual latch clears after 300 ft climb, 45 seconds, or landing flaps/override.
Mode 3 — Altitude loss after takeoff or low go-around

“Don't sink” responds to loss of geometric altitude, rather than mistaking rising terrain beneath a climbing vehicle for a descent. It arms after takeoff or a low go-around, applies when not fully configured for landing, and recovers with positive climb.
Mode 4 — Unsafe terrain clearance
Modes 4A, 4B and 4C are implemented.
| Mode | Condition and behavior |
|---|---|
| 4A — gear up | In cruise/approach, “Too low gear” below 500 ft at up to 190 knots IAS; at higher speed, “Too low terrain” uses the expanding clearance floor, up to 1,000 ft at 250 knots. |
| 4B — gear down, flaps not in landing position | “Too low flaps” below 245 ft at up to 159 knots IAS; at higher speed, “Too low terrain” uses the expanding floor, up to 1,000 ft at 250 knots. Flap override treats the flap condition as satisfied. |
| 4C — takeoff/low go-around | “Too low terrain” if clearance falls to the nondecreasing floor based on 75% of the preceding 15 seconds' radio height, when not fully configured for landing. |
Available terrain awareness removes the Mode 4 speed expansion: 4A/4C retain a 500 ft cap and 4B a 245 ft cap. A/B operate from 50 ft AGL and include level flight; descent is not required. Aircraft-specific overflight desensitization and every installation option are not reproduced.



Mode 5 — Below glideslope

A valid front-course ILS can qualify a hand-flown approach; Autoflyte G/S capture is not required. The upper radio-height limit varies from 500 to 1,000 ft with descent rate. The soft region begins at about 1.3 dots low; the hard region is below 300 ft and at least about two dots low. Both become less sensitive very near the ground, and no Mode 5 alert occurs below 50 ft.
Soft Glideslope uses half-volume and repeats with further deviation. Hard Glideslope plays two complete phrases at normal volume on a four-second cycle. Higher-priority hazards take precedence. Use GPWS Test / GS Cancel in flight to cancel this mode until touchdown.
Mode 6 — Advisory callouts
Altitude and minimums
Implemented descending radio-height callouts are 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 feet. Installation settings can disable individual heights. The 500-foot call can be unconditional, smart, above-field, or externally controlled/disabled. “Minimums, minimums” uses the configured radio decision height (default 200 ft) and requires gear down.
Each height is consumed once per approach. If descent crosses several heights while speech is busy, obsolete pending heights are discarded and the latest relevant callout is retained. Mode 6 advisories do not illuminate GPWS hazard lamps. The old list of unimplemented tones, 2,500-foot calls and Approaching Minimums options was not a list of available Rise callouts.
Bank angle — manual and Autoflyte
The old fixed 30° description is obsolete. The actual Autoflyte engagement state selects the profile; flight-director guidance alone does not count as engagement. Bank magnitude is the same for left and right turns, and must exceed the threshold. After the first call, a further 20% increase in bank permits another announcement. After three escalating announcements, persistent bank at or above that last level can repeat every two seconds. Recovery clears the encounter.

| Radio height AGL | Real jet: manual | Real jet: AP | Rise: manual | Rise: Autoflyte |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Below 5 ft / 1.524 m | Inhibited | Inhibited | Inhibited | Inhibited |
| 5–30 ft / 1.524–9.144 m | 10° | 10° | 10° | 10° |
| 30–122 ft / 9.144–37.186 m | 10→33° | 10→33° | 10→33° | 10→33° |
| 122–150 ft / 37.186–45.720 m | 33→40° | 33° | 33→40° | 33° |
| 150–2,450 ft / 45.720–746.760 m | 40→55° | 33° | 40→55° | 33° |
| Above 2,450 ft in normal atmospheric flight | 55° | 33° | 55° | 33° |
| Rise spaceflight/hypersonic exclusion, above 762 m AGL | No spacecraft profile specified | No spacecraft profile specified | Inhibited | Inhibited |
The real columns refer to the enabled jet option on page 25 of the cited guide, with valid inputs. There is no 1.5 km upper cutoff or progressive 90°/180° schedule in that profile. Normal high-altitude jet flight, including 40,000 ft, retains 55° manual / 33° AP. Other installations can differ.
Rise spaceflight and re-entry rules
Rise adaptation — bank advisories only
- At or below 762 m AGL (2,500 ft): near-ground protection overrides the spaceflight exclusion. The ordinary bank profile and 5 ft minimum still apply. Low IAS, a stall or a hover does not disable it.
- Above 762 m AGL: enter the exclusion when modeled mass density is at most 1% of surface density OR Mach is at least 5.
- Re-arm: density must recover to at least 2% AND Mach fall to 4 or below, or the aircraft must return to the near-ground band. The different entry/recovery thresholds prevent chatter.
- With the client's 7.5 km density scale height, the density crossings are approximately 34.54 km MSL and 29.34 km MSL. These are MSL equivalents, not AGL thresholds. The model is exp(−|MSL|/7.5 km), sampled at the current position.
- Obsolete queued bank calls are removed; an ordinary phrase already playing finishes. Ground, power and vehicle resets clear the exclusion history.
- This policy also covers hypersonic atmospheric flight. It is not an orbital-state detector, a manufacturer limit, or a calculation of remaining aerodynamic control authority. It does not disable terrain interception, obstacle awareness, TCAS or weather radar.
Vieneo has a different atmosphere from Earth. The current client uses 3.063 kg/m³ surface mass density and 2630.397 mb surface pressure; a density ratio is not a pressure ratio. The wiki's 6.923 km scale height differs from the client's 7.5 km value used here. These thresholds document the existing client model without retuning it. IAS alone is unsuitable as the spaceflight switch because it can also be low during a near-ground stall, backwards flight or hover.
Additional clearance and windshear functions
Terrain Clearance Floor / Runway Field Clearance Floor: separate “Too low terrain” protection compares radio clearance and geometric height above received runway elevation with distance-dependent floors. It remains independent of landing configuration and the predictive runway allowance. Position-integrity settings affect the inner bias. Only received runway data is available; the client does not synthesize a worldwide airport database.
Mode 7 — Reactive windshear
Documented aircraft function. Mode 7 reactive windshear is part of equipped EGPWS installations, including the CRJ. Bombardier's CRJ100/200 Navigation chapter places monitoring during takeoff and final approach at 10–1,500 ft radio altitude. A warning produces a siren, the triple WINDSHEAR announcement and a red PFD indication, with flight-director escape guidance. Headwind/updraft encounters can produce an amber indication. Bombardier: Mode 7
The supplied MK VI/VIII guide describes six basic modes; that is not the scope of every EGPWS. Honeywell's MK V/VII guide explicitly documents Mode 7 for installations with the required inputs and enabled algorithms. It considers headwind changes and vertical wind; warning thresholds also account for aircraft performance and flight conditions. Honeywell: Mode 7
Reactive detection responds to the aircraft's encounter. Predictive windshear is a separate forward-looking weather-radar capability that can warn before entry; it should not be inferred from the presence of Mode 7. Honeywell: forward-looking windshear radar
Rise implementation — corrected wind inputs (14 October 2026). The detector now uses signed headwind change and local-vertical wind, including the gusts applied by flight physics. A headwind becoming a tailwind is no longer hidden by equal wind-speed magnitudes. Global Y is no longer treated as local up.
Wind change is measured over a rolling one-second interval using sensor timestamps, independently of rendering frame rate and the map wind readout. Turning in steady wind does not create artificial shear. Unchanged samples retain their result; input older than two seconds is discarded. Reset or recovered input starts a fresh history: horizontal change needs one second, while vertical-wind protection is immediate.
Operating band: 10–1,500 ft AGL, powered and airborne, with valid inputs and hazard inhibit off. Rise protects APN and ACL flight, including level flight and VTOL/hover; this is broader than the reference aircraft's takeoff/approach phases. Low IAS does not disable it, and it never divides by airspeed. With no ground track, it uses the aircraft's horizontal nose direction; if that also cannot be defined, vertical-wind protection remains available. Ground, vehicle/simulator transitions, invalid inputs and leaving the band clear the history. Re-entry into the band re-arms it. The separate bank-advisory spaceflight exclusion does not suppress fast near-ground windshear protection.
Remaining approximation: let H be the one-second headwind change in knots/second (positive for increasing headwind), and W the local updraft in feet/minute. Rise retains S = W + 750 H: below −1,750 warns; above +1,750 cautions. These coefficients are not Honeywell's aircraft-performance-dependent algorithm or a validated Vieneo escape model. Purple marks this approximation; Mode 7 itself is a real EGPWS function.
All alerts continue through the existing command bus and VMU, with complete phrases and stale queued-warning removal. This update changes the measured inputs and their timing; it does not add predictive radar, retune Vieneo's atmosphere, or change the existing four-second windshear repeat eligibility.

Verification: the production GPWS/VMU harness passed 889 checks in both Win32 Debug and optimized Release, including all 20 combinations of 15/30/60/144/240 FPS and 1/5/20/60 Hz sensor updates. The linear replay produced identical shear rates and expected warning/recovery/caution states; variable 7–100 ms frames differed by less than 0.000008 knots/second. Sensor rate still determines observation latency. Hover headwind/tailwind reversals across several headings, turn compensation, invalid/stale data, reset paths, orbit/re-entry and queued-audio expiry are covered. The shared-scheduler follow-up also covers 1/7/50-module timing, separate GPWS/VMU turns and complete VMU warm-up speech. These tests establish implementation behavior, not manufacturer certification.
Audio behavior and self-test
All alerts use the command bus and VMU queue. Predictive cautions contain the doubled phrase in one recording and repeat on a seven-second cadence. Persistent predictive warnings use plain Pull Up on a two-second repeat cadence after the initial Terrain Terrain or Obstacle Obstacle phrase. Reactive Pull Up retains its whoop-whoop recording. Actual playback waits for the current phrase to finish; these timers do not restart a clip mid-word.
Rise adaptation — finish the active phrase. Normal changes in hazard priority discard stale queued speech but let the current recording finish. This intentionally differs from a real unit's ability to interrupt for a higher-priority hazard. Power/vehicle/simulator transitions clear invalid state rather than replaying stale warnings. Missing voice assets can leave a visual caution without its expected spoken phrase; a displayed caution is not evidence that its recording is installed.
The combined test control runs Level 1 while powered, on the ground and not inhibited. It exercises indications, complete Glideslope / Pull Up / Terrain Terrain phrases and a terrain test pattern, then ends. Takeoff, power loss, vehicle change or hazard inhibit cancels the test. Diagnostic bus commands also provide levels 2–6 for current faults, installation/data information, session fault history, session warning history and changing discretes. These histories are session-only; spoken maintenance descriptions and nonvolatile maintenance logs are not implemented.
The in-world simulator retains its baseline moving map and reactive GPWS behavior; the new predictive terrain/obstacle system is excluded there.
Reference and scope
- Honeywell, MK VI & MK VIII EGPWS Pilot Guide, 060-4314-000, Rev C, May 2004: modes pp.10–25; clearance floors pp.26–28; predictive awareness pp.29–30; display pp.31–37; priority p.40; controls/testing pp.42–55.
- Honeywell, MK V & MK VII EGPWS Pilot Guide, 060-4241-000: Mode 7 reactive windshear (PDF pages 25–26).
- Bombardier, Canadair Regional Jet 100/200 — Navigation, Ground Proximity Warning System, Mode 7, PDF page 55. Aircraft installation reference; not a claim that every CRJ variant has identical equipment.
- Current Rise implementation: GPWS, terrain awareness, VMU, CAS and shared moving-map logic; ticket 1196.
- This page describes implemented behavior and identified approximations. Passing regression tests does not establish complete conformity with a manufacturer's installation, or turn an aircraft manual into a spaceflight specification.