Flight deck systems for eVTOL cockpits and remote pilot stations
Updated November 3, 2026
The flight deck is where the pilot interacts with the aircraft: displays that present flight, navigation and system information, and controls that command the vehicle. eVTOL aircraft rethink the cockpit around simplified vehicle operations, while remote pilot stations bring the same functions to the ground.
Components
- Primary flight and multifunction displays: attitude, airspeed, altitude, navigation, systems and alerts, increasingly on large touchscreens.
- Inceptors: sidesticks, joysticks and active inceptors that command fly-by-wire control laws instead of individual surfaces or rotors.
- Control panels: switches, knobs and keypads for systems, communication and navigation.
- Head-up and head-worn displays in some designs.
- Crew alerting and synthetic vision to improve situational awareness.
Simplified vehicle operations
Many eVTOL designs aim for a pilot workload closer to driving a car than flying a helicopter: the pilot commands the desired motion and the flight control system decides how each rotor and surface achieves it. The flight deck reflects this with fewer, more integrated controls and intuitive displays.
Key specifications
- Display size, resolution and sunlight readability; touchscreen and night-vision compatibility.
- Inceptor type: passive or active force feedback, axes and redundancy.
- Interfaces with the flight controller: ARINC 429, Ethernet, CAN.
- Design assurance: DO-178C/DO-254 and DO-160 qualification for certified aircraft.
- Human factors: layout, readability and alerting philosophy, which authorities assess during certification.
For uncrewed systems, the same functions are found in ground control stations.
