Abstract: An airborne vehicle lighting control apparatus and method for automatically controlling activation and deactivation of an airborne vehicle lighting system. A processor for automatically controlling the lighting system can be employed and having one or more sensors operatively connected to the processor for sensing the current flight operating mode and geographical position of an airborne vehicle. The processor can activate or deactivate lighting based on the current flight operating mode and position.

Abstract: An automatic trim system and method is disclosed for automatically trimming a flight control surface of an aircraft. A force sensor measures a force applied by a pilot to a flight control system actuator. The length of time that the force is applied by the pilot is then timed by a timer. A trim system to reduce the applied force is included on the flight control surfaces. A processor determines if trim is required if a predetermined amount of time is exceeded based on the force sensor measurement. The processor can set the trim system to the trim required therein. An airspeed sensor is used to verify that the aircraft has sufficient speed for flight. A force sensor can be utilized to measure the input force being applied by the pilot. If a pilot input force is applied to the controls and the aircraft is in a steady state, a timer can be activated.