Abstract: An apparatus for detecting and evaluating turbulence for an aircraft. The apparatus contains a measuring device for acquiring a value, which indicates a movement of the aircraft relative to the earth, and a second measuring device for acquiring a second value, which indicates a movement of the aircraft relative to the air. The apparatus contains a computing system which receives the two values and determines a difference between the first value and the second value and, on the basis of the difference, a turbulence intensity. The computing system compares the second value with a predefined value range and classifies turbulence as classified turbulence if the second value departs from the predefined value range. The computing system determines the frequency of occurrence of such classified turbulences and detects a turbulent flight state on the basis of the determined turbulence intensity and the frequency of occurrence of the classified turbulences.

Abstract: A flight control system that is adapted for controlling movements of a rotary wing aircraft while considering passenger discomfort, to a rotary wing aircraft with such a flight control system, and to a method of operating a flight control system. The flight control system includes sensors configured to generate sensor data based on captured motions of the rotary wing aircraft, motion actuators that are adapted for inducing a translational and/or a rotational movement of the rotary wing aircraft about at least one of a yaw axis, a roll axis, or a pitch axis, and a passenger discomfort-aware control unit that is configured to generate, based on the sensor data, passenger discomfort-aware actuator control signals for controlling the motion actuators of the rotary wing aircraft.