Use this mode when connecting to an aircraft that is already flying or preparing for launch, where no LOS link is available from the GCS. For an orientation to the screens named below, see the Horizon UI Tour.

Caution

The Horizon system has been validated with Mission Planner, Athena, and QGroundControl. Use with any other GCS application is not supported and may not function correctly. If your GCS application is not listed, contact a Somewear Field Service Representative or Sales Representative before proceeding.

Prerequisite: The Aircraft Hardware Unit must be configured, powered on, and transmitting telemetry over the BLOS link.

1. Ensure the GCS computer has an active internet connection.

2. Ensure the Beam server is running — its tray menu shows Server running (if stopped, select Start Server). Then select Open Horizon Manager to open Horizon UI.

3. Open Fleet View.

4. Select Add Aircraft to open the Add New Aircraft dialog.

5. Set the fields, then select Add Aircraft:

   • Device — the Aircraft Hardware Unit you want to control.
   • Name — the aircraft’s resource name.
   • UDP Port — leave the default 14550 (it must match the GCS application and Preferences).

6. The aircraft appears as a card. It reads Waiting for connection (Connecting to GCS) until telemetry arrives.

7. In your GCS application, add a UDP connection:

   • Remote IP: 127.0.0.1
   • Remote port: 14550

8. When BLOS telemetry arrives, the card turns Active. Telemetry and location may be empty at first while waiting for the next BLOS update from the aircraft — this is normal.

9. Wait for POS and telemetry on the card to update before issuing any commands. This confirms you are connected to the aircraft over BLOS.

Monitoring command delivery: After pushing commands or mission plans, watch the aircraft card’s Flight Log. Entries advance Pending → Sending → Delivered; when an entry reaches Delivered, the aircraft has received it. Use Clear Queue to cancel pending commands.

Note

Under BLOS, telemetry updates at a slower cadence, and a command is acknowledged in the GCS application before it’s received by the aircraft. Confirm delivery by observing the Flight Log entry reach Delivered, not by the GCS acknowledgement alone.