Pierluigi Capone

Prof. Pierluigi Capone serves as Professor and Head of the Flight Mechanics and Flight Control Systems research focus at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) School of Engineering. He teaches core courses including Aircraft Systems - Control Systems, Flight Mechanics and Simulation, and Safety Critical Systems while coordinating drone-related initiatives and the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) professional development program.

His academic credentials include an MSc in Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Milano (1988-1994), complemented by a CAS in University Didactic (2022-2023), EASA Design Organisation Approval certification (2021), and leadership training from Bombardier and AgustaWestland. Industry experience spans 20+ years at major aerospace firms including AgustaWestland (Head of Control Laws Design, 2008-2013) and Bombardier Aerospace (Engineer Specialist, 2001-2004).

Capone's research centers on flight control system design for fixed/rotary-wing aircraft, parameter estimation, and UAV safety. Recent work emphasizes tilt-rotor transition dynamics, real-time simulation fidelity, and collision avoidance algorithms, with significant contributions to XV-15 tilt-rotor modeling and atmospheric disturbance analysis for complex terrain operations. His team develops novel inceptor designs for compound helicopters and gimballed tilt-rotor systems.

Publication trends reveal focused advancement in UAV operational reliability (HORUS project), hybrid-electric tilt-wing EMS aircraft, and human-drone communication interfaces. Key subfields include wake interference modeling, multi-fidelity eVTOL certification frameworks, and rotorcraft model uncertainty quantification.

Current projects include White-box Helicopter System Identification (Project Leader), Flight Mechanics of Tilt-Wing Aircraft Under Harsh Conditions (Deputy Leader), and Swiss Drone Base Camp Lodrino (Team Member). Completed initiatives span Digital Transformation for Aviation Safety Standards, Power Reserve Calculators for General Aviation, and Novel Collision Avoidance Algorithms.

Capone actively participates in the European Rotorcraft Forum (ERF) International Committee WG-112 on VTOL, Vertical Flight Society, and Swiss Association of Aeronautical Sciences, maintaining industry connections through his ORCID (0009-0006-5395-5670) and professional networks.