Laser? Doppler? Sonar? Ultrasonics? That equipment isn't in my area of expertise. Interesting though.

I imagine some UAV types might be interested. I flew UAVs professionally for several years part-time before starting to fly full-scale full-time for a living. Like everybody else, they are always looking for a better, lighter, cheaper way.

Another thought: If you are thinking about certificated airplanes, I doubt it would catch on any time soon. The FAA requires pitot-static systems for certification, and even if they allowed somebody to add another type of system, they would probably not allow it to eliminate a pitot-static system, since the concequences of a failure without a backup are potentially dire.


correction: "I'm imagine"?? egad.