Computation of new aircraft trajectory using time factor

摘要

A time factor corresponding to an airspace delay or acceleration is communicated to an aircraft. A flight management computer or other computational device of the aircraft calculates a proposed change in trajectory in order to accommodate the time factor in an optimum or nearly optimum manner. One or more proposed changes in trajectory are subject to review by the pilot or other flight personnel. An operator-selected change in trajectory is then implemented in order to accommodate a new arrival time of the aircraft at its destination or a positional point.

主权项

1. A method for an aircraft having a flight management system (FMS), the method comprising:
receiving at least one assigned time factor from a ground based entity as the aircraft is flying towards a destination, the at least one assigned time factor imposing an arrival constraint at the destination; using the FMS to compute a plurality of new trajectories from a current location of the aircraft to the destination, the new trajectories computed in accordance with corresponding new time factors that satisfy the arrival constraint; and selecting one of the new trajectories based on flight and customer parameters and performance characteristics of the aircraft.