Wireless spread spectrum ground link-based aircraft data communication system with airborne airline packet communications

摘要

An airline packet network transfers flight data files among respective airborne aircraft in flight. The network includes a plurality of aircraft each having a ground data link unit that includes a data store to accumulate and store flight data files and flight performance data related to flight performance of the respective aircraft in flight. The data store includes a buffer for storing flight data files that have been uploaded to the aircraft of another airborne aircraft for ready transferring flight to another aircraft and an archival data store for storing flight performance data. A spread spectrum transceiver has a receiver and transmitted coupled to the data store that is operative to transmit flight performance data when the aircraft is on the ground and transmit and receive flight data files when the aircraft is airborne when the airborne aircraft are within close proximity to each other.