Alternative destination management and selection

Abstract

The invention relates to alternative destination management and selection. The present disclosure provides alternative destination selection and management on a vehicle. The alternative destination selection includes receiving, at a vehicle management system (VMS), an alternative destination request selection and determining a plurality of navigation estimates based on the request, and updating the VMS in accordance with the alternative destination and the plurality of navigation estimates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to vehicle navigation and destination management. Systems and methods herein provide alternative destinations to pilots and navigators alike via a vehicle management system. Background Art

[0002] A diversion is a change in the flight plan that affects the destination of the flight (i.e., where and when the aircraft actually lands). For example, an aircraft originally bound for Airport A may be diverted to Airport B when Airport A is experiencing inclement weather, is experiencing runway congestion, etc., or when the aircraft is low on fuel, when technical difficulties occur, when people on the aircraft are experiencing medical issues, etc. While diversions can be enacted and implemented by the flight controller or other actors external to the aircraft, pilots can also enact diversions by selecting an alternate destination. The alternate destination functionality of the flight management system is highly dependent on manual pilot input and interaction. The functionality only depicts information about airports near the aircraft's current location or about locations manually entered by the crew. Providing safe and automatic alternate destination selection remains a challenge. Summary of the invention

[0003] A system of one or more computers may be configured to perform a specific operation or action by having software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof installed on the system, which software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof causes or causes the system to perform an action in operation. One or more computer programs may be configured to perform a specific operation or action by including instructions that, when executed by a data processing device, cause the device to perform the actions of a method. The method includes: receiving an alternative destination request at a vehicle management system (VMS) on a vehicle; determining a location of interest based on the alternative destination request at the VMS; selecting at least one alternative destination based on the proximity of at least one alternative destination to the location of interest; and determining multiple navigation estimates of the vehicle based on the current vehicle position, the location of at least one alternative destination, and the current vehicle condition; and updating the VMS based on the at least one alternative destination and the multiple navigation estimates. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, devices, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each of which is configured to perform the actions of the method.

[0004] Implementations may include one or more of the following features. In the method, receiving an alternate destination request may include: receiving a user selection from a user via a user interface (UI) of the VMS, wherein the user selection may include a location of interest selected by the user, wherein the location of interest may include one of: an original destination of the vehicle during the navigation session, and a custom location selected by the user.

[0005] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example methods above or below, the vehicle may include an aircraft, and wherein the VMS may include an onboard flight management system.

[0006] In one aspect, in combination with any of the example methods above or below, at least one alternate destination may include a plurality of nearest airports closest to the location of interest, and wherein determining the plurality of navigation estimates may include, for each of the plurality of nearest airports: determining a flight distance between a current vehicle position of the aircraft and the airport, determining an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a flight from the current vehicle position to the airport, and determining an estimated remaining fuel level when the aircraft arrives at the airport.

[0007] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example methods above or below, the method may include, at an update time, updating the plurality of navigation estimates based on an updated position of the aircraft at the update time.

[0008] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example methods above or below, the current vehicle conditions may include: environmental and physical conditions at the current vehicle location, and vehicle operating conditions of the vehicle.

[0009] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example methods above or below, the method may include: receiving an additional option selection at the VMS; selecting a next plurality of nearest airports closest to the location of interest; and determining a next plurality of navigation estimates for each of the next plurality of nearest airports.

[0010] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example methods above or below, updating the VMS based on the at least one alternative destination and the plurality of navigation estimates may include displaying the at least one alternative destination and the plurality of navigation estimates on a user interface (UI) of the VMS.

[0011] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example methods above or below, updating the VMS based on at least one alternative destination and a plurality of navigation estimates can include: selecting a new destination from the at least one alternative destination based on the plurality of navigation estimates, replacing an original destination in an autopilot navigation subsystem of the VMS with the selected new destination, and displaying the new destination and the plurality of navigation estimates on a user interface (UI) of the VMS. Implementations of the described techniques can include hardware, methods or processes, or computer software on a computer-accessible medium.

[0012] A general aspect includes a system. The system includes a processor and a memory storage device, the memory storage device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations that may include: receiving an alternate destination request at a vehicle management system (VMS) on a vehicle; determining a location of interest based on the alternate destination request at the VMS; selecting at least one alternate destination based on a proximity of the at least one alternate destination to the location of interest; and determining a plurality of navigation estimates for the vehicle based on a current vehicle position, a location of the at least one alternate destination, and a current vehicle condition; and updating the VMS based on the at least one alternate destination and the plurality of navigation estimates.

[0013] Implementations may include one or more of the following features. In the system, receiving an alternate destination request may include: receiving a user selection from a user via a user interface (UI) of the VMS, wherein the user selection may include a user-selected location of interest, wherein the location of interest may include one of: an original destination of the vehicle during the navigation session, and a user-selected custom location.

[0014] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example systems above or below, the vehicle may include an aircraft, and wherein the VMS may include an onboard flight management system.

[0015] In one aspect, in combination with any of the example systems above or below, at least one alternate destination may include a plurality of nearest airports closest to the location of interest, and wherein determining the plurality of navigation estimates may include, for each of the plurality of nearest airports: determining a flight distance between a current vehicle position of the aircraft and the airport, determining an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a flight from the current vehicle position to the airport, and determining an estimated remaining fuel level when the aircraft arrives at the airport.

[0016] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example systems above or below, operations may include, at an update time, updating a plurality of navigation estimates based on an updated position of the aircraft at the update time.

[0017] One general aspect includes a computer-readable storage device including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a processing system, perform operations including: receiving an alternate destination request at a vehicle management system (VMS) on a vehicle; determining a location of interest at the VMS based on the alternate destination request; selecting at least one alternate destination based on a proximity of the at least one alternate destination to the location of interest; and determining a plurality of navigation estimates for the vehicle based on a current vehicle location, a location of the at least one alternate destination, and a current vehicle condition; and updating the VMS based on the at least one alternate destination and the plurality of navigation estimates.

[0018] Implementations may include one or more of the following features. In a computer-readable storage device, receiving an alternate destination request may include: receiving a user selection from a user via a user interface (UI) of the VMS, wherein the user selection may include a location of interest selected by the user, wherein the location of interest may include one of: an original destination of the vehicle during the navigation session and a custom location selected by the user.

[0019] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example computer-readable storage devices above or below, the vehicle may include an aircraft, and wherein the VMS may include an onboard flight management system. In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example computer-readable storage devices above or below, at least one alternate destination may include a plurality of nearest airports closest to the location of interest, and wherein determining the plurality of navigation estimates may include, for each of the plurality of nearest airports: determining a flight distance between a current vehicle position of the aircraft and the airport, determining an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a flight from the current vehicle position to the airport, and determining an estimated remaining fuel level when the aircraft arrives at the airport.

[0020] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example computer readable storage devices above or below, the operations may include, at an update time, updating the plurality of navigation estimates based on an updated position of the aircraft at the update time.

[0021] In one aspect, in conjunction with any of the example computer-readable storage devices above or below, current vehicle conditions may include environmental and physical conditions at the current vehicle location and vehicle operating conditions of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order that the manner in which the above-described features may be understood in detail, a more particular description, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to example aspects, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 is a flight path of an aircraft according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 2 A vehicle management system according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 3 A detailed view of an alternate destination module is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method for alternative destination management according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5 Example computing components of a computing system that may be used to provide alternative destinations in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for alternate destination selection and management that use user input, flight tracking data (e.g., ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) data), vehicle operating conditions (e.g., current weight, fuel level and aircraft performance data, airport operating data, and weather data) to identify alternate destinations on an aircraft in real time.

[0029] Figure 1 is a flight path of an aircraft according to aspects of the present disclosure. For example, aircraft 110 travels along flight path 115 to original destination 120. In some examples, a pilot on aircraft 110 may wish to identify an alternative destination in addition to the original destination. For example, destinations 131 and 141-147 may provide alternative airports or landing runways where aircraft 110 may end its flight. In some examples, a pilot on aircraft 110 may also wish to identify various information about alternative flight paths to alternative destinations. For example, a pilot may also wish to identify information related to flight paths 151, 153, and 155. The systems and methods described herein provide further details in identifying alternative destinations and providing various details about the destinations.

[0030] Figure 2 2 shows a vehicle management environment 200 according to aspects of the present disclosure. A vehicle management system (VMS) 210 is provided on a computing device (such as computing device 500, which is referred to herein as Figure 5 210 is a system for providing vehicle management, including navigation and operational control, to a vehicle, such as aircraft 110, and proactively identifying alternative destinations and managing flights selected for transfer to alternative destinations. VMS 210 communicates with navigation and tracking system 250, weather system 240, and user interface 215, which may be included on the same computing device as VMS 210 and / or in communication with each other, or included on separate computing devices. In addition, although shown as separate systems, each of VMS 210, navigation and tracking system 250, weather system 240, and user interface 215 may represent one or more separate systems of an indication type that may be provided by a separate computing device or a distributed computing environment. When provided by separate devices, the various systems are communicatively connected to each other via one or more of a wireless or wired network, a broadcast service, and a beam service (e.g., directional satellite communications and microwave point-to-point communications).

[0031] Navigation and tracking system 250 provides flight tracking data to aircraft, such as aircraft 110, and VMS 210 is on board aircraft 110. In various aspects, the tracking data may include ADS-B data, radar positioning data, transponder data, and other data indicating where the aircraft is located (including altitude), the heading of the aircraft, and the speed at which the aircraft is traveling. For ADS-B data, individual aircraft receive satellite positioning information to determine where the aircraft is currently located and the current speed of the aircraft, which the individual aircraft broadcasts for receipt by tracking system 250.

[0032] In some aspects, the tracking data also identifies a specific aircraft (e.g., flight X operated by airline A), the type of aircraft, and the operator of the aircraft, which the VMS 210 can correlate with known aircraft characteristics (e.g., carries X passengers, requires a runway at least Y meters long, uses facilities in general aviation or associated with airline A or C (but not B)), the origin and destination of the aircraft's current (or original) flight plan (and any known waypoints), etc. Such flight tracking data may also provide deviation data from the original flight plan; indicating the extent to which the aircraft deviated from the route (including flying at a different altitude than originally planned), was ahead or behind schedule, flew faster or slower than originally planned, or was directed to a different destination than originally planned.

[0033] Weather system 240 receives current weather data and weather forecast data (collectively, weather data) associated with various locations in the area of ​​an aircraft or flight path 115. In various aspects, weather data includes METAR (Meteorological Airport Report) data, Terminal Airport Forecast (TAF) data, and other current, short-term, or long-term information sets associated with localized weather. Weather data may indicate one or more of: temperature; humidity; wind speed; likelihood, amount, and type of precipitation (e.g., rain, snow, hail); likelihood of lightning; and ground-based conditions that may affect air patterns (e.g., volcanic eruptions, forest fires, flooding), to name a few examples. User interface 215 represents a computing system that includes a guidance user interface (GUI) for one or more crew members (e.g., pilot, co-pilot, navigator, etc.).

[0034] The user interface 215 may indicate to the VMS 210 the various requirements or reasons behind the alternate destination request including the customized location. The VMS 210 will determine and recommend an airport as an alternate destination with appropriate resources to provide a safe landing and resolve the diversion issue (e.g., medical or maintenance teams and facilities at or near the selected airport). The VMS 210 in turn uses the received flight tracking data, weather data, knowledge of the airports in the airport database 280, and the requirements indicated by the user interface 215 (if indicated) to determine one or more "best" airports to present as alternate destinations and divert the aircraft, which is provided to the user interface 215 in a recommendation or alert to select as the new destination for the flight.

[0035] VMS 210 includes an airport database 280 that identifies the resources available at each airport (e.g., number and length of runways, number and type of gates / terminals, maintenance facilities, fuel capacity, hangar space, customs stations), as well as the services located near each airport (e.g., ground transportation options, lodging options, medical services), and the location of each airport. An end user may update airport database 280, or a provider of VMS 210 may manage airport database 280 to reflect the latest status of one or more airports (e.g., when a new runway is opened, when a terminal is closed for remodeling).

[0036] The alternative destination module 220 receives weather data, flight tracking data, and an airport database 280 to determine the number of alternative destinations. The navigation prediction module 225 predicts or calculates various metrics, including determining the flight distance between the current vehicle position of the aircraft and the alternative destination. In some examples, the flight distance between the current vehicle position is based on a direct-to distance or a missed approach distance selected by the crew or other entity on the aircraft 110 (e.g., an airline operation center, etc.). The alternative destination module can also determine an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the flight from the current vehicle position to the alternative destination, determine an estimated remaining fuel level when the aircraft arrives at the alternative destination, and determine various other metrics required to complete the flight path between the current position and the alternative destination (e.g., trip altitude, optimal altitude, etc.).

[0037] Figure 3A detailed view of an alternate destination module 220 is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. When activated, the alternate destination module 220 may receive, for example, airport data, weather data, and flight tracking data from the tracking system 250, the vehicle operating system 230 data, the obstacle and terrain database 260, the navigation prediction data 270, and user inputs such as the original destination 305 or the customized location 310. In various aspects, the alternate destination module 220 uses the most recent data available for real-time data, such as when a data feed is interrupted. The alternate destination module 320 selects an alternate destination based on the inputs, the original destination 305, and the customized location 310, and the navigation estimation module 325 calculates or determines a plurality of navigation estimates for each of a plurality of nearest airports, and the update module 330 updates the VMS 210, such as with respect to the alternate destination. Figure 4 Described in more detail.

[0038] Figure 4 4 is a flow chart of a method for alternative destination management according to aspects of the present disclosure. Method 400 begins at block 405, where an alternative destination request is received at VMS 210 on a vehicle. In some examples, the vehicle is an aircraft and the VMS is an onboard flight management system. For example, VMS 210 receives an alternative destination request from a pilot via user interface 215. In another example, VMS 210 including a vehicle operating system 230 or other module may request an alternative destination. For example, vehicle operating system 230 may request an earlier or different destination (e.g., an alternative landing airport) based on current vehicle or other conditions.

[0039] At block 410, the VMS 210 determines a location of interest based on the alternative destination request. For example, the VMS 210 may receive a user selection from a user via the user interface 215 of the VMS 210. The user selection may include a location of interest selected by the user, wherein the location of interest includes one of: an original destination of the vehicle during the navigation session, such as the original destination 305, and a custom location selected by the user, such as the custom location 310.

[0040] At block 415, the VMS 210 selects at least one alternative destination based on the proximity of the at least one alternative destination to the location of interest. In some examples, the VMS 210 selects a plurality of closest airports that are closest to the location of interest. For example, the VMS selects an alternative destination that is closest to the original destination 120, i.e., destinations 131-137, or selects alternative destinations 143-147 based on a custom location such as alternative destination 141.

[0041] At box 420, VMS 210 determines multiple navigation estimates for the vehicle based on the current vehicle position, the location of at least one alternate destination, and the current vehicle conditions (e.g., environmental and physical conditions at the current vehicle position and vehicle operating conditions of the vehicle). For example, for each of a plurality of nearest airports, VMS 210 determines the flight distance between the current vehicle position of the aircraft and the airport, determines an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for the flight from the current vehicle position to the airport, and determines an estimated remaining fuel level when the aircraft arrives at the airport. In one example, VMS 210 may also determine the flight distance based on a missed approach calculation. For a missed approach, VMS 210 calculates the distance from the current position to the active or original destination (following the active flight plan), plus the missed approach process in the active destination, and plus the distance from the active destination to the alternate destination airport.

[0042] In some examples, at an update time after the initial calculation, the VMS 210 may update the plurality of navigation estimates based on the updated position of the aircraft at the update time. Additionally, the VMS may receive an additional option selection at the VMS (e.g., the pilot selecting a next option on a user interface), select the next plurality of closest airports closest to the location of interest, and determine the next plurality of navigation estimates for each of the next plurality of closest airports.

[0043] At block 425, VMS 210 updates the VMS based on the at least one alternative destination and the plurality of navigation estimates. For example, VMS 210 displays the at least one alternative destination and the plurality of navigation estimates on a user interface (UI) of the VMS. In some examples, VMS 210 selects a new destination from the at least one alternative destination based on the plurality of navigation estimates, replaces the original destination in the autopilot navigation subsystem of the VMS with the selected new destination, and displays the new destination and the plurality of navigation estimates on a user interface (UI) of the VMS.

[0044] Figure 5 Illustrated are example computing components of computing device 500 or other computer-readable storage device or processing system that may be used to provide alternative destination management as described in this disclosure.

[0045] Computing device 500 includes processor 510, memory 520 and interface 530. Processor 510 and memory 520 provide computing functions to run various modules to process real-time data and output alternative destinations, diversion alerts and various alternative destination information, such as alternative destination (airport) name, ETA, remaining fuel, etc.

[0046] Processor 510 , which may be any computer processor capable of performing the functions described herein, executes commands based on input received from a user and data received from interface 530 .

[0047] Interface 530 connects computing device 500 to external devices, such as external storage devices, external computing devices, power supplies, wireless transmitters, etc., and may include various connection ports (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, Ethernet, coaxial jacks) and cables. Interface 530 is used to receive real-time data and output alternative destination recommendations.

[0048] The memory 520 is a memory storage device that typically includes various processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 510, perform various functions related to the predictive flight steering management discussed herein. The processor-executable instructions can be generally described or organized into various "applications" or "modules" in the memory 520, but alternative implementations can have different functions and / or combinations of functions. The memory 520 also typically includes data structures that store information used or output by the various applications or modules. In the present disclosure, the memory 520 includes at least instructions for operating the system 540 and one or more applications 550. The memory 520 can be one or more memory devices, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, or any other type of volatile or non-volatile storage medium that includes instructions that the processor 510 can execute.

[0049] When computing device 500 provides the functionality of VMS 210, memory 520 includes processor executable instructions to provide applications for VMS 210 and provide the functionality described in this disclosure. In some aspects, memory 520 also includes the databases described herein.

[0050] In the present disclosure, reference is made to various aspects. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specifically described aspects. On the contrary, it is expected that any combination of the following features and elements (whether or not related to different aspects) is implemented and practiced to provide the teachings provided herein. In addition, when describing the elements of various aspects in the form of "at least one of A and B", it will be understood that only element A, only element B, and all aspects including elements A and B are expected. In addition, although some aspects can achieve advantages that are superior to other possible solutions and / or superior to the prior art, whether a given aspect achieves a specific advantage does not limit the present disclosure. Therefore, the aspects, features, aspects, and advantages disclosed herein are merely illustrative and are not considered to be elements or limitations of the appended claims unless clearly stated in the claims. Similarly, reference to "the present invention" should not be interpreted as a summary of any inventive subject matter disclosed herein, and should not be considered to be an element or limitation of the appended claims unless clearly stated in the claims.

[0051] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects described herein may be embodied as systems, methods, or computer program products. Thus, aspects may take the form of entirely hardware aspects, entirely software aspects (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or combined software and hardware aspects, which may all be generally referred to herein as "circuits," "modules," or "systems." Additionally, aspects described herein may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable program code embodied thereon.

[0052] Program code embodied on a computer readable storage medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0053] The computer program code for performing the operations of various aspects of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​(such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, etc.) and conventional procedural programming languages ​​(such as "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0054] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems) and computer program products of various aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each frame of the flowchart and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create a device for implementing the function / action specified in the (multiple) frame of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0055] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which may direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to work in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in the boxes of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams.

[0056] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operating steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in the boxes of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams.

[0057] The flowchart illustration and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, function and operation of the system, method and computer program product according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, each frame in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, segment or part of a code, which includes one or more executable instructions for realizing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the function pointed out in the frame may not occur in the order pointed out in the figure. For example, according to the function involved, the two frames shown in succession can actually be performed substantially simultaneously, or the frame can sometimes be performed in reverse order or out of order. It should also be noted that each frame in the block diagram and / or flow chart and the combination of frames in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be realized by a combination of a system based on special-purpose hardware or special-purpose hardware and computer instructions that performs a specified function or action.

[0058] While the foregoing is directed to various aspects of the present disclosure, other and further aspects of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof and the scope of the disclosure is determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: Receiving (405) an alternate destination request at a vehicle management system VMS (210) on the vehicle; determining (410) a location of interest at the VMS based on the alternate destination request; selecting (415) the at least one alternative destination based on a proximity of the at least one alternative destination to the location of interest; determining (420) a plurality of navigation estimates for the vehicle based on a current vehicle position, a location of the at least one alternate destination, and a current vehicle condition; as well as The VMS is updated (425) based on the at least one alternate destination and the plurality of navigation estimates.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Receiving the alternate destination request includes: Receiving a user selection from a user via a user interface (UI) of the VMS, wherein the user selection includes the location of interest selected by the user, wherein the location of interest includes one of the following: the original destination of the vehicle during the navigation session; and A custom location selected by the user.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle comprises an aircraft (110), and wherein the VMS comprises an onboard flight management system.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The at least one alternative destination comprises a plurality of nearest airports closest to the location of interest, and wherein, for each of the plurality of nearest airports, determining the plurality of navigation estimates comprises one or more of the following steps: determining a flight distance between the current vehicle position of the aircraft and the airport; determining an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a flight from the current vehicle position to the airport; and An estimated remaining fuel level of the aircraft upon arrival at the airport is determined.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: At an update time, the plurality of navigation estimates are updated based on an updated position of the aircraft at the update time.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The current vehicle status includes: The environmental and physical conditions at the current vehicle location; and A vehicle operating condition of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: receiving, at the VMS, an additional option selection; selecting the next plurality of closest airports closest to the location of interest; as well as A next plurality of navigation estimates for each of the next plurality of closest airports are determined.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Updating the VMS based on the at least one alternative destination and the plurality of navigation estimates includes: The at least one alternative destination and the plurality of navigation estimates are displayed on a user interface (UI) of the VMS.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Updating the VMS based on the at least one alternative destination and the plurality of navigation estimates includes: selecting a new destination from the at least one alternative destination based on the plurality of navigation estimates; replacing the original destination in the autopilot navigation subsystem of the VMS with the selected new destination; and The new destination and the plurality of navigation estimates are displayed on a user interface UI of the VMS.

10. A system, comprising: Processor (510); as well as A memory (520) storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations comprising: Receiving (405) an alternative destination request at a vehicle management system VMS on the vehicle; determining (410) a location of interest at the VMS based on the alternate destination request; selecting (415) the at least one alternative destination based on a proximity of the at least one alternative destination to the location of interest; determining (420) a plurality of navigation estimates for the vehicle based on a current vehicle position, a location of the at least one alternate destination, and a current vehicle condition; as well as The VMS is updated (425) based on the at least one alternate destination and the plurality of navigation estimates.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein: Receiving the alternate destination request includes: Receiving a user selection from a user via a user interface (UI) of the VMS, wherein the user selection includes the location of interest selected by the user, wherein the location of interest includes one of the following: the original destination of the vehicle during the navigation session; and A custom location selected by the user.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The vehicle comprises an aircraft, and wherein the VMS comprises an onboard flight management system.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein: The at least one alternative destination comprises a plurality of nearest airports closest to the location of interest, and wherein, for each of the plurality of nearest airports, determining the plurality of navigation estimates comprises one or more of the following operations: determining a flight distance between the current vehicle position of the aircraft and the airport; determining an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a flight from the current vehicle position to the airport; and An estimated remaining fuel level of the aircraft upon arrival at the airport is determined.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising: At an update time, the plurality of navigation estimates are updated based on an updated position of the aircraft at the update time.

15. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising: Receiving (405) an alternative destination request at a vehicle management system VMS on the vehicle; determining (410) a location of interest at the VMS based on the alternate destination request; selecting (415) the at least one alternative destination based on a proximity of the at least one alternative destination to the location of interest; determining (420) a plurality of navigation estimates for the vehicle based on a current vehicle position, a location of the at least one alternate destination, and a current vehicle condition; as well as The VMS is updated (425) based on the at least one alternate destination and the plurality of navigation estimates.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein: Receiving the alternate destination request includes: Receiving a user selection from a user via a user interface (UI) of the VMS, wherein the user selection includes the location of interest selected by the user, wherein the location of interest includes one of the following: the original destination of the vehicle during the navigation session; and A custom location selected by the user.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein: The vehicle comprises an aircraft, and wherein the VMS comprises an onboard flight management system.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein: The at least one alternative destination comprises a plurality of nearest airports closest to the location of interest, and wherein, for each of the plurality of nearest airports, determining the plurality of navigation estimates comprises one or more of the following steps: determining a flight distance between the current vehicle position of the aircraft and the airport; determining an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for a flight from the current vehicle position to the airport; and An estimated remaining fuel level of the aircraft upon arrival at the airport is determined.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, further comprising: At an update time, the plurality of navigation estimates are updated based on an updated position of the aircraft at the update time.

20. The computer readable storage device of claim 18, wherein: The current vehicle status includes: The environmental and physical conditions at the current vehicle location; and A vehicle operating condition of the vehicle.

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