Approach Distance Calculation for Aircraft Landing Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airplane accidents during the approach phase are often due to unanticipated meteorological conditions, inappropriate pilot reactions, and non-stabilized approaches, with pilots often delaying go-around maneuvers due to reluctance, leading to potential incidents and accidents.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that determine current flight parameters to calculate accurate approach distances and present them on a navigation screen, illustrating energy margins and recommending optimized or standard descent profiles to aid pilots in deciding whether to continue the approach or perform a go-around, using expressions like ΔXi=∫HTiHTi+1[1/(ⅆHTⅆX(HT))]·ⅆHT to calculate approach distances and display them as circular arcs indicating normal, alert, or alarm situations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fundamental dynamics equations are used for predictive distance calculation, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and calculation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex fundamental dynamics equations with simplified empirical formulas that provide sufficient accuracy for approach distance calculation. The simplified method uses readily available flight parameters (altitude, speed, configuration) with empirical coefficients to calculate approach distance, avoiding the need for complex real-time simulation while maintaining practical accuracy for safety decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the calculation approach by changing from solving fundamental dynamics equations to using parameter-based empirical formulas. The method uses current flight parameters (altitude h, speed V, configuration C) and empirical coefficients (k1, k2, k3) to directly compute approach distance, simplifying the computational model while preserving essential physical relationships.
2Reliability
If approach distance information is continuously presented to the pilot, then reliability is improved, but loss of information increases due to information overload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively presenting approach distance information based on the specific flight phase and situational context. The system determines whether to display information based on current altitude, speed, and configuration, providing enhanced information only when relevant to safety margins, thereby avoiding unnecessary information overload during stable approach phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary assessment of flight conditions to determine when approach distance information should be presented. By evaluating current flight parameters against safety thresholds before displaying information, the system prepares the pilot with relevant safety margin data only when the approach state requires heightened awareness, preventing information overload during routine phases.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for aiding the piloting of an airplane includes: (1) determining current values of flight parameters of the airplane, (2) determining, with the aid of the current values, an approach distance that corresponds to a distance in a horizontal plane between the current position of the airplane and a position of contact with the ground, and (3) presenting the approach distance on a screen.