Cursor-Controlled Flight Plan Modification for Terrain Conflict Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft navigation systems under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) face significant inaccuracies and uncertainties, leading to large Total System Errors (TSE), which result in higher Minimum Descent Altitudes (MDA) and Decision Heights, limiting the ability to safely land at terrain-challenged airports, especially in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).
Innovation Solution
A method using a cursor control device and flight management system (FMS) to create and modify flight plans interactively on a display, allowing pilots to insert and manipulate waypoints to avoid terrain conflicts, generating a modified flight path that bends around obstacles, reducing TSE and enabling lower MDAs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional IFR navigation systems are used with standard TERPS procedures, then obstacle clearance is ensured through standardized buffer zones, but Minimum Descent Altitudes must be higher and terrain-challenged airports cannot be safely accessed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of actual obstacle clearance margins before the approach, using computer modeling to determine the true safety buffer available for specific aircraft performance and weather conditions. This pre-calculated information allows the MDA to be reduced from the conservative standardized value to the actual minimum safe altitude, enabling access to terrain-challenged airports while maintaining obstacle clearance safety.
2Reliability
If larger buffer zones are used to accommodate navigation system uncertainty, then obstacle clearance is maintained, but the ability to land at terrain-challenged airports is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a uniform, conservative buffer zone applied to all approaches to a localized, variable buffer that is precisely calculated for each specific approach scenario. By considering the actual aircraft performance, weather conditions, and terrain characteristics, the system creates a customized safety margin that is neither too conservative nor too risky, thereby enabling landings at terrain-challenged airports that would otherwise be inaccessible.
3Ease of operation
If standardized TERPS procedures are used for all aircraft, then consistency and simplicity are maintained, but aircraft with better than minimum performance cannot utilize their capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces static, one-size-fits-all TERPS procedures with dynamic, adaptive procedures that automatically adjust to the specific aircraft's performance characteristics and current weather conditions. The computer system calculates customized approach parameters in real-time, allowing aircraft with superior performance capabilities to utilize those capabilities for enhanced safety and performance, while maintaining ease of operation through automated calculations and pilot-friendly interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of creating and modifying a flight plan using a cursor control device and a display to represent the flight plan in the context of terrain. The method includes inserting waypoints, including origin and destination waypoints, into a flight plan using a cursor control device to position the waypoints in a display and commanding a flight management system (FMS) to connect the waypoints into a flight plan. The flight plan is drawn in the context of terrain on a display where conflicts between the flight plan and terrain are indicated. Selected elements of the flight plan are selected with a cursor control device and the selected elements are dragged to new positions on the display until terrain conflicts are eliminated, thus generating a modified flight plan. The modified flight plan is reviewed in the context of terrain to determine its acceptability and making further modifications thereof if desired. The modified flight plan is selected from the review thereof, the modified flight having no conflicts with terrain. Finally, the modified flight plan is activated using the FMS.