Flight Management Updates Using Real-Time Weather Networks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Contemporary aircraft rely on pre-flight data that may become stale during flight, lacking real-time weather and environmental updates, which can lead to inaccurate flight planning and fuel consumption estimates.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for collecting and predicting flight trajectories using real-time weather data from nearby aircraft, incorporating performance data to update flight calculations and display advisories on weather, trajectory, flight time, and fuel consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pre-flight data is used for flight planning, then flight calculations can be performed before takeoff, but the data becomes stale during flight leading to inaccurate flight planning and fuel consumption estimates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary flight planning using pre-flight data, then continuously updates the plan during flight using real-time weather data collected from a network of aircraft. This allows the system to prepare flight calculations in advance while maintaining accuracy throughout the flight by incorporating updated weather information as it becomes available.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where weather data is continuously collected from multiple aircraft in the network, processed to update the current weather picture, and used to recalculate flight trajectories and fuel consumption estimates. This closed-loop approach ensures that flight planning remains accurate by continuously incorporating new information about actual weather conditions.
2Measurement precision
If real-time weather data from a network of aircraft is collected and processed, then accurate trajectory predictions can be made, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flight management system performs multiple functions using the same hardware infrastructure: it collects weather data from the network, processes the data to update weather models, calculates updated flight trajectories, estimates fuel consumption, and provides recommendations to the pilot. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems for each task.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary processing layer that receives raw weather data from the aircraft network, standardizes and validates the information, integrates it with pre-flight data, and outputs processed weather products for trajectory calculation. This intermediary layer simplifies the complexity by creating a standardized interface between data collection and analysis functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A flight management system and method of updating flight calculations includes flying an aircraft along a current flight path, collecting real-time weather data from a network of aircraft operating in a nearby region, and predicting a trajectory for completion of the flight. The prediction can be based on the collected real-time weather data.