FRA Flight Plan Generation Through Pilot-Selected Route Priorities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing FRA flight planning systems require significant aircrew effort and are prone to human error due to the complexity of balancing multiple flight parameters, leading to increased workload and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An on-board FRA display system that allows pilots to select parameter priorities such as fuel-efficiency and emission reduction, generating and displaying multiple alternative flight plans, and obtaining ATC approval, thereby simplifying the flight planning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual or traditional FMS flight planning is used to optimize multiple parameters (fuel efficiency, emissions, time), then flight plan quality improves, but aircrew workload and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The FMS automatically generates multiple optimized flight plan options based on aircrew-selected priorities without requiring manual computation or complex interactions. The system serves itself by autonomously calculating routes that optimize for fuel efficiency, emissions, time, or other selected parameters, thereby improving flight plan quality while reducing aircrew workload and perceived complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates and presents multiple flight plan options to the aircrew before final selection. By performing the computationally intensive optimization work in advance and presenting ready-to-review options, the system improves flight plan quality through thorough analysis while reducing the complexity of the interaction required from the aircrew.
2Productivity
If traditional FMS flight planning methods are used with multiple parameter optimizations, then flight efficiency improves, but aircrew time consumption and workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The FMS autonomously performs the time-consuming optimization calculations for multiple flight plan options based on aircrew-selected priorities. This self-service capability allows the system to generate comprehensive, efficiency-optimized flight plans without requiring proportional increases in aircrew time investment, thereby improving flight efficiency while minimizing additional time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual flight planning methods with automated computational processing. By substituting the mechanical/Manual process of evaluating multiple parameters with automated FMS computation, the system achieves superior flight efficiency optimization without the linear increase in aircrew time investment that would otherwise be required.
3Ease of operation
If simplified flight planning interfaces are used, then ease of operation improves, but ability to optimize multiple parameters deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flight planning process is segmented into two distinct phases: (1) Aircrew selects desired optimization priorities through a simplified interface, and (2) The FMS autonomously generates multiple optimized route options. This segmentation allows the interface to remain simple and easy to operate while the backend system handles the complex multi-parameter optimization, thereby maintaining ease of operation without sacrificing parameter optimization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary automated processing layer between the simple aircrew input (selected priorities) and the complex output (multiple optimized flight plans). This intermediary FMS computation layer handles the complex multi-parameter optimization transparently, allowing the interface to remain simple and easy to operate while preserving full parameter optimization capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method includes receiving information of a free route airspace (FRA) downpath along a flight plan of an aircraft, and displaying, on at least one display device on the aircraft, the FRA on an avionics display. The method also includes displaying, on an avionics display of the at least one display device, a graphical user interface (GUI) showing an FRA route factor selection panel comprising multiple selectable flight plan parameter priorities available to be used to generate an FRA flight plan extending at least partially through the FRA. The method also includes receiving a selection of one or more of the FRA flight plan parameter priorities and selected by using the GUI. The method also includes displaying, on an avionics display of the at least one display device, at least one automatically generated FRA flight plan generated by using at least one of the selected flight plan parameter priorities.