Vertical Situation Display for NADP Altitude and Thrust Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current noise abatement departure procedures (NADPs) in aircraft operations lack consistency in display information across cockpit sources, reducing flight crew situation awareness and increasing workload during critical phases of flight.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that receives NADP parameters into a flight management system (FMS) to generate visual cues on display devices, including Vertical Situation Displays (VSDs), altitude tapes, engine displays, and flight mode annunciators, providing clear indications of altitude transitions and thrust changes to enhance pilot awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If NADP procedures are implemented with multiple display sources in the cockpit, then noise abatement compliance is improved, but display information consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges NADP display information across multiple cockpit sources (PFD, ND, EWD, FMA) into a unified consistent format. The system integrates thrust reduction indicators, altitude bug displays, and mode annunciations across all these displays to show consistent NADP status and parameters, resolving the inconsistency problem while maintaining noise abatement compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal NADP display system that functions across multiple different cockpit display types and sources. The same NADP information (thrust reduction status, altitude targets, mode annunciations) is rendered consistently on PFD, ND, EWD, and FMA displays, making the display system multi-functional while maintaining information consistency across all sources.
2Loss of information
If detailed NADP information is provided across multiple displays, then flight crew situation awareness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments NADP information into distinct functional components (thrust reduction indicators, altitude bug displays, mode annunciations, vertical profile markers) that are distributed across different display sources. Each display type (PFD, ND, EWD, FMA) shows appropriate segmented portions of NADP information, improving situation awareness while managing system complexity through organized information distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds vertical dimension to NADP information display through altitude bug markers and vertical profile indicators on the display screens. By representing altitude transitions and thrust change points in the vertical dimension of the display, the system provides comprehensive NADP situation awareness without requiring additional physical display devices, thus managing complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual monitoring of NADP parameters is required, then operational flexibility is maintained, but pilot workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated feedback systems that continuously monitor NADP parameter compliance and provide visual indicators on cockpit displays. The system automatically detects thrust reduction status, altitude achievement, and mode transitions, then feeds back this information through consistent display cues (bugs, markers, annunciations), reducing manual monitoring workload while maintaining operational flexibility for pilot intervention when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for generating a vertical situation display for a noise abatement departure procedure (NADP). Other NADP relevant displays are also disclosed including display of NADP parameters on altitude tape and primary flight displays, an NADP bug on an engine display and NADP status annunciations. The methods and systems include receiving NADP parameters entered into a flight management system (FMS) on a user interface of the aircraft system. The NADP parameters include: an initial altitude at which take-off thrust should be reduced to NADP thrust, an acceleration altitude at which the aircraft should begin accelerating to a final take-off speed whilst maintaining the NADP thrust, a climb excitement altitude at which a speed target is changed to the final take-off speed whilst maintaining the NADP thrust, and an end altitude at which the NADP should be exited. The methods and systems include generating a vertical situation display for a display device of the aircraft system indicating the NADP parameters on a flight path indication.