Pilot Assistance Device for Flight Quality Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft systems lack the ability to effectively evaluate and provide feedback on a pilot's flying technique, impacting fuel consumption, noise levels, and taxiing efficiency, as existing avionics systems primarily focus on fault finding and maintenance rather than quality of flight assessment.
Innovation Solution
A pilot assistance device with a processing unit and memory that acquires flight and behavioral parameters, determines flying quality indicators, and displays recommendations to improve performance, functioning independently of aircraft avionics systems and utilizing communication links with both the aircraft and ground stations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If avionics systems focus on fault finding and maintenance functions, then system reliability is improved, but the ability to evaluate and provide feedback on pilot's flying technique deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates flight evaluation functions from traditional avionics systems. A dedicated pilot assistance device with processing unit and memory is introduced to handle quality of flight assessment, while existing avionics continue their fault finding and maintenance functions. This segmentation allows both functions to operate optimally without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary pilot assistance device that receives flight data from avionics systems and ground stations, processes this information to determine flying quality indicators, and provides feedback to the pilot. This intermediary component bridges the gap between raw flight data and actionable quality assessment without disrupting existing avionics functionality.
2Measurement precision
If a dedicated pilot assistance device is introduced to evaluate flying quality, then measurement precision of flying technique is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pilot assistance device is designed as a portable, independent unit that can function across multiple flight phases and with different aircraft types. The processing unit executes stored instructions to perform various evaluation functions, making the device universally applicable rather than aircraft-specific, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device autonomously acquires flight data from communications units, receives behavioral information from ground stations, processes this information to determine flying quality indicators, and provides feedback without requiring constant external intervention. The processing unit and memory work together to self-manage the evaluation process.
3Productivity
If real-time feedback on flying quality is provided to the pilot, then productivity of flight operations is improved, but loss of time for data processing and communication occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-loads behavioral information corresponding to aircraft behavior models from ground stations before flight operations begin. The processing unit has these reference models ready in memory, allowing immediate comparison with actual flight data without waiting for ground station communication during critical flight phases, thus reducing processing delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The device provides continuous feedback to the pilot during flight by comparing actual flight parameters against stored behavioral models and determining flying quality indicators in real-time. This immediate feedback loop allows the pilot to adjust techniques promptly, improving flight operations efficiency without significant time loss.
Data Source
AI summary
A device, system, and method for assisting a pilot of an aircraft. The device includes a processing unit which: acquires flight parameters of the aircraft, transmitted by a communications unit of the aircraft and records these flight parameters in a memory of the pilot assistance device; acquires behavioral information corresponding to a model of behavior of the aircraft, transmitted by a ground station, and records this behavioral information in the memory of the pilot assistance device; determines an indicator of the quality of flying of the aircraft as a function of at least a portion of the flight parameters recorded in the memory and of at least a portion of the behavioral information recorded in the memory; and control the display of the flying quality indicator.