Visual Approach Engine for Aircraft Landing Path Selection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft landing systems lack efficient methods and systems for determining visual approach guidance, particularly in situations requiring substantial maneuvering prior to final visual approach interception.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing an onboard visual approach engine with an approach path monitor to access a database of visual circling approach paths, select an optimal path based on accompanying data, and display it to the pilot, while also capturing and ranking paths based on successful landings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If visual approach procedures are used for aircraft landing, then the majority of landings can be performed with visual guidance, but substantial maneuvering is required prior to final visual approach path interception
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary computation of multiple candidate visual approach paths and pre-ranks them based on historical success data before the aircraft actually needs to execute the approach. This allows the pilot to receive ready-to-use guidance without performing complex manual maneuvering calculations during the critical approach phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback from historical approach data, capturing and analyzing past visual approach paths and their outcomes. This feedback loop enables the system to learn from previous landings and improve path recommendations, providing data-driven guidance that reduces maneuvering complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple visual circling approach paths are stored in a database, then path selection can be optimized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically ranks and selects approach paths based on pre-stored historical data without requiring manual intervention or complex real-time analysis. The automated ranking algorithm processes the database of multiple paths and presents the optimal selection to the pilot, achieving adaptability while keeping the user interface simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-processes and ranks multiple approach paths based on historical success rates before they are needed. By performing this computation in advance rather than in real-time, the system can handle multiple paths and provide optimized selection without adding significant complexity to the operational system.
3Reliability
If historical VA paths are captured and ranked based on successful landings, then path reliability improves, but data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures and processes historical visual approach path data during normal operations, building up a ranked database of successful paths over time. This preliminary data collection and ranking occurs incrementally during routine flights rather than requiring batch processing, reducing the time burden on any single operation while improving reliability through accumulated data.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method and system for determining visual approach guidance for an aircraft has been developed. As an aircraft approaches an airport for landing, a visual approach (VA) engine is enabled with an approach path monitor (APM) located onboard the aircraft. An approach path database is accessed that contains multiple visual circling approach paths along with accompanying data for each of the visual circling approach paths. A specific visual circling approach path is selected from the approach path database based on the accompanying data for each of the visual circling approach paths and the aircraft enters the selected specific visual circling approach path.