A system, method, and computer program product for alerting an aircraft flight crew of an inconsistency during an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to a selected runway. The system includes a component configured to receive glideslope and localizer signals, and a component configured to determine aircraft approach angle to runway end. Also, a component configured to alert the aircraft flight crew of an approach inconsistency, if the determined aircraft approach angle to runway end is less than a threshold angular value and one or more parameters based on aircraft position and the received glideslope and localizer signals are met. The component configured to determine aircraft approach angle to runway end determines the aircraft approach angle to runway end based on aircraft geometric altitude, a vertical figure of merit, a horizontal figure of merit, runway elevation, and aircraft distance to runway threshold.
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application claims priority from co-pending U.S. Provisional application serial No. 60/226,400 entitled "Glideslope Monitor For Aircraft," filed Aug. 18, 2000, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
A critical point on a runway indicates a point at which an aircraft may experience a runway overrun if landing beyond the critical point. A path projection is extended from the aircraft at a descent slope angle to determine whether the aircraft will land beyond the critical point at the current descent slope. Timely alerts may be provided by accounting for the time required to announce a distance value, and the distance traveled during the announcement.
A method, apparatus and computer program product for assisting the pilot of an aircraft in making a go-around decision. Various aircraft parameters are monitored during the approach to land and a risk level assessed. When the risk level exceeds a specified threshold, an alert is provided.
A method for coordinating numerous vehicles within a common maneuver is characterized by receiving, at a moving vehicle, state and projected maneuver information of other vehicles participating in the maneuver via a broadcast link and utilizing the information to control the trajectory of the moving vehicle based on predicted paths of all participating vehicles for future times for which the maneuver is to be conducted. For simple maneuvers, such as flight-deck based self-spacing of aircraft in a runway approach, the method allows each participating vehicle to virtually perform the coordinated maneuver by predictive simulation using current state data to determine if corrective measures need be undertaken, or, if the predicted maneuver shows that it would complete as planned, maintaining its current trajectory. This affords vehicle operators the freedom to perform other duties, as the operators are alerted only when a change in state is necessitated. In the runway approach problem, the state changes are primarily in a change of speed and the choice of a simple, stepped speed profile reduces the amount of speed control that must be attended to by aircraft flight crews, allows for fuel efficient flight profiles within constraints of solving the spacing problem, and allows for higher runway throughput as compared with the prior art.
A method, computer program product and apparatus for locating aircraft with respect to airport runways and environs, generating a graphical display of the aircraft position, heading and ground speed information relative to the aircraft runways and environs, and annunciating situational awareness advisories as a function of aircraft information relative to the airport runways and environs.
A device, method and computer program product for locating aircraft with respect to airport runways and taxiways, determining if a conflict exists between an aircraft having operating the invention and another aircraft, and generating and annunciating conflict awareness advisories as a function of determining that a conflict exists.
