The Boeing Company

David Garrido-Lopez

Johan L De Prins

Ramon Gomez Ledesma

Bastian Figlar

Luis P D'Alto

Maxim Constantijn Vos

Thomas Edward Yochum

Anne Jacqueline Gertruda Theodora Scholtes

Julien Scharl

Johan De Prins

Kevin Burnside

Kevin Elmer

A system and a method for planning and flying a cost-optimal cruise vertical profile in combination with a required time-of-arrival (RTA) constraint. The method may be implemented as a single function in a flight management system (FMS). The FMS plans the aircraft trajectory with cruise vertical and speed profiles that are optimized to minimize flight cost (e.g., fuel burn) while meeting the time constraint. When appropriate under the circumstances, this integrated function is also able to degrade the cruise vertical profile in order to open the window of achievable RTAs and increase the RTA success rate. The method also monitors progress of the flight along the planned trajectory as actual flight conditions may differ from the forecasted flight conditions, and readapts the cruise speed profile when the estimated arrival time is deviating from the RTA constraint by more than a specified threshold.

System and method for optimizing a cruise vertical profile subject to a time-of-arrival constraint

Electronic devices and methods for optimizing the vertical profile to be flown by an aircraft during the cruise phase of a flight. Based on continuously updated information about the aircraft's weight and the atmospheric wind and temperature, the method provides an optimal sequence of climbs and/or descents along the flight path during the cruise phase. Following the step climb/descent profile proposed by the method results in the most cost-optimal flight (if a cost index was selected) or in the most fuel-efficient flight (if the long-range cruise mode was selected). The method may be implemented in the flight management computer or any other electronic data processing device that can access the required information to perform the calculations.

Electronic device and method for optimizing vertical profile for cruise phase of flight

A method and electronic device for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel. The method comprises collecting recorded flight data from past flights of an aircraft; determining aircraft specific performance correction parameters per flight phase, using the recorded flight data; collecting a flight plan of the aircraft; determining the total fuel required for the given flight plan, using the aircraft specific performance correction parameters; determining a single synthetic drag factor (&#x3f5;) and a single synthetic fuel factor (&#x3f5;) that, when used by the aircraft FMS, yield the said total fuel required for the given flight plan; receiving an estimated total fuel required determined by the aircraft FMS based on the flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (&#x3f5;) and the single synthetic fuel factor (&#x3f5;). The method allows reducing the fuel weight and total flight cost, and is particularly advantageous for FMS which only admit one single drag factor and one single fuel factor.

Method and electronic device for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel

The present invention relates to methods of controlling the flight path of an aircraft to follow as closely as possible a predetermined four-dimensional flight path, such as when flying continuous descent approaches. A method of controlling an aircraft to follow a predetermined four-dimensional flight path is provided that comprises monitoring the actual along-track position and the actual vertical position of the aircraft relative to the corresponding desired positions on the predetermined flight path. The aircraft's elevators are used to correct deviations of the along-track position and the aircraft's throttle is used to correct deviations of the vertical position.

Four-dimensional navigation of an aircraft

Methods and systems for guiding an aircraft are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining, via a processor, a difference between an estimated time of arrival and a required time of arrival of an aircraft. The example method also includes determining if the difference exceeds a threshold time. The example method further includes determining a deviation between a predicted four-dimensional flight trajectory of the aircraft and a measured four-dimensional flight trajectory of the aircraft during flight if the difference does not exceed the threshold time. The example method also includes generating a speed command to reduce the deviation and updating a flight plan of the aircraft based on the speed command.

Methods and systems for aircraft guidance

Example systems and methods for controlling aircraft arrivals at a waypoint are disclosed. An example method for controlling aircraft arrivals at a merging waypoint includes defining a tie waypoint at a first distance from the merging waypoint and generating a first parameter set of flight instructions for aircraft arriving at the tie waypoint. The first parameter set includes an aircraft speed instruction for a target separation between a first aircraft arriving at a target waypoint downstream of the tie waypoint and a second aircraft arriving at the target waypoint. The example method includes defining a diversionary flight path at a second distance from the merging waypoint. The second distance is less than the first distance. The method also includes generating a second parameter set of flight instructions for the aircraft arriving at the diversionary flight path. In the example method, the second parameter set includes instructions for the first aircraft to follow at least a part of the diversionary flight path before flying to the merging waypoint. A total flight path distance of the first aircraft is to increase when an expected arrival of the first and second aircraft at the target waypoint has a separation that is smaller than a threshold separation.

Systems and methods for controlling aircraft arrivals at a waypoint

A method for controlling aircraft time of arrival at a flight trajectory waypoint decouples the various parts of the flight for flight plan, speed scheduling, and trajectory predictions. Adjustments to the speed during a first cruise phase of the flight reduce the deviations between the actual and estimated arrival times throughout the flight, and particularly reduce the amount of speed adjustments necessary during the later descent phase.

Method for controlling aircraft time of arrival

The present invention relates to methods of controlling the flight path of an aircraft to follow as closely as possible a predetermined four-dimensional flight path, such as when flying continuous descent approaches. A method of controlling an aircraft to follow a predetermined four-dimensional flight path is provided that comprises monitoring an actual along-track position and an actual vertical position of the aircraft relative to corresponding desired positions on the predetermined flight path. Throttle commands are generated based on deviations of the actual vertical position of the aircraft from the desired vertical position. Elevator commands are generated based on the deviation of the actual along-track position from the desired along-track position and on the deviation of the actual vertical position from the desired vertical position.

Four-dimensional guidance of an aircraft

The present invention relates to continuous descent approaches that ensure the greatest certainty in arrival time. The continuous descent approach is flown by maintaining an aerodynamic flight path angle, thereby allowing a ground speed to be followed with greater accuracy. An improvement is described that accounts for turns made during continuous descent approaches that may otherwise cause a drift away from the desired ground speed, and hence arrival time. A correction to the aerodynamic flight path angle is used that produces a compensatory change in the potential energy of the aircraft upon completing the turn to balance the anticipated drift in kinetic energy.

Growing community of inventors

Tres Cantos, Spain

David Garrido-Lopez