Garmin International, Inc.

Noel J Duerksen

Clayton E Barber

Benjamin N Patel

Joseph R Lombardo

Scott K Haskins

Eric Tran

John C Johnson

Justin S Williams

Autoland systems and processes for landing an aircraft without pilot intervention are described. In implementations, the autoland system includes a memory operable to store one or more modules and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to identify a plurality of potential destinations for an aircraft. The processor can also calculate a merit for each potential destination identified, select a destination based upon the merit; receive terrain data and/or obstacle data, the including terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s); and create a route from a current position of the aircraft to an approach fix associated with the destination, the route accounting for the terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s). The processor can also cause the aircraft to traverse the route, and cause the aircraft to land at the destination without requiring pilot intervention.

Emergency autoland system

Autoland systems and processes for landing an aircraft without pilot intervention are described. In implementations, the autoland system includes a memory operable to store one or more modules and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to identify a plurality of potential destinations for an aircraft; calculate a merit for each potential destination identified; select a destination based upon the merit; and create a route from a current position of the aircraft to an approach fix associated with the destination that accounts for the terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s). The processor can also cause the aircraft to traverse the route, determine a final approach segment associated with the route; identify terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s) associated with the final approach segment; and determine an adjusted final approach segment accounting for the terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s).

Emergency autoload system

An avionics system for a mechanically-controlled aircraft configured to provide envelope protection for deterring a pilot from flying outside of acceptable flight parameter limits for flight parameters such as banking angle, pitch attitude, g loading, proximity to terrain and/or obstacles, angle of attack, and/or airspeed. The avionics system may comprise at least one servo actuator and a computing device. The computing device may engage envelope protection by engaging the at least one servo actuator if the aircraft reaches a maximum or minimum limit for any of the flight parameters, such that the at least one servo actuator provides a force to urge a flight control device in a direction to bring the aircraft back within the acceptable flight parameter limits. The servo actuator may be disengaged when the aircraft flight parameters reach an end value corresponding to the start value that triggered envelope protection to engage.

Envelope protection for mechanically-controlled aircraft

Growing community of inventors

Spring Hill, KS, United States of America

Noel J Duerksen