Method and apparatus for managing flight planning

1. A computer implemented method for displaying flight plan data, the computer implemented method comprising:

displaying first level flight plan data comprising a value, a calculation to derive the value, and a description of the value for the first level flight plan data;

receiving user input for a selection of a portion of the first level flight plan data; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the portion of the first level flight plan data, displaying second level flight plan data, wherein the second level flight plan data displayed is used to derive the selected portion of the first level flight plan data selected by the user input.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a change to a portion of the second level flight plan data;

responsive to receiving the change, updating the selected portion of the first level flight plan data derived from changes to portion of the second level flight plan data to form an updated portion of the first level flight plan data; and

presenting the updated portion of the first level flight plan data.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input for a selection of a portion of the second level flight plan data; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the portion of the second level flight plan data, displaying third level flight plan data, wherein the third level flight plan data displayed is used to derive the selected portion of the second level flight plan data selected by the user input.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first level flight plan data is selected from one of fuel remaining after a flight is completed, magnetic course/heading, ground speed and true air speed, estimated time en route and estimated time of arrival, and climb and descent angles.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first level flight plan data and the second level flight plan data are displayed using nodes in a tree structure.

6. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for displaying flight plan data, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for displaying first level flight plan data comprising a value, a calculation to derive the value, and a description of the value for the first level flight plan data;

computer usable program code for receiving user input for a selection of a portion of the first level flight plan data; and

computer usable program code for responsive to receiving the selection of the portion of the first level flight plan data, displaying second level flight plan data, wherein the second level flight plan data displayed is used to derive the selected portion of the first level flight plan data selected by the user input.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a change to a portion of the second level flight plan data;

computer usable program code for responsive to receiving the change, updating the selected portion of the first level flight plan data derived from changes to portion of the second level flight plan data to form an updated portion of the first level flight plan data; and

computer usable program code for presenting the updated portion of the first level flight plan data.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving user input for a selection of a portion of the second level flight plan data; and

computer usable program code responsive to receiving the selection of the portion of the second level flight plan data, displaying third level flight plan data, wherein the third level flight plan data displayed is used to derive the selected portion of the second level flight plan data selected by the user input.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the first level flight plan data is selected from one of fuel remaining after a flight is completed, magnetic course/heading, ground speed and true air speed, estimated time en route and estimated time of arrival, and climb and descent angles.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the first level flight plan data and the second level flight plan data are displayed using nodes in a tree structure.

11. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes computer usable program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program to display first level flight plan data comprising a value, a calculation to derive the value, and a description of the value for the first level flight plan data; receive user input for a selection of a portion of the first level flight plan data; display second level flight plan data in response to receiving the selection of the portion of the first level flight plan data, wherein the second level flight plan data displayed is used to derive the selected portion of the first level flight plan data selected by the user input.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to receive a change to a portion of the second level flight plan data; update the selected portion of the first level flight plan data derived from changes to portion of the second level flight plan data to form an updated portion of the first level flight plan data in response to receiving the change; and present the updated portion of the first level flight plan data.

13. The data processing system of claim 11 wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to receive user input for a selection of a portion of the second level flight plan data; and wherein in response to receiving the selection of the portion of the second level flight plan data, displaying third level flight plan data, wherein the third level flight plan data displayed is used to derive the selected portion of the second level flight plan data selected by the user input.

14. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein the first level flight plan data comprises fuel remaining after a flight is completed.